Recent experience of Kids OCI re-issue due to new passport

[Vadhadia]

OCI Reissue (New Passport)

BLS received my son's OCI Reissue (New passport) application on 5/8/14 and I recieved it back on 5/27/14 - untouched. It doesn't make sense, weren't they supposed to send it to CKGS. Guess, I should be happy they only sat on it for two weeks and not more weeks or months before forwarding to me and look at the even brighter side, they didn't lose any documents! I'm so angry, I feel like smoke is coming out of my head. How can someone be so clueless and not willing to do their job!

Now, I get to start over again with CKGS, lord only knows at this stage how they are with handling and responding, but I have a feeling I too am soon going to find out. First negative thing about them - they have this really bad quality Parental Authorization Form on their website for Minor, it says "do hereby authorize our child to leave United States of America". That's bullshit, how can we just give them or any one permission for our child/children to leave USA? And why do they need us to sign this form is beyond me. We, as parent, decide when/if our child will leave the state, why do they need us to give permission? Oh, I'm just ready to scream now.

[Rajagort]

BLS received my son's OCI Reissue (New passport) application on 5/8/14 and I recieved it back on 5/27/14 - untouched. It doesn't make sense, weren't they supposed to send it to CKGS. Guess, I should be happy they only sat on it for two weeks and not more weeks or months before forwarding to me and look at the even brighter side, they didn't lose any documents! I'm so angry, I feel like smoke is coming out of my head. How can someone be so clueless and not willing to do their job!

Now, I get to start over again with CKGS, lord only knows at this stage how they are with handling and responding, but I have a feeling I too am soon going to find out. First negative thing about them - they have this really bad quality Parental Authorization Form on their website for Minor, it says "do hereby authorize our child to leave United States of America". That's bullshit, how can we just give them or any one permission for our child/children to leave USA? And why do they need us to sign this form is beyond me. We, as parent, decide when/if our child will leave the state, why do they need us to give permission? Oh, I'm just ready to scream now.

Did you receive your money order/bank check? Or they cashed it?

[indi]

First negative thing about them - they have this really bad quality Parental Authorization Form on their website for Minor, it says "do hereby authorize our child to leave United States of America". That's bullshit, how can we just give them or any one permission for our child/children to leave USA? And why do they need us to sign this form is beyond me. We, as parent, decide when/if our child will leave the state, why do they need us to give permission? Oh, I'm just ready to scream now.

LOL.. I saw this form and basically had the exact reaction as yours.
Also, I noticed that not only do they require us to sign this vague form, we are also required to put a date that our child will leave the USA. Beyond bizarre.
It sounds like a cut and paste from some Visa application that does not apply to OCI's but are now being enforced for OCI's and PIO's.

[Vadhadia]

OCI reissue

BLS sent the money order back and I'm a bit surprised about that. Given how lazy and all that they are, I would have thought that they'd have kept money for not doing anything.

I've called CKGS several times and was lucky to have my phones answered after about 20-30 minues. The time I tried was at 9 am in the morning and at noon (EST). The experience was decent. Still way better than BLS who never answered my phone calls and replied to my e-mail saying that they are working on my application when the app was actually sitting at my house. They did say the stupid Parental Authorization form is mandatory and they said I can put the approximate travels dates on there.

Everyone wish me luck, I'm sending my son's OCI app out (again), this time to CKGS. Too bad, our tracker does not have "app came back" category, otherwise would have updated my status on there.

[indi]

Glad you got your money back. You're one of the lucky ones. The only other person I know that got their money back was a friend of mine who thinks she was lucky that they missed swiping it, because she had her checks inside an envelope, inside another larger envelope, which was inside the application. LOL..

Good luck with your son's OCI app - we're going to need every luck we can get. I'm in the same boat. I've lost $1200 from BLS, and today just spent another $1200 on new cashier's checks. I plan to submit our OCI next week to CKGS.

I think the CKGS tracking system is currently worser than the BLS one. For example, CKGS presently does not have a bar code on their order form that they can scan when they receive our applications (which I recall BLS had). So I presume that CKGS will manually input our applications into their system when they get to it. However I don't think we can't blame CKGS yet since they've had a chance to get their feet really wet, and will probably need some time to update their process and systems.

BLS sent the money order back and I'm a bit surprised about that. Given how lazy and all that they are, I would have thought that they'd have kept money for not doing anything.

