OCI Application - What worked for me to submit the application

[tiarachel85]

Hey guys,

I would like to know few things wrt picture upload/print, appreciate if you can help me with this.
1. is it compulsory to upload a picture? Can I only print and paste it on the printed form and submit an application to the BLS office?
2. If I have to upload a picture then can this picture be different than the one printed? I contacted Costco, walmart, shoppers, they don't give a digital copy of the picture they print. how did you manage this?

Thank you so much.

@nubee, @fedex682: Hope you are all set with your OCI application, much appreciate if you can shade some lights on this.

A) Yes its mandatory to upload photo.
B) No. It can't be a different photo. You'll have to scan it. I believe nearest library can do it for some fee.

Hope it helps.

Good luck

 

[KRP]

BUMP...……..

 

[drjafs]

Hello Everyone,

As most of you are aware, OCI application process can be painful and confusing. Below is what worked for me and I was asked very minimal questions when I submitted my application at BLS Toronto today. Please note that this does not mean that I have successfully completed my OCI application. I still have to wait 2 weeks to know if every document is in order. The below steps helped me have a hassle free experience with BLS Toronto only. This is in no way the official steps for OCI. This is just what I experienced. Hopefully this will help everyone looking to apply for OCI

I am a single/unmarried guy with no wife or kids.

1. As soon as you receive your Canadian passport, you should apply for Indian Passport Renunciation
2. Go to the BLS Toronto office early around 7:30 to be ahead of the line to get in and finish all the formalities. The lineup gets pretty long by around 8 AM. I went on a Saturday around 7:30 and I was 5th in line. The BLS Toronto office opens up at 8 AM Monday to Saturday.
3. Renunciation is quite straightforward - You will get a receipt as proof of renunciation. You can use this for OCI application one week after you submitted your Indian passport renunciation request.
4. I took the pictures for OCI at the BLS office on the day I went for renunciation.
5. After renunciation you need to submit OCI application online - use this link https://passport.gov.in/oci/ The link from the BLS website is broken and I lost 2 days on it!
6. Please be careful when you fill application online! There are 2 parts 'Part A' and 'Part B' - Part A information needs to be fool proof. Take extra care when you fill in the information.
7. Keep your photo and signature ready (in respective sizes and quality) to upload while filling in your online application. Please take a screen capture of every time you successfully upload a document. You need to print this out as well. This is very important and a lot of people miss it!
8. You will also have to submit other supporting documents - In my case I submitted my old Indian passport and my current Canadian passport. Keep them in Pdf format and at about 500KB max file size.
9. Once you have uploaded the documents you will do a final submit and this will generate a Pdf that you need to take a printout of. This Pdf will have your photo and signature as well. You will have to stick your photo on this paper as well.
10. The next step is getting prepared to go to BLS office. I carried the following:
a) Canadian passport - Original and photocopy
b) Landing document - Original and photocopy
c) Canadian Citizenship Certificate - Original and photocopy
d) Indian passport - Photo copy only - First 2 pages, last 2 pages (with parent names), landing visa stamp - when you became a PR
e) Address proof - Photo copy only - driving license, bank statement, utility bill etc.
f) Draft - I went to Scotia and I was able to get a draft without any issues. You can pay the BLS fee (about $67 - this includes courier fee) by debit card or cash
g)Document checklist from BLS website - Print this out and do double check if you need to take anything more with you. This is very important as things usually go case by case!
11. Go to the BLS office early around 7:30 and be ahead of the long queue and you will be able to get out of there by 8:45

Hope this helps everyone who are in the process of applying for OCI in the GTA.

Cheers.

HI,
Does BLS keep the original landing documents with them? I am really worried. They kept mine with them and said we will receive them by courier after fifteen days..
Please share.
Thanks

 

[Jai Rathore]

BLS sends the documents back to you through courier. You should receive it. They don't send any notification before they despatch the documents. I received mine through Purolator. If you don't receive the documents in 20 working days, contact them to see what's going on.

 

[Jai Rathore]

This post contains all the information you will need when applying for OCI through BLS. I suggest that everyone here check it out.

https://spark.adobe.com/page/w4G13xr1y2ut4/

 

[KRP]

This post contains all the information you will need when applying for OCI through BLS. I suggest that everyone here check it out.

https://spark.adobe.com/page/w4G13xr1y2ut4/

The link is really good for first timers . To add I used MS PAINT to resize the pixels of photo and used FOXIT Phantom free 14 day trial version for all documents to be uploaded since you need to keep the size as per instruction. Here one needs to press file at top left after installing , use pdf optimiser , use biqubic downsampling , 150 pp1 to 225 ppi , high compression and high quality. Do not use monochrome images option.
Your docs will be uploaded in the desired size.
Also try to keep all the documents uploaded on a USB drive and take it along with you to the BLS center. If by chance you have made a mistake you could go to a nearby internet café and make the changes, print the stuff again and come back and submit.

 

[venugopalt]

The link is really good for first timers . To add I used MS PAINT to resize the pixels of photo and used FOXIT Phantom free 14 day trial version for all documents to be uploaded since you need to keep the size as per instruction. Here one needs to press file at top left after installing , use pdf optimiser , use biqubic downsampling , 150 pp1 to 225 ppi , high compression and high quality. Do not use monochrome images option.
Your docs will be uploaded in the desired size.
Also try to keep all the documents uploaded on a USB drive and take it along with you to the BLS center. If by chance you have made a mistake you could go to a nearby internet café and make the changes, print the stuff again and come back and submit.

Thanks for the tip. I uploaded the documents and now realised that I didn't do self attestation of myself and my wife on the documents.
Can I do self attestation on the copies I submit? or do I have to scan the documents again and do self attestation?

 

[Doom__V]

Thanks for the tip. I uploaded the documents and now realised that I didn't do self attestation of myself and my wife on the documents.
Can I do self attestation on the copies I submit? or do I have to scan the documents again and do self attestation?

What did you end up doing?

It is seriously funny that we first scan and upload all docs and then submit physical copies. They should follow one process.

 

[Becksterd]

Hi all,
Did anyone do Indian passport renunciation and OCI after legal name change in Canada?
I have not yet applied for CAD passport as I am waiting for my new name on Citizen Certificate.

After I receive new name on new Citizen certificate can I apply for OCI, will the new name show on the OCI card or will they go by my cancelled Indian Passport (since I have to attach copies of indian passport they will see old name)? OR

Do I have to apply for CAD passport, then apply for OCI and then will it be an issue with my name?

 

[s23srinivas]

Hi all,
Did anyone do Indian passport renunciation and OCI after legal name change in Canada?
I have not yet applied for CAD passport as I am waiting for my new name on Citizen Certificate.

After I receive new name on new Citizen certificate can I apply for OCI, will the new name show on the OCI card or will they go by my cancelled Indian Passport (since I have to attach copies of indian passport they will see old name)? OR

Do I have to apply for CAD passport, then apply for OCI and then will it be an issue with my name?

After you get the Citizenship certificate with your new name you will have to apply for the Canadian Passport.
Then with the Canadian passport you can apply for the OCI.
The OCI will have your name per your Canadian passport and not per your cancelled Indian passport as you need to submit the photocopies of Canadian citizenship certificate and the Canadian passport along with the OCI application.

All the best!

 

[Becksterd]

After you get the Citizenship certificate with your new name you will have to apply for the Canadian Passport.
Then with the Canadian passport you can apply for the OCI.
The OCI will have your name per your Canadian passport and not per your cancelled Indian passport as you need to submit the photocopies of Canadian citizenship certificate and the Canadian passport along with the OCI application.

All the best!

Perfect!! Thank you!