BLS tracking through CKGS

[bvsamrat]

Chicago - Status

Has anyone who applied for OCI with BLS have success tracking their application on the CKGS site? It requires a file number, but I'm not sure what this is. I used to track with order form number on the BLS site. I tried entering all the different numbers but all come up with 'No records Found.' Any help tracking the application would be appreciated.

My OCI Extension (or Renewal) is stuck up for more than 3 months now and finally OCI card had been dispatched from New Delhi on 11th June to Chicago consulate.
I have booked tickets to India on June end 2014

Reading the horror stories of CKGS at Chicago, Is it worthwhile to courier the passport to Indian Consulate at Chicago directly??

I can not travel to Chicago as I live far from Chicago

Has any one done this?

Please advise the details, I will be grateful

[relativist106]

Unable to track OCI via CKGS? Email shettybnATnic.in

Hi

I'm in a similar situation with an additional twist: My son's photo got rejected.

We had applied for my son's OCI through BLS in NY in Feb. His status remained at "UNDER PROCESS" for several months. I tried calling BLS, opening an escalation ticket etc. We even went to the BLS office to enquire about my son's application status. They had no clue.

We then emailed shettybnATnic.in. This email address is listed on the Indian govt's OCI website. The people responding from this email address are SUPER HELPFUL. We got a response within 24 hrs saying that the photo got rejected, and that we need to submit another photo. At this point, the BLS->OCI transition was already in progress.

Our experience with CKGS was terrible. We couldn't track the application on their website. We went to their office, and were told to wait for a week and retry. We still couldn't track it. I emailed them several times. Most responses were useless canned statements that were not even applicable to my case. We finally got a response asking us to send the new photo along with a cover letter and additional details. We went to the CKGS office (NY) and personally handed thee over. Guess what? THE GUY WHO TOOK IT AT CKGS WAS THE SAME PERSON AT BLS WHO HAD NO CLUE A MONTH AGO. He assured us that the new photo would be sent to the consulate. We emailed shettybnATnic.in a few days later asking if the new photo had been uploaded. It hadn't. I was done with CKGS at this point.

We then went to the CGI NY with a new photo and copy of application for part A. We were told to wait at window 4. After about 25 mins, a lady from the consulate took the new photo and guaranteed that it would be uploaded the same day. We emailed bnshettyATnic.in again. We got a response saying that the new photo had been uploaded and that they would follow up on our application. We got another email the next day saying that the OCI had been granted. It included the OCI/UVisa numbers. I'm now waiting for it to be shipped to CGI NY. I intend to submit my passport to the consulate directly for match up.

Thanks you Mr./Ms. B N Shetty. This would have been impossible without your help!

[Kushal Patel]

Pathetic service from BLS , CKGS and Indian embassy Atlanta...

i applied for my aunts OCI in Dec 2013... i saw that Oci was approved by Indian government and recieved no notification from BLS to send her US pasport for match up.

When i inquired , then only BLS told me to send my aunts US passpot for match up...i sent my passport in April 2014....
Now when i tracked my application on BLS website, it showed that they sent it to Atlanta consulate and it takes 2-3 weekd in that process...

Meanwhile BLS contract expired , their website stopped working..hence i couldnt locate my passport...

like others , i also got -' no records found' on CKGS website when tracking my OCi status....

also , they never answer the call and i sent 3-4 emails to BLS , INdian embassy , CKgs to enquire about the whereabouts of my US passport...no reply from any...

when i called Indian embassy...they say thay have not recieved my passport at all...where as it was showing that BLS sent it to them...

So , its been 2.5 months and Still i dont know where my aunts US passport is ? and i doubt whether i will recieve it or not....
Did anyone faced the same consequences and how did you managed it...

Any help in this regard is appreciated...

[priya_12345]

Finally got my PIO card

I was mailing CKGS repeatedly, they kept asking for RETURN FEDEX scanned copy..

Then I mailed at this address- '[email protected]', I called them they did help me in terms of locating my application in their system and forwarding the case to concerned department..

Then one evening I got a call from ATLANTA CKGS that we want to confirm and dispatch to FEDEX you newly mailed to us...

And guess what following monday I got my both PIO cards..

I am very satisfied with CKGS and their customer service..

- - - Updated - - -

i applied for my aunts OCI in Dec 2013... i saw that Oci was approved by Indian government and recieved no notification from BLS to send her US pasport for match up.

When i inquired , then only BLS told me to send my aunts US passpot for match up...i sent my passport in April 2014....
Now when i tracked my application on BLS website, it showed that they sent it to Atlanta consulate and it takes 2-3 weekd in that process...

Meanwhile BLS contract expired , their website stopped working..hence i couldnt locate my passport...

like others , i also got -' no records found' on CKGS website when tracking my OCi status....

also , they never answer the call and i sent 3-4 emails to BLS , INdian embassy , CKgs to enquire about the whereabouts of my US passport...no reply from any...

when i called Indian embassy...they say thay have not recieved my passport at all...where as it was showing that BLS sent it to them...

So , its been 2.5 months and Still i dont know where my aunts US passport is ? and i doubt whether i will recieve it or not....
Did anyone faced the same consequences and how did you managed it...

Any help in this regard is appreciated...

Hi Kushal mail here for atlanta CKGS
'[email protected]'

They will help you...

[haulr]

Has anyone who applied for OCI with BLS have success tracking their application on the CKGS site? It requires a file number, but I'm not sure what this is. I used to track with order form number on the BLS site. I tried entering all the different numbers but all come up with 'No records Found.' Any help tracking the application would be appreciated.

I was in the same boat. Applied for new passport endorsement in existing PIO card for my daughter on April 20th 2014. Received an email from BLS confirming receipt, then received another stating it was sent to consulate and then received yet another email on May 21st 2014 stating it the documents are back from the consulate and will be dispatched soon and then radio silence. Called BLS, CKGS repeatedly to check status to no avail. The calls are routed to help centers that do NOT have access to documents or consulate in the states. They just have a computer and a database to lookup.

After 2 months of back and forth on the phone and emails, I decided to pay a visit to CKGS @ NYC on 28th July 2014. Went there at around 1:45pm (walk-ins allowed between 3 and 4pm) expecting a huge line ahead of me. I was surprised to find no such line and quite an empty office. Took a token from the electronic kiosk under OCI/PIO/Citizenship Renunciation category and waited (in a seated area). Got my turn at around 2:45pm (there were only 4 people ahead of me but the line moves super slow). When my turn came, I explained my story and showed my ID and the lady at the desk (Ms. Amanda) said she would check in the back of the office and came back a minute later with my daughters old passport, new passport and her PIO card! The application had a note that read "No record found' on a piece of paper. I am guessing BLS handed over the packet to CKGS and CKGS could not tie it to a pending application @ BLS or some such administrative error. So finally after 3 months of applying for a simple endorsement which is OPTIONAL to begin with, I got it.

Paying a visit to the nearest CKGS with as much documentation as possible (in the form of printouts) would be helpful. Personally I made no copies before applying and did not even know the passport number for my daughter until I checked the receipt from BLS. MAKE COPIES of all originals being sent for such applications to INDIAN consulate.

Your mileage may vary.