Did anybody successfully receive Indian visa from CKGS yet?

[kerala1971]

PIO in 10 days

Hi there, been reading a lot of the posts and was worried about my PIO application, but I got mine today, and the amazing thing is that it only took ten days from the day that CKGS - Houston got it in their hands to the day it was returned to mine by courier. The only thing I have to say about the service in a negative way was that I wish they had emailed me my tracking number and the return shipping tracking number. I had to call them to get both but the call service in India was polite and gave me the best information they had from which i was able to locate the necessary tracking information, but overall I give them high marks for having to jump in on the fly. Good Job and Thanks! Since we know CKGS trolls the site they should know someone appreciates that they are trying!

[RPT]

CKGS SF office visit without appointment

The status for my application at http://www.in.ckgs.us/VPOOnline/WebP...plication.aspx says "In Progress" since June 23. I'm traveling to India next week. Calling CKGS or sending email doesn't help. All I get is the same canned response. I was wondering if I could drop into the SF office to check the "real" status. I tried to apply for an appointment, but the earliest time slot available is 7/16, which is too late for me. I was wondering if anyone has experience visiting the SF office without an appointment. Do they even let you in if you go without an appointment?

[sumang24]

CKGS VISA Application No updates for my daughter's

There is no update on my daughter's application status on CKGS website. My application has been approved. I am travelling on Aug 4th and concerned I may not get the VISA in time. IS there anything I can do like go to local consulate office in DC or go to CKGS for followup?

What is the phone # of DC consulate? It's not on the website

Please help

Thanks

[delhiguru]

CKGS or any outsourcing is the biggest joke and disservice by the Indian Embassy (consulates) in this country. All this outsourcing has done is created problems for people and extended the time for getting anything done by days and weeks (depending on type of service). It is the same people working for whether BLS or CKGS, etc. and someone lobbied to get these services outsourced. Still can not understand what is the point - ultimately the embassy or consulate has the do the work anyway (visa stamps, etc.). Not sure how so many people take this BS on a regular basis. On top of all this, each embassy/consulate has different information posted on their website to confuse everyone.

I think the new Prime Minister should know what is going on in these Embassies/Consulates.

Cheers!

[paulbobby]

Got PIO in 11 days...

I submitted the PIO application to Atlanta office on 25th July. PIO and passport was delivered at my home on 6th August. I opted for courier service at CKGS site (you can pay the shipping charges online). I was little concerned when the tracking updates at CKGS site said that application was collected from embassy 3 days after submitting it. But the CKGS support was pretty quick in their response to my queries.

[smohank]

Hi ,

I had sent lot of time in this thread ,checking other people experiences for PIO -Minor card , here is mine for other people

This was Chicago application center for PIO card

Application Status Date of Status Remarks
Passport sent by post/courier number 08/14/2014
Your application has been collected from the Embassy/Consulate and is being sorted. Your application will be ready for collection from our Application Centre within one business day. 08/13/2014
Your application has been submitted at The Indian Embassy for further processing. 08/07/2014
Your application is in process. Your tracking id is USAC7 YYYY X 08/06/2014
Your application has been received and will be submitted subject to verification. 08/01/2014

One thing to note was , my kid application was received on 08/01/2014 , but they sent mail that i have not provided address proof, i emailed them, but they never updated , i had to continuously call the help line to make them work on my application , after several attempts almost daily on phone with calls being answered by mumbai people who doesn't know much, they started to work on my application on 08/06

Later when they dispatched the pio card , they sent a wrong tracking number (which should status as cancelled), i never received a new tracking number , though i called them.
One of the person had earlier commented about mismatch process in CKGS about PIO card and Tracking number and had mentioned to check with leasing office,
so when i checked , the pio card + passport was in my leasing office , hate CKGS for irresponsible , unprofessional treatment.

[fountainsodasipper]

Successfully received renunciation certificate and visa from ckgs

Travel plans must be robust or else everything just jumps out to the forefront and its a string of things with added pressure and cost. I am one such example.

Thought to myself tourist visa with a month in hand will be a walk in the park with 3-5 business days turnaround time. Negative, endless reviews and multiple sites suggested otherwise and the overwhelming sense of dealing with babu culture in the past and the sickening thought of scrapping everything because we would be all ready with nowhere to go, made me nervous.

