OCI Apostille / Missing Passport

[jpd68]

I am applying for an OCI for both myself and my daughter. A consular services camp was held and a consular officer had verified all the documents, however, when I submitted the application, the processing company VFS is asking for additional documents. So the moral of the story is, don't waste time going to the camp ????.

But seriously, one of the documents they are asking for is an apostilled birth certificate for my daughter. My question is, do I send a copy of the apostille certificate or the original? My understanding is that the apostille certificate will be attached to the original birth certificate and should not be taken off. I would not want to send the original birth certificate. Do I send a notarized copy of the birth certificate and a copy of the apostille certificate? Again, I have sent a notarized copy of the birth certificate and it was verified by a consular officer but a apostilled copy is demanded and I am not really going to argue with them.

The other issue I have is that a copy of my Indian passport is being asked for. I had explained to the consular officer that I had come to the US as a minor, my parents had held onto my Indian passport, I never had posession of the Indian passport and it has been 30 years since I had become naturalized and there was no posibillity of me finding my Indian passport. He was OK with the explanation and verified the application but again VFS is asking for a copy of the Indian passport. I did send in a copy of my renuciation and that also indicates that I did not have the Indian passport. Any suggestions?

Thank you for taking the time to read this long post.

[arkaa]

Where was your daughter born? If in the US, then you can get as many Birth Certificates as you want from the County Records. Costs like $10 or so per copy where I live. Just get a few and send one to them.

For OCI, you need to show two proofs - proof of Indian Origin, and if you ever had an Indian Passport then Renunciation or Surrender Certificate.
They ask the Indian Passport for proof of Indian Origin. If you do not have the passport, then you can provide other documents to prove your Indian origin along with an affidavit about the lost passport. Just read through the checklist carefully.

And yes, that email seems legit - they used gmail before but are now getting their own domain addresses. But do not give any sensitive or personal info if you are not confident.

[ziczaczom]

I am applying for an OCI for both myself and my daughter. A consular services camp was held and a consular officer had verified all the documents, however, when I submitted the application, the processing company VFS is asking for additional documents. So the moral of the story is, don't waste time going to the camp ????.

But seriously, one of the documents they are asking for is an apostilled birth certificate for my daughter. My question is, do I send a copy of the apostille certificate or the original? My understanding is that the apostille certificate will be attached to the original birth certificate and should not be taken off. I would not want to send the original birth certificate. Do I send a notarized copy of the birth certificate and a copy of the apostille certificate? Again, I have sent a notarized copy of the birth certificate and it was verified by a consular officer but a apostilled copy is demanded and I am not really going to argue with them.

The other issue I have is that a copy of my Indian passport is being asked for. I had explained to the consular officer that I had come to the US as a minor, my parents had held onto my Indian passport, I never had posession of the Indian passport and it has been 30 years since I had become naturalized and there was no posibillity of me finding my Indian passport. He was OK with the explanation and verified the application but again VFS is asking for a copy of the Indian passport. I did send in a copy of my renuciation and that also indicates that I did not have the Indian passport. Any suggestions?

Thank you for taking the time to read this long post.

Hi, were you able to apply for the OCI without your passport. What documents did you have to submit?

[LukeMeyers]

Wow, navigating through the OCI process sounds like a bit of a rollercoaster! ???? Thanks for sharing your experience. It's so frustrating when you think you've got everything sorted out, and then additional document requests pop up.

[ChrisCash]

If I were you, I'd probably go for sending a notarized copy of the birth certificate along with a copy of the apostille certificate. It sounds like a duo that should work together seamlessly! Hopefully, that puts an end to the birth certificate saga.

And the passport situation, oh boy! It's baffling when you've explained your unique circumstances to the consular officer, and yet there's still a hiccup. Maybe include a note emphasizing your previous conversation and reattach your renunciation proof. Sometimes, it takes that extra nudge to get things sorted.

Have you considered a next-day apostille service for the birth certificate? That might be a game-changer in speeding up the process!