I've called CKGS several times and was lucky to have my phones answered after about 20-30 minues. The time I tried was at 9 am in the morning and at noon (EST). The experience was decent. Still way better than BLS who never answered my phone calls and replied to my e-mail saying that they are working on my application when the app was actually sitting at my house. They did say the stupid Parental Authorization form is mandatory and they said I can put the approximate travels dates on there.

Everyone wish me luck, I'm sending my son's OCI app out (again), this time to CKGS. Too bad, our tracker does not have "app came back" category, otherwise would have updated my status on there.

[Vadhadia]

OCI Reissue

Yes, that's probably what happened to me as well, I had two envelopes and lazy people just thought who is going to take an effort to open the envelopes so I got my money back, but it wasn't much ($37) compared to what you lost. Oh my God, $1200. That's a lot of money, guess I shouldn't complain. When had you mailed your application to BLS? Recently I assume?

I'm mailing my app today and when I was preparing the package, I too, noticed that they don't have a bar code that we need to put on the envelope which BLS as well as Travisa both had. I liked Travisa, I had very good experience with them and when I bought tickets in March (8/8/14), I thought it'll be a smooth process to transfer OCI but it turns, hell broke lose within past 12 months and it's not so easy anymore.

Thanks for wishing me luck, and best of luck to you and all the other applicants as well. We might as well start doing extra prayer every night for all of pending applicants!

[Vadhadia]

Does any one know what "Tracking Id" is to CKGS website to track application sent to CKGS?

Since the order form is not done online, it had to be typed in, I didn't get any Id for completing that form, like we did for BLS.

I am guessing the Web Reference number is the one that is on the Applicatiom/Registration form that start with "USANK....."?

[priyaseeksoci]

Hello

Hi Indi and Vadhadia:


I am applying for Reissue of OCI due to loss of old passport...I have couple questions


Have you tried using the online payment system....

1) I read they have a credit card payment option. Here is an excerpt

'' You can make the payment by following below mentioned payment methods :
Credit Card / Money Orders / Bank Transfer / Pay Orders / Cashier's Check / Banker's Check favoring "Cox & Kings Global Services USA LLC".''


2) Also there is a field called WEB reference # when I tried using the online payment....Do you have any idea what the Web reference # is ?

3) To generate the MISCELLANEOUS form from the Indian government website I had to use the 'old passport #' which was used in the old OCI card......

Using this old passport # I was able to generate the Miscellaneous form - ONLY one page - page 2 is instructions

BUT when we fill out the CKGS online order form do we enter the NEW/Current PASSPORT #....the passport which is to be mailed out at the end for the NEW VISA Sticker.


Thanks

Priya

[Vadhadia]

1) No, I'm just using Money Order. With credit card payment, I'm not sure if we could get a refund. I used Money order with BLS and luckily I got it back. So, I'm using the same again.

2) I used the same question web reference number. If I'm not wrong, when you complete OCI Miscellaneous application online for OCI Reissue (CKGS takes you to Indian Gvt web for this), the form that prints has a number on it, I think that's the Web Ref number.

3) I was pretty confused about passport numbers too. Make sure that the form you print shows the new passport number and there is only one page for OCI Miscellaneous Serv, back page is only instructions. When we apply for a new OCI, that's when there are Part A and Part B.

Please post here any valuable info you find and wish you best of luck.

[Vadhadia]

After 50 min on hold, CKGS told me that Tracking number is the "USANK....." from Registration/Misc Form.

And when I asked what the Web Ref number is, I was told that I will recieve this number in e-mail once they receive my application.

I have serious doubt about this info, it should be vise versa. I should be receiving tracking number in e-mail and the "USANK.. " should be web Ref number. I'll keep posted as I find out more.

[priyaseeksoci]

1) No, I'm just using Money Order. With credit card payment, I'm not sure if we could get a refund. I used Money order with BLS and luckily I got it back. So, I'm using the same again.

2) I used the same question web reference number. If I'm not wrong, when you complete OCI Miscellaneous application online for OCI Reissue (CKGS takes you to Indian Gvt web for this), the form that prints has a number on it, I think that's the Web Ref number.

3) I was pretty confused about passport numbers too. Make sure that the form you print shows the new passport number and there is only one page for OCI Miscellaneous Serv, back page is only instructions. When we apply for a new OCI, that's when there are Part A and Part B.

Please post here any valuable info you find and wish you best of luck.

Hi Vadhadia:

For MISC form generation I entered :

Passport Number (as in OCI card ) - This is the old passport # right ??