-Aug 19 wife sends her US passport for name change
-Aug 25 secured tickets to India and paid in full with departure date Sep 30
-Sep 01 realized CKGS was in transition and it could only mean more time.
-Decided not to spare a moment and wait for wife's passport to arrive first (no renunciation required for her).

-Sep 02 Application package ready and shipped via FedEx priority overnight with postage paid return envelopes to CKGS Houston

Passport sent by post/courier 09/11/2014
Your application has been collected from the Embassy/Consulate and is being sorted.
Your application will be ready for collection from our Application Centre within one business day. 09/09/2014 (status update on ckgs sep 09)
Your application has been submitted at The Indian Embassy for further processing. 09/04/2014
Your application is in process. Your tracking id is USAH0 09/03/2014
Your application is in process. Your tracking id is USAH0 09/03/2014
Your application has been received and will be submitted subject to verification. 09/03/2014 (status update on ckgs sep 03)


This is such a wonderful and pleasant surprise. A CKGS rep (sep 02) also told me not to include additional $15 for renunciation in a separate form as I already had one CKGS order form for my visa. This was so good to be true kind of a situation that today when my wife received the packet in her hands, I urged her to rip open the packet and text me the pics.

Now, I sent my wife's application Sep 08 priority night, delivered Sep 09 by 9 am but am still waiting on CKGS tracking number or any update. Called CKGS Sep 11, the rep couldn't confirm anything and asked to wait for update and email.

[tampaite]

Travel plans must be robust or else everything just jumps out to the forefront and its a string of things with added pressure and cost. I am one such example.

Thought to myself tourist visa with a month in hand will be a walk in the park with 3-5 business days turnaround time. Negative, endless reviews and multiple sites suggested otherwise and the overwhelming sense of dealing with babu culture in the past and the sickening thought of scrapping everything because we would be all ready with nowhere to go, made me nervous.

-Aug 19 wife sends her US passport for name change
-Aug 25 secured tickets to India and paid in full with departure date Sep 30
-Sep 01 realized CKGS was in transition and it could only mean more time.
-Decided not to spare a moment and wait for wife's passport to arrive first (no renunciation required for her).

-Sep 02 Application package ready and shipped via FedEx priority overnight with postage paid return envelopes to CKGS Houston

Passport sent by post/courier 09/11/2014
Your application has been collected from the Embassy/Consulate and is being sorted.
Your application will be ready for collection from our Application Centre within one business day. 09/09/2014 (status update on ckgs sep 09)
Your application has been submitted at The Indian Embassy for further processing. 09/04/2014
Your application is in process. Your tracking id is USAH0 09/03/2014
Your application is in process. Your tracking id is USAH0 09/03/2014
Your application has been received and will be submitted subject to verification. 09/03/2014 (status update on ckgs sep 03)


This is such a wonderful and pleasant surprise. A CKGS rep (sep 02) also told me not to include additional $15 for renunciation in a separate form as I already had one CKGS order form for my visa. This was so good to be true kind of a situation that today when my wife received the packet in her hands, I urged her to rip open the packet and text me the pics.

Now, I sent my wife's application Sep 08 priority night, delivered Sep 09 by 9 am but am still waiting on CKGS tracking number or any update. Called CKGS Sep 11, the rep couldn't confirm anything and asked to wait for update and email.

Am confused by your post - you say you received renunciation and visa and yet you say your wife need not apply for renunciation?

What was your total timeline from applying to getting your visa back?

- - - Updated - - -

I submitted the PIO application to Atlanta office on 25th July. PIO and passport was delivered at my home on 6th August. I opted for courier service at CKGS site (you can pay the shipping charges online). I was little concerned when the tracking updates at CKGS site said that application was collected from embassy 3 days after submitting it. But the CKGS support was pretty quick in their response to my queries.

Did you apply for renunciation as well at the same time?

- - - Updated - - -

Hi there, been reading a lot of the posts and was worried about my PIO application, but I got mine today, and the amazing thing is that it only took ten days from the day that CKGS - Houston got it in their hands to the day it was returned to mine by courier. The only thing I have to say about the service in a negative way was that I wish they had emailed me my tracking number and the return shipping tracking number. I had to call them to get both but the call service in India was polite and gave me the best information they had from which i was able to locate the necessary tracking information, but overall I give them high marks for having to jump in on the fly. Good Job and Thanks! Since we know CKGS trolls the site they should know someone appreciates that they are trying!

