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Entry Visa India

eas2lv

Champion Member
Oct 6, 2023
1,133
551
Toronto
Category........
WP
Visa Office......
Toronto
NOC Code......
21100
Nope it was already dispatched the day status changed to ready for dispatch
Its difficult to time when to pickup from Toronto locations -- especially for visa which they appear to be mailing the day following printed status. One has to put a hold in advance and hope they comply.
 

eas2lv

Champion Member
Oct 6, 2023
1,133
551
Toronto
Category........
WP
Visa Office......
Toronto
NOC Code......
21100
Hi- need some advice on passport surrender and OCI application.

Is it possible to initiate the passport surrender and OCI application procedures for India while outside of Canada?
I've received my Canadian passport in October and I'm currently in USA. Can I start the process for surrendering my passport and application for OCI from the nearest Indian Consulate in USA ?

appreciate your help! Thanks!
Depends on your status in USA. You would need residential ties in the US to apply from there -- like working or a dependent of a worker, or hold green card etc. If you are a temporary visitor there, they will not entertain your application.
 

Ankit003

Full Member
Dec 11, 2019
45
5
Hi Folks - Need an urgent advice.

We applied for out Infant`s entry visa on Nov 6, received Nov 8 at BLS Brampton and BLS emailed receipt of application as Nov 11. The application date is still reflected as as Nov 11 on BLS tracker and it says it takes 4-5 days for them to process. However, we haven`t received any email from BLS (called ivfrt i think) yet.

We have our tickets booked for Sat Nov 25 and so its a really close one. What are the chances? And What should be the recommended approach - Can we collect the Passport directly from CGI or BLS to save time? Pls advice.

Thanks,
 

eas2lv

Champion Member
Oct 6, 2023
1,133
551
Toronto
Category........
WP
Visa Office......
Toronto
NOC Code......
21100
Hi Folks - Need an urgent advice.

We applied for out Infant`s entry visa on Nov 6, received Nov 8 at BLS Brampton and BLS emailed receipt of application as Nov 11. The application date is still reflected as as Nov 11 on BLS tracker and it says it takes 4-5 days for them to process. However, we haven`t received any email from BLS (called ivfrt i think) yet.

We have our tickets booked for Sat Nov 25 and so its a really close one. What are the chances? And What should be the recommended approach - Can we collect the Passport directly from CGI or BLS to save time? Pls advice.

Thanks,
Nov 6th was late to apply for visa by mail for a Nov 25th travel.
If your application is still showing processing at BLS, the earliest it can reach the consulate is Nov 21st, and visa could get granted on 22nd and delivered on 24th. But that's very iffy. Your only option is to contact BLS by email and hope for them to process and pass on to consulate asap. Its seems some have had luck with that approach (search this thread). Once in the consulate most cases have been getting granted the next day. Then you could pick it up directly from from them given the urgency.
 
Last edited:

Ankit003

Full Member
Dec 11, 2019
45
5
Nov 6th was late to apply for visa by mail for a Nov 25th travel.
If your application is still showing processing at BLS, the earliest it can reach the consulate is Nov 21st, and visa could get granted on 22nd and delivered on 24th. But that's very iffy. Your only option is to contact BLS by email and hope for them to process and pass on to consulate asap. Its seems some have had luck with that approach (search this thread). Once in the consulate most cases have been getting granted the next day. Then you could pick it up directly from from them given the urgency.
Thanks for the reply! Yes, its going to be a close one. Hoping for the best. Re: picking it up from CGI, how can we enable that? Do we need to give any heads-up or request?
 

ujji

Full Member
Jan 28, 2021
28
4
Hello Folks,
I was wondering about the maximum period for which BLS accepts Entry Visas. Has anyone applied for a 5-year multiple-entry visa?
 

forw.jane

VIP Member
Apr 29, 2019
5,940
2,450
Hello Folks,
I was wondering about the maximum period for which BLS accepts Entry Visas. Has anyone applied for a 5-year multiple-entry visa?
Most of the forum members are using it as a temporary one before getting OCI, so that data point is tough to get here.
 

Mr_Chang

Star Member
Dec 14, 2018
185
124
I have seen this asked here before but I don't think it was ever answered.

