What is this reference number? (OCI Application for Minor)

[tarak73]

Hello,

I am a little stumped. I am applying for OCI for my daughter (8 years old). I am in Part B of my application. I see this question

Have you/any member of your family applied for Overseas Citizen of India registration earlier? *
Yes No
If YES, give details:

As I am an OCI holder, I am planning to enter my name. But the 2nd field is for a reference number. I have attached a picture of the form.
What is this reference number? Can someone help? If I enter my OCI ID, it asks for "at least 12 characters"

Thanks in advance.
Tarak

[kiranboda]

tarak73 It is the file number which you will see on the photo page of your OCI card. It starts with USAxxxxxxxx and it is a 12-digit alphanumeric character

[dvpatel]

These Indian Embassy and Govt. officials are morons.
There are TWO 12 digit numbers. If you pull up forgot details and give your passport number and birth date, you get the following two things:
Web-File Number
File-Acknowledgment Number

Then, for the kids' stuff, they ask for a freaking REFERENCE number for the parents. BOTH numbers are 12 digits. ONE starts with USAWI and the other starts with USAW0. Its called a File No on the actual OCI card.

Which freaking number are we supposed to provide. Does it actually matter?

[arkaa]

These Indian Embassy and Govt. officials are morons.
There are TWO 12 digit numbers. If you pull up forgot details and give your passport number and birth date, you get the following two things:
Web-File Number
File-Acknowledgment Number

Then, for the kids' stuff, they ask for a freaking REFERENCE number for the parents. BOTH numbers are 12 digits. ONE starts with USAWI and the other starts with USAW0. Its called a File No on the actual OCI card.

Which freaking number are we supposed to provide. Does it actually matter?

I think you are over thinking it and making it way more complicated in your head that it really is. Don't stress out, just relax - it is not that senseless. How do you think the system tracks the thousands of applications submitted daily, if not by some reference number. People start and abandon applications all the time, so only passport number is not sufficient.

[dvpatel]

I think you are over thinking it and making it way more complicated in your head that it really is. Don't stress out, just relax - it is not that senseless. How do you think the system tracks the thousands of applications submitted daily, if not by some reference number. People start and abandon applications all the time, so only passport number is not sufficient.

Yeah. But. Which of the two number(s) is the Reference number was my question. At no point do they mention a "reference" number any where. I put on the file number with USAW0 and will see what those idiots do. I get the need for an additional number but for God's sake call it the same thing in ALL your documentation and processes. Is that too much to ask for?

The reason I used the USAW0 is because kiranboda mentioned to use the number that is on the photo page of the OCI.

[arkaa]

Yeah. But. Which of the two number(s) is the Reference number was my question. At no point do they mention a "reference" number any where. I put on the file number with USAW0 and will see what those idiots do. I get the need for an additional number but for God's sake call it the same thing in ALL your documentation and processes. Is that too much to ask for?

The reason I used the USAW0 is because kiranboda mentioned to use the number that is on the photo page of the OCI.

When I applied for my kid, I used the File No. on the photo page of the OCI. It was issued in Chicago, so it starts with USAC0.

[PSPGGM]

There were so many messages but not one indicated where to find the reference number. On the photo page of the OCI card, there's OCI #, which is only 7 digits. On the bottom, there are a bunch of numbers but it is more than 17 characters. Should we pick a random 12 starting USA? Since there is a character before the USA and then there are 17 after the USA.

[PSPGGM]

There were so many messages but not one indicated where to find the reference number. On the photo page of the OCI card, there's OCI #, which is only 7 digits. There are a bunch of numbers on the bottom, but it is more than 17 characters. Should we pick a random 12 starting USA? Since there is a character before the USA and then there are 17 after the USA. I also see the same screen as tarak73 but on my OCI card, I do not see anything that is 12 digits. Can someone help with exact information with a picture hopefully (obviously striking out any personal information?