Did you apply for renunciation as well at the same time?

[gupu77]

oci problem

hi,

i have applied for my oci on 8 september 2014 & they asked me for pending documents . I have emailed them 4 times but noone replies back..it is so frustrating & i call every day & waste 1-2 hours and be on hold...can anyone help.
ships

[Katherine Rhodes]

Took help from Active Internationals

I booked a Youth Travel Program in India for July'14, however, my visa for rejected twice by the local consulate in NYC. This was perhaps the same time when everyone else were facing a problem getting their visas. I took a help of my travel agency in India (Active Internationals) and they locally tried hard to get me some information on this and we figured out that the previous Visa agency lost my documents twice & handed over incomplete docs to CNK which resulted in rejection of my application.

I can't say if your local travel agent in India could help you with this problem but if you have booked anything with Active Internationals, I am sure, they would certainly help you with their local contacts.

Cheers!!
Katherine

[Pat Metzger]

What does this non descript message mean????

I have now got this message on my application status after 3 weeks of battle and a plane ticket lost. Anyone else receive this? Does it mean my visa has been granted? Why are they not shipping it to me with the prepaid envelope i provided in the application package?

"Your application has been collected from the Embassy/Consulate and is being sorted. Your application will be ready for collection from our Application Centre within one business day."

I have not received any messages about missing or insufficient documents so im left to believe it is ready/done?

What do you think. I am using the SF office.

[CKGS Visa Services]

I have now got this message on my application status after 3 weeks of battle and a plane ticket lost. Anyone else receive this? Does it mean my visa has been granted? Why are they not shipping it to me with the prepaid envelope i provided in the application package?

"Your application has been collected from the Embassy/Consulate and is being sorted. Your application will be ready for collection from our Application Centre within one business day."

I have not received any messages about missing or insufficient documents so im left to believe it is ready/done?

What do you think. I am using the SF office.

Dear Mr. Metzger,

We request you to allow us time to investigate on your VISA application and respond to you at the earliest. Please be assured our San Francisco team will get in touch with you.

Regards,
CKGS USA Team

[mbhooshan]

What does this mean for my Son's PIO application? Granted or Denied

Dear Mr. Metzger,

We request you to allow us time to investigate on your VISA application and respond to you at the earliest. Please be assured our San Francisco team will get in touch with you.

Regards,
CKGS USA Team

Today I checked status of my Son's PIO card on CKGS website. But I am not able to make out if it's granted or rejected? See the status details below:-

Passport sent by post/courier number 7xxxxxxxxxxx 11/12/2014
Your application has been collected from the Embassy/Consulate and is being sorted. Your application will be ready for collection from our Application Centre within one business day. 11/12/2014
Your application has been submitted at The Indian Embassy for further processing. 10/23/2014
Your application is in process. Your tracking id is USAS7xxxxxxx 10/22/2014
Your application has been received and will be submitted subject to verification. 10/22/2014

Does anyone know what does this means?

[Shergill]

Atlanta center review

I submitted the PIO application to Atlanta office on 25th July. PIO and passport was delivered at my home on 6th August. I opted for courier service at CKGS site (you can pay the shipping charges online). I was little concerned when the tracking updates at CKGS site said that application was collected from embassy 3 days after submitting it. But the CKGS support was pretty quick in their response to my queries.

Hi, just wondered if you had to go in for you finger prints or biometrics for the service center in Atlanta?
Trying to apply for a visa for us citizen here. keep get stumped by something or the other!!!
Is there any need for biometric for the indian for visa for US passport holders?

[siddharthtaneja55]

7 months and still waiting for improvement..................

After 7 months and still waiting in patience for improvement.......

What is happening???? Are we Serious or is it a JOKE ??

It seems the consulate is not willing to make our life simpler.

Does India wants tourists or businessmen for india's economic growth

I have taken the initiative to write to each of the below individual who HAVE TO HEAR US NOW else we will have to cancel our plans to visit India in the future with the pathetic CKGS consistent issues.

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

WE NEED ANSWERS !! Visa on arrival is not much of help either and getting a VISA from CKGS is more painful activity.