Need Advice - Indian Nationals and OCI card holders

[fedex682]

Hello Everyone,

I became a Canadian Citizen on Feb 27, 2016 (Yay!). I applied for my Canadian passport today (March 2) and I will get my Canadian passport on March 16.

I am planning a trip around Asia and eventually go to India (one month trip in all) from August 26 to September 26. I am back in Canada on September 26.

The question I have is around OCI. Should I apply for it now or should I wait for me to come back to Canada in September and then apply.

Option 1: I surrender my Indian passport on March 18/19. I apply for OCI on April 1-2 (I am travelling to US for the long weekend March 25 to 27). Would I receive my OCI by August 2016? If not, can I apply for an e-visa with my OCI application in process and travel to India? If my OCI is approved while I am away can I come back and pick it up after a month or so?

Option 2: Apply for e-visa to travel to India. Return back to Canada and then apply for OCI end of September, 2016.

Am I over thinking this? Do you guys think Option 1 is not touch and go and I will be fine?
Option 2 is a safe bet I guess but I do not want to risk any change in OCI rules in September 2016.

Any advice would be highly appreciated

 

[heeradeepak]

Hello Everyone,

I became a Canadian Citizen on Feb 27, 2016 (Yay!). I applied for my Canadian passport today (March 2) and I will get my Canadian passport on March 16.

I am planning a trip around Asia and eventually go to India (one month trip in all) from August 26 to September 26. I am back in Canada on September 26.

The question I have is around OCI. Should I apply for it now or should I wait for me to come back to Canada in September and then apply.

Option 1: I surrender my Indian passport on March 18/19. I apply for OCI on April 1-2 (I am travelling to US for the long weekend March 25 to 27). Would I receive my OCI by August 2016? If not, can I apply for an e-visa with my OCI application in process and travel to India? If my OCI is approved while I am away can I come back and pick it up after a month or so?

Option 2: Apply for e-visa to travel to India. Return back to Canada and then apply for OCI end of September, 2016.

Am I over thinking this? Do you guys think Option 1 is not touch and go and I will be fine?
Option 2 is a safe bet I guess but I do not want to risk any change in OCI rules in September 2016.

Any advice would be highly appreciated

My wife and children OCI took only 6 weeks so dont worry you have enough time.

 

[Exports]

6 weeks is okay for the OCI to receive! My wife and kids got in time..

Only thing just keep on checking the online status once you apply ALL THE TIME.
My experience- 1. if any extra documents needed by BLS after submission of docs- THEY DON'T CALL OR MAIL. SO YOU HAVE TO KEEP TRACK - IT HAPPENED IN CASE OF MY SON SO I HAD TO GO THERE AND PERSONALLY CHECK.

2. IN CASE, IF IT ARRIVES FROM NEW DELHI AND ARRIVE TO TORONTO- DON'T EXPECT THEM TO SEND IT AUTOMATICALLY BY FEDEX EVEN U PAID. YOU HAVE TO CHECK ONLINE AND CALL.
I HAD TO DO THE SAME FOR MY WIFE AND KIDS... THEY DIDN'T SEND IT FOR 5 DAYS. AND AFTER THE CALL THEY DISPATCHED IT SAME DAY.

BUT OVERALL ITS SAFE FOR YOU TO APPLY- YOU WILL RECEIVE ON TIME.

 

[fedex682]

Thanks guys! Appreciate it

I am single so I am hoping the OCI application will go smoothly. BLS scares me though lol.

 

[Canadiandesi2006]

Thanks guys! Appreciate it

I am single so I am hoping the OCI application will go smoothly. BLS scares me though lol.

The entire OCI process has two parts and normally take about 6-8 weeks depending upon how quickly you can comply with their requirements.

In any case, the first step is to get your Canadian passport that way your mobility is not affected.

Under the OCI first part, surrender your Indian Passport by paying fee of around $300 that requires sending Indian passport along with Canadian Citizenship Certificate and some other doc's. The originals will be returned.

Then comes the 2nd part, where you to apply for OCI, that requires uploading the list of your documents, which will be verified by Foreign affairs and approved, that takes few weeks.

After that, the OCI booklet will be sent to BLS office to be collected by that individual or may be sent by courier to your home.

The OCI rules keep changing and BLS staff & Call Center agents, each interprets rules differently. It causes big confusion, forces client to visit multiple times, wait for hours even for the smallest process.

 

[fedex682]

The entire OCI process has two parts and normally take about 6-8 weeks depending upon how quickly you can comply with their requirements.

In any case, the first step is to get your Canadian passport that way your mobility is not affected.

Under the OCI first part, surrender your Indian Passport by paying fee of around $300 that requires sending Indian passport along with Canadian Citizenship Certificate and some other doc's. The originals will be returned.

Then comes the 2nd part, where you to apply for OCI, that requires uploading the list of your documents, which will be verified by Foreign affairs and approved, that takes few weeks.

After that, the OCI booklet will be sent to BLS office to be collected by that individual or may be sent by courier to your home.

The OCI rules keep changing and BLS staff & Call Center agents, each interprets rules differently. It causes big confusion, forces client to visit multiple times, wait for hours even for the smallest process.

Thanks! This really helps