Anyone had any success submitting surrender application and entry visa application together via purolator? If so what were your timelines for visa?
 

eas2lv

Champion Member
Oct 6, 2023
1,133
551
Toronto
Category........
WP
Visa Office......
Toronto
NOC Code......
21100
Hello Folks,
I was wondering about the maximum period for which BLS accepts Entry Visas. Has anyone applied for a 5-year multiple-entry visa?
As there is a 5 year category, can't think of any reason why they wouldn't accept it. Hard to find anyone here who has applied for a 5 year visa though.
It seems only in-person applications in this case.
 

rushi07

Full Member
Mar 18, 2018
42
12
I have seen this asked here before but I don't think it was ever answered.

Anyone had any success submitting surrender application and entry visa application together via purolator? If so what were your timelines for visa?
Both doesn't work together unfortunately. As entry visa will require the surrender certificate. Once you have that you can apply for entry visa
 

tedlasso

Newbie
Nov 10, 2023
4
1
Even if you do not get confirmation, go to open house. They allow walk-in unless its too busy.
Hey - no confirmation recieved from CGI. No movement on OCI. And visa still shows under processing. It was sent on Nov 16. I'm really at my wits end. Any suggestions? Thank you so much!
 
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skondav

Member
Nov 18, 2023
18
4
Thanks to all of you for this thread and the trackers. We applied for entry visas for our kids as it looked like OCIs won't come on time for our Dec 9th travel date. We sent the applications on Nov 13th via Purolator. Delivered at BLS on Nov 14th morning. Here is the current status on BLS , we can only hope that we get the visas on time:
Application Date18-11-2023
Applicant NameS********
Applicant Passport NumberP**********
Applicant Date of Birth***
Your VISA application has received at our BLS Postal Brampton Center on 18-11-2023. Please allow 4-5 business days for processing it to IHC/CGI. Please note that this is an auto-generated mail & does not indicate that your application has processed to Indian High commission or Consulate general of India. Please allow 4-5 business days for processing your application to Indian High commission or Consulate general of India. Once your application processed in our BLS center, you will be notified through email service with a unique BLS reference number. The unique number can be use for tracking purpose on BLS website.
 

eas2lv

Champion Member
Oct 6, 2023
1,133
551
Toronto
Category........
WP
Visa Office......
Toronto
NOC Code......
21100
Last edited:

eas2lv

Champion Member
Oct 6, 2023
1,133
551
Toronto
Category........
WP
Visa Office......
Toronto
NOC Code......
21100
Thanks to all of you for this thread and the trackers. We applied for entry visas for our kids as it looked like OCIs won't come on time for our Dec 9th travel date. We sent the applications on Nov 13th via Purolator. Delivered at BLS on Nov 14th morning. Here is the current status on BLS , we can only hope that we get the visas on time:
Application Date18-11-2023
Applicant NameS********
Applicant Passport NumberP**********
Applicant Date of Birth***
Your VISA application has received at our BLS Postal Brampton Center on 18-11-2023. Please allow 4-5 business days for processing it to IHC/CGI. Please note that this is an auto-generated mail & does not indicate that your application has processed to Indian High commission or Consulate general of India. Please allow 4-5 business days for processing your application to Indian High commission or Consulate general of India. Once your application processed in our BLS center, you will be notified through email service with a unique BLS reference number. The unique number can be use for tracking purpose on BLS website.
BLS takes 10 to 15 days (from mail-in date) to act on postal applications and pass them on to the consulate. Once that happens you can expect to get the visa in 3-4 days -- so about 3 weeks in total. Getting the visa by Dec 9th looks possible, but it all hinges on status changing to processing at CGI latest by Dec 4th latest. The application date shown is firm (they keep changing it) only when you get an email from ivfrt system -- cater for about 5 working days from that point.
See timeline of other postal applications in the tracker: Entry Visa Tracker
 
Last edited:

eas2lv

Champion Member
Oct 6, 2023
1,133
551
Toronto
Category........
WP
Visa Office......
Toronto
NOC Code......
21100
I have seen this asked here before but I don't think it was ever answered.

Anyone had any success submitting surrender application and entry visa application together via purolator? If so what were your timelines for visa?
It should work, but BLS has been messing up such applications even when done in-person. Like, not including a copy of the receipt for SC in all visa applications etc. With postal route, likely to be even more erratic.