Hi everyone,
I got the PIO a while ago, maybe a few years back, it is in pristine condition. Never had to use it so far.
Now, I planned to visit India this year sometimes and I wondered if things are the same, so a quick google search told me, they are not.
Apparently they merged PIO and OCI together and of course the PIO is no longer valid until March 2019.
Now I want to know how long it took for someone with the first hand experience preferably to convert this PIO to OCI, is it as painful as the full process of getting a brand new OCI card?
Do I need to submit my original documents to BLS when I go there? They no longer stamp OCI on passport, so why do they need the original documents. I don't think I have any of the landing papers for my PR that was long gone. I only have the Canadian passport, shiny PIO card, and my Indian passport that was cancelled.
I am worried about giving them the originals, do they only check it and give it back to you or they send it to New Delhi and hope that it returns in one piece?
Please help.
I got the PIO a while ago, maybe a few years back, it is in pristine condition. Never had to use it so far.
Now, I planned to visit India this year sometimes and I wondered if things are the same, so a quick google search told me, they are not.
Apparently they merged PIO and OCI together and of course the PIO is no longer valid until March 2019.
Now I want to know how long it took for someone with the first hand experience preferably to convert this PIO to OCI, is it as painful as the full process of getting a brand new OCI card?
Do I need to submit my original documents to BLS when I go there? They no longer stamp OCI on passport, so why do they need the original documents. I don't think I have any of the landing papers for my PR that was long gone. I only have the Canadian passport, shiny PIO card, and my Indian passport that was cancelled.
I am worried about giving them the originals, do they only check it and give it back to you or they send it to New Delhi and hope that it returns in one piece?
Please help.