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After reading horror stories regarding OCI, I wasn't sure if I should apply for one but I had a trip coming up next month and needed a visa.....so I took the plunge.
First thing up, the application was a pain to fill out and I had done it more than 8-9 times. I kept making mistakes and submitting it online. I was scared my information was screwed up in their database with all retries I was making but the only application that counts is the one that you actually submit.
I made a cover letter (bulletized) for my application, listing out everything I included and submitted it along with a copy of the entire application as requested. I took color copies for the main set and B/W for the duplicate set. I paid for return shipping and did not include a prepaid label instead (one thing less for them to lose). I took photos from Costco. It had rounded corners and I was afraid it was going to be rejected, but it wasn't.
The only scare I got was when I saw in the govt website that the OCI card had reached the SFO consulate and after I had sent my passport to CKGS in SFO following the update: I called up support to ask if they had forwarded my passport to the Consulate after FedEx showed that they had received it and whether they were going to acknowledge receipt of my passport or not. The agent at the other end said " Your application has gone to india and it will take around 40 days to get an update". I told him not to read my status off of the CKGS website as it had not been updated since they initially submitted the application to the consulate back in July. He got flustered and said "oh, in that case there is no new update to your case. If we got your passport it was forwarded to the consulate." I hung up and thought I had come so far, only to lose my passport. But within a week, I got a FedEx dispatch email from CKGS and regular email updates from FedEx.
My Timeline:
CKGS Receipt/Ack Date: 11/JUL/2014
Govt Ack Date: 15/JUL/2014
Printed status: 07/AUG/2014
Dispatched from Delhi: 11/AUG/2014
Received at SFO Consulate: 19/AUG/2014
Sent my passport to CKGS SFO: 19/AUG/2014
Received Passport: 09/SEPT/2014
First thing up, the application was a pain to fill out and I had done it more than 8-9 times. I kept making mistakes and submitting it online. I was scared my information was screwed up in their database with all retries I was making but the only application that counts is the one that you actually submit.
I made a cover letter (bulletized) for my application, listing out everything I included and submitted it along with a copy of the entire application as requested. I took color copies for the main set and B/W for the duplicate set. I paid for return shipping and did not include a prepaid label instead (one thing less for them to lose). I took photos from Costco. It had rounded corners and I was afraid it was going to be rejected, but it wasn't.
The only scare I got was when I saw in the govt website that the OCI card had reached the SFO consulate and after I had sent my passport to CKGS in SFO following the update: I called up support to ask if they had forwarded my passport to the Consulate after FedEx showed that they had received it and whether they were going to acknowledge receipt of my passport or not. The agent at the other end said " Your application has gone to india and it will take around 40 days to get an update". I told him not to read my status off of the CKGS website as it had not been updated since they initially submitted the application to the consulate back in July. He got flustered and said "oh, in that case there is no new update to your case. If we got your passport it was forwarded to the consulate." I hung up and thought I had come so far, only to lose my passport. But within a week, I got a FedEx dispatch email from CKGS and regular email updates from FedEx.
My Timeline:
CKGS Receipt/Ack Date: 11/JUL/2014
Govt Ack Date: 15/JUL/2014
Printed status: 07/AUG/2014
Dispatched from Delhi: 11/AUG/2014
Received at SFO Consulate: 19/AUG/2014
Sent my passport to CKGS SFO: 19/AUG/2014
Received Passport: 09/SEPT/2014
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