Surrender Certificate with Cancelled Stamp on Passport for OCI

[captain_crunch]

Hi members,

My wife and I naturalized in June of 2008. I got my passport stamped as 'Cancelled' when I went to India in 2009 on a Visitor Visa. However, in June 2010 my wife had to shell out $250 to get the "surrender certificate" and I was declined one as my passport was already cancelled. Anyway today I looked at the paper she got back in the name of "surrender certificate" and its just the renunciation application that she wrote with a stamp and some number on it. Is this the surrender certificate or did I end up paying $250 and getting nothing? Eitherway now we're applying for OCI and are confused - we both have the passports with cancelled stamp, I have no surrender certificate, what she has looks nothing like a surrender certificate. Then I read on immihelp that no surrender cert is required if the Naturalization happened before March 2010 *and* the passport is already cancelled. This is our case. Anyone here can chime in on if they were able to get their OCIs processed through Travisa without a surrender certificate but with the cancelled stamp on their passport? Please let me know. I have been a member of this site since 07 and have always found help during various immigration stages. I thank you all for your support!

[cap]

Sorry... You got cheated

You need to pay $250 only if you became a citizen more than 3 years back when you applied for surrender certificate which doesnt seem to be your case.
They should have given it to your wife for $20. It is clearly stated on the Houston Consulate website.
And yes, the surrender certificate is your own application returned back. It is just a ploy by the Indian Government to generate more revenue. Your and your wife's cancelled passport is good enough going forward for anything.

[maheshmc]

I am in the same boat as you..

Hi members,

My wife and I naturalized in June of 2008. I got my passport stamped as 'Cancelled' when I went to India in 2009 on a Visitor Visa. However, in June 2010 my wife had to shell out $250 to get the "surrender certificate" and I was declined one as my passport was already cancelled. Anyway today I looked at the paper she got back in the name of "surrender certificate" and its just the renunciation application that she wrote with a stamp and some number on it. Is this the surrender certificate or did I end up paying $250 and getting nothing? Eitherway now we're applying for OCI and are confused - we both have the passports with cancelled stamp, I have no surrender certificate, what she has looks nothing like a surrender certificate. Then I read on immihelp that no surrender cert is required if the Naturalization happened before March 2010 *and* the passport is already cancelled. This is our case. Anyone here can chime in on if they were able to get their OCIs processed through Travisa without a surrender certificate but with the cancelled stamp on their passport? Please let me know. I have been a member of this site since 07 and have always found help during various immigration stages. I thank you all for your support!

Hi,
I am in the same boat as yours. Except I am applying for my daughter's OCI. We already received the OCI in 2008 with no issues. I applied for my daughter's OCI last week and I got an email from Travisa saying "Renunciation Status of Father - Missing" and so is for Mother. Our passport has only the "CANCELLED" stamp but not the reason for cancellation. Do you think I will have to apply for "Renunciation Certificate" even though my passport says "CANCELLED" on it and we got the citizenship in 2008.

Thanks for your time and help.

[await_gc]

Based on my recent experience you have to apply for surrender certificate if your indian passport doesn't have the "Cancelled as holder acquired US citizenship" stamp. I also had a "CANCELLED" stamp by had to apply for Surrender certificate and paid $20 only as I had the "CANCELLED" Stamp. if not the fee would have been increased by $250 for not cancelling in time.

[helpoci]

Cancel passport is good enough

Cancelled passport(with $40 FEE) is good enough to get the Renunciation/Surrender certificate. You need this certificate for any further service required like getting OCI, transfer OCI sticker from old passport to new passport etc..

- - - Updated - - -

Hello,
I got my OCI card in the year 2008, but they returned my Indian passport without putting "Cancel" stamp in it and after that I never looked at the website. Now I need Renunciation/Surrender certificate inorder to transfer OCI sticker from old passport to new passport for my kid and it looks like there is $250 penalty to get the certificate.
Is this mandatory? Is there anyway we can avoid this penalty to get the renunciation certificate.

[bobbyk]

Surrender Certificate with Cancelled Stamp on Passport for OCI

Has anyone managed to get their kids OCI with only a "Cancelled" stamp on parents Indian passport?

Press release from Chicago consulate says "Please note that if you have acquired US (foreign) Citizenship on or before 31 May 2010 and if you have "Cancelled" stamp on your Indian passport, then there is a no requirement of acquiring "Surrender Certificate".



But it seems BLS doesn't care about that. They need "Cancelled due to acquiring US passport" stamp rather than "Cancelled" stamp. They returned my Son's OCI application even though we (parents) had sent copies of Indian passports with cancelled stamp that were put by Chicago consulate in 2007 after when we applied for OCI after acquiring US passports.

[tapasb]

Has anyone managed to get their kids OCI with only a "Cancelled" stamp on parents Indian passport?

Press release from Chicago consulate says "Please note that if you have acquired US (foreign) Citizenship on or before 31 May 2010 and if you have "Cancelled" stamp on your Indian passport, then there is a no requirement of acquiring "Surrender Certificate".



But it seems BLS doesn't care about that. They need "Cancelled due to acquiring US passport" stamp rather than "Cancelled" stamp. They returned my Son's OCI application even though we (parents) had sent copies of Indian passports with cancelled stamp that were put by Chicago consulate in 2007 after when we applied for OCI after acquiring US passports.

-

[tapasb]

Renunciation Certificate Penalty

Hi, I have the exact same situation as some of you pointed. I'd the Indian passport just "Cancelled", when we took US citizenship. Now, when I try to stamp my daughter's OCI card, my application returned stating I need to get the Renunciation certificate. I am willing to apply now (did not know about this before), but I see $250 penalty fee. I think, this is unfair, we never knew about this when we took citizenship. Is there way the penalty can be avoided?
Thanks,