Next I filled up the OCI FILE # - This is the # one from the last page of the OCI card

Next is Date of Birth : Sons date of birth.


Using all of the above a PDF is generated -

This pdf has passport details in the Second section:

The passport # printed here automatically is the old passport #

The date of Issue is also the old one - in my sons case Aug 2007

So in Conclusion in the one page Misc form there is no NEW passport # --- please correct if I am wrong.....


Thanks

[Vadhadia]

I had e-mailed the OCI processing unit in India when I received confusing answer from BLS and I've pasted below their response for you. I had asked that the Misc Service Form I printed shows old passport number. Is that correct and if not can I fill out new form?

"You may register afresh for misc. service and ignore the earlier registration. Information to be provided in the Misc. service online form should be current one after making necessary amendments to the existing data, as this information is automatically printed on the new OCI documents."

From this and one more user at immehelp had said that the passport number, expiration date etc. that show up on this form need to be of the latest passport which makes sense because, they will print OCI sticker with this information. If the OCI app has old passport info, then the U-Visa sticker will print with that info. When the application asked for passport number, issue date and place of issue, I provided new passport's info. This is my understanding, but you can do whatever seems correct to you.

Don't you wish, they would make is clear and easy, but no, we go through hell here for time, money and energy consuming process that has been set up by people that don't care.

Let me know if you any other questions.

[priyaseeksoci]

I had e-mailed the OCI processing unit in India when I received confusing answer from BLS and I've pasted below their response for you. I had asked that the Misc Service Form I printed shows old passport number. Is that correct and if not can I fill out new form?

"You may register afresh for misc. service and ignore the earlier registration. Information to be provided in the Misc. service online form should be current one after making necessary amendments to the existing data, as this information is automatically printed on the new OCI documents."

From this and one more user at immehelp had said that the passport number, expiration date etc. that show up on this form need to be of the latest passport which makes sense because, they will print OCI sticker with this information. If the OCI app has old passport info, then the U-Visa sticker will print with that info. When the application asked for passport number, issue date and place of issue, I provided new passport's info. This is my understanding, but you can do whatever seems correct to you.

Don't you wish, they would make is clear and easy, but no, we go through hell here for time, money and energy consuming process that has been set up by people that don't care.

Let me know if you any other questions.

Thanks for the reply - The application is not asking me for PLACE OF ISSUE and DATE of ISSUE for passport #

This is what I have been doing

1) I select MISC services from the GOVT of India website

2) It takes me to Online OCI services -

Here it asks me for passport # (as in OCI card ) -


If I enter new passport # here.....and then fill up the rest of the fields OCI file # and Date of Birth -

it generates a PDF with OLD PASSPORT #


Now please let me where did you enter the new passport# , place of issue and date of issue....

Did you edit the generated PDF - if so how......?

Thanks a lot

[priyaseeksoci]

I had e-mailed the OCI processing unit in India when I received confusing answer from BLS and I've pasted below their response for you. I had asked that the Misc Service Form I printed shows old passport number. Is that correct and if not can I fill out new form?

"You may register afresh for misc. service and ignore the earlier registration. Information to be provided in the Misc. service online form should be current one after making necessary amendments to the existing data, as this information is automatically printed on the new OCI documents."

From this and one more user at immehelp had said that the passport number, expiration date etc. that show up on this form need to be of the latest passport which makes sense because, they will print OCI sticker with this information. If the OCI app has old passport info, then the U-Visa sticker will print with that info. When the application asked for passport number, issue date and place of issue, I provided new passport's info. This is my understanding, but you can do whatever seems correct to you.

Don't you wish, they would make is clear and easy, but no, we go through hell here for time, money and energy consuming process that has been set up by people that don't care.

Let me know if you any other questions.

I did manage to make it work.

Now have to find someone to notarize it....again.

THANK YOU much FOR YOUR HELP

[indi]

This is a huge help. Thanks for taking the time to clarify this and update us.

I'd agree - they probably got it the other way round.
USANK.. should likely be the web ref #.
Tracking number should be the one we should (hopefully) receive by email.

After 50 min on hold, CKGS told me that Tracking number is the "USANK....." from Registration/Misc Form.

And when I asked what the Web Ref number is, I was told that I will recieve this number in e-mail once they receive my application.

I have serious doubt about this info, it should be vise versa. I should be receiving tracking number in e-mail and the "USANK.. " should be web Ref number. I'll keep posted as I find out more.