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OCI process

canmozu

Star Member
Jan 11, 2016
84
6
100% Agree

BLS Toronto Office is unwelcoming,dark and sleepy with nobody at the reception when I went in to pick forms for surrender certificate application. At the reception they kept token numbers as they keep like that at my local butcher shop.
 

Canadiandesi2006

Champion Member
Mar 6, 2014
1,126
41
Visa Office......
Scarborough, Toronto
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App. Filed.......
Oct 2015 (Re-applied)
canmozu said:
100% Agree

BLS Toronto Office is unwelcoming,dark and sleepy with nobody at the reception when I went in to pick forms for surrender certificate application. At the reception they kept token numbers as they keep like that at my local butcher shop.
Had terrible experience to surrender family member's passport and get the OCI. The same rules were interpreted differently by Call Center agents, BLS office agents (to the extent, 2 different agents gave conflicting instructions) that required visiting multiple times.

Every time waited for hours, found many upset and agitated customers complaining about ambiguous instructions, uncooperative staff asking them visit so many times for silly reasons Its totally chaotic situation and completely disorganized. Sure they can do much better.
 

gjp

Star Member
Feb 15, 2008
165
6
My wife and I have OCI. One of my sons has a PIO. I am not planning to convert it to OCI due to the pain of gathering all documents/waiting at BLS, etc. First they said PIO cards are deemed as OCI cards. Now, there is another statement saying that PIO card holders have to apply for OCI before March 31, 2016. If they say that PIO cards are not valid after 31st March, I am planning to apply for 10 year multiple entry visa which seem to require less paperwork (at least based on the checklist on BLS). Though OCI is claimed as "lifelong", we have to go through the pain again when my son is 20 years old or when I become 50 years old. They may scrap OCI and bring something else by then and we may have to again go to BLS and it is never ending.
 

canalberta

Member
Feb 8, 2009
19
1
Anyone received OCI cards who applied in November 2015 time frame?
How many days it will take to get it mailed after the "Documents Printing Status UNDER-PROCESS"?
 

chikloo

Hero Member
Feb 6, 2014
544
24
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gjp said:
My wife and I have OCI. One of my sons has a PIO. I am not planning to convert it to OCI due to the pain of gathering all documents/waiting at BLS, etc. First they said PIO cards are deemed as OCI cards. Now, there is another statement saying that PIO card holders have to apply for OCI before March 31, 2016. If they say that PIO cards are not valid after 31st March, I am planning to apply for 10 year multiple entry visa which seem to require less paperwork (at least based on the checklist on BLS). Though OCI is claimed as "lifelong", we have to go through the pain again when my son is 20 years old or when I become 50 years old. They may scrap OCI and bring something else by then and we may have to again go to BLS and it is never ending.
I would suggest you to apply for OCI conversion as they may remove that option if there is a change in the political scenario say 10 years from now. If your son does not have OCI then there may be a chance that the tie may severe soon after he is an adult and goes on his own.

Also India is a place opportunity in which case having OCI helps to start business and so on.

Again just a suggestion. Do not know your life situation. applying visit visa takes the same amount of time as OCI conversion. Both are frustrating as hell. One is one time for your sons entire life and the other is a recurring 10 years nightmare.

All the best
 

tiarachel85

Champion Member
Jun 27, 2011
1,205
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Does all BLS offices has a photocopy section where I can pay them to photocopy my documents that are required?
 

chikloo

Hero Member
Feb 6, 2014
544
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tiarachel85 said:
Does all BLS offices has a photocopy section where I can pay them to photocopy my documents that are required?
Yes. Very expensive though 2 bucks or something per page. I would rather take photocopies of all documents and go there.
 

tiarachel85

Champion Member
Jun 27, 2011
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chikloo said:
Yes. Very expensive though 2 bucks or something per page. I would rather take photocopies of all documents and go there.
Thanks. I just asked in case I forget to take photocopy of something.
 

MCBoy

Hero Member
Jun 29, 2009
270
23
Toronto, ON
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Guys, Do I have to take a notary affidavit along with Marriage certificate for OCI? Neither our passports has each other's names on it, nor it is "apostiled" by MOIA-New Delhi.

Any help?
 

tiarachel85

Champion Member
Jun 27, 2011
1,205
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What address to mention in surrender certificate form? I have to put my home address or address of passport office in Canadian passport detail section?
 

tiarachel85

Champion Member
Jun 27, 2011
1,205
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Do they give any receipt when we go there to surrender?
And do we get our cancelled passport back?
 

canmozu

Star Member
Jan 11, 2016
84
6
The rip off money you pay them by cash or debit that is the receipt you hold on to till you get the surrender certificate. I think we get back the cancelled passports along with the paper though they advice the applicants to keep a copy of passports for their record as they may not give the passport back. This undertaking is found on the application form of surrender certificate.
 

chikloo

Hero Member
Feb 6, 2014
544
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MCBoy said:
Guys, Do I have to take a notary affidavit along with Marriage certificate for OCI? Neither our passports has each other's names on it, nor it is "apostiled" by MOIA-New Delhi.

Any help?
Hi,
I don't know if it is the same as Indian passport renewal. When I did mine 2 years ago they asked for EM notarization of my marriage certificate. Thing is I did not have my wife's name on my passport but she got a new passport after our marriage and it had my name. So I told them I'm not getting EM notarization (at that point i did not know what EM is and later my friend told me it is external ministry from New Delhi) and asked them to submit it to CGI without notarization. I told them that I'm willing to take chance of my application being returned by CGI. If it does I said I will reapply with the EM notary.

With OCI you anyway provide originals for verification. These guys from BLS are sometimes jackass and do not know what they are doing. You can mostly get it notarized locally. Spouse name is not there on OCI. I don't know the logic of why they ask.

Even in Canadian passport there is no spouse name as people here get divorced very often and if you have spouse name in your passport that document is outdated.

Anyway all the best