PIO Processing Time - SFO?

[subhap]

My PIO Card application with all documents Notorized has been received at SF consulate on Nov 22nd, 2010. I have included Fedex return slip with my FedEx account number on it.

What is the processing time these days? I am hearing mixed messages. Some say SF consulate is excellent and process the Application quickly in 10 days, some say it takes over 4 weeks?

your experience and feedback please?

[curious9_r]

hi subhap,

have you received PIO yet? i submitted in the same time frame as you but no response yet. I have also sent a message to vice consular like you suggested, but he did not respond.

any ideas?

[sfosri]

PIO Card San Francisco

I applied for the Renunciation Cert and the PIO at the same time. It was a nightmare putting together all the information.

Do you realize the different Indian consulates have different forms for the same thing? The SF Consular website looks like it was designed by a 6 year old.

I sent all my information via USPS overnight mail to reach them by the 19th Nov..so far nothing from them.

I sent 3 emails and nothing back from them.

It's one thing when there was no cost to any of this..but now paying 175 for the renunciation certificate and another 300 or so for the PIO, we should expect at least a basic level of service from these people.

Their heavy handed approach, lack of any tracking number, not bothering to reply to email even though they have a contact us link on their website as if they really reply to emails is unacceptable.

When I went though the naturalization process to become a US citizen, you could pay by check and you got a tracking number where you could follow the progress.

For the PIO and Renunciation certificate they don't accept checks just money orders or cashiers check...and provide no tracking whatsoever...talk about shady operation. If it was any other company wanting you to do this you would immediately think of them as a scam company...the reason why the Indian consular office does this is to find a way to take no responsibility for anything.

I included my original Indian and US passport since I wanted to get this done before my trip to India in December.

What are they doing with all this extra money they are collecting from us, I heard that they have collected overall over half a billion dollars so far from these new fees...I wonder which ministers pocket this money is going into.

There has got to be some recourse for us to have these people follow some procedures such as

1) Provide a tracking number
2) Respond to emails
3) Actually have a turn around time that is adhered to.

So many people are having to go in person and creating more chaos and as you can imagine they probably are totally disorganized over there. Its really bordering on criminal the way these people treat their citizens.

[sfosri]

PIO Processing Time -SFO

My PIO Card application with all documents Notorized has been received at SF consulate on Nov 22nd, 2010. I have included Fedex return slip with my FedEx account number on it.

What is the processing time these days? I am hearing mixed messages. Some say SF consulate is excellent and process the Application quickly in 10 days, some say it takes over 4 weeks?

your experience and feedback please?

I am in the same boat as you. I sent it all in on the 18th. As of today nothing in my mailbox. On their website they say 20 business days...as they take all the US holidays and Indian holidays who knows what 20 days really means...these guys are playing a bad joke on us...I sent them several emails and nothing from them. If you go and look them up on Yelp you will see all the complaints...however on their poorly designed website you will see only praises for them on their "boquets and brickbats" section...what a joke they must write all that crap themselves.

Anyhow my only recourse is to show up in person after 20 business days have passed and stay there till they give me the PIO or my US passport back...I need to leave for India end of the month.

[parveen_bansal]

Waiting for PIO - SFO

Have you guys got your PIO? I filed around Thanksgiving and have not received it. Same - no response to emails or VMs from SFO PIO office.

[bachuraj]

Please let me know if anybody got PIO in SFO

Hi All,

PIO Card Processing in SFO is taking longer than advertised. don't know how many business days they are taking.

I am trying to intract them all the possibilities....I am facing difficulities to reach them.

1) They don't lift phones.
2) They don't replying for voice messages.
3) They don't replying for emails.
4) They dont even reply for FAX's

I don't have any other way to communicate them.... Personnaly .. i cant reach them as bcoz it 's a long way to my place.

I request , if any body applied recently.. please let me know how many days it taking to receive PIO cards from SFO consulate.

Thanks
Bachu

[bachuraj]

Hi All,

I would like to share this inforamtion to all of you.

Earlier, I have written that they dont communicate phones/emails/fax/voice messages.thats true. but, they are seems to be very dedicated. they are processing exactly with in 15 days.

SFO consulate received my application for PIO on 12/29/2010 - they processed and return back to me on 01/20/2010 - it's exactly took 15 businessdays as advertised on the web site.

Thanks
Bachu