OCI Applicaiion- Anyone else finds the application confusing?

[TheKonkanidude1990]

hello all

I researched the OCI process for 1 whole week. I recently became a US citizen and applied for the passport renunciation and it happened so smoothly. next I apply for the OCi process and it is so tricky and confusing with incomplete and confusing instructions everywhere. Extremely bizarre photo specifications.! Confusing language 'Self Attested and notarized' ( what the hell does that even mean? I spent 18 years of my life in Mumbai India before moving here and I never heard anyone speak in such language there, )- I found out by digging in immihelp forums that 'Self attested' means self signed- again no instructions on the ckgs site how many pages to sign on, where to sign etc in case you have to go for 'self attested' copy.

I thought my OCi procedure would be simple since I am a bachelor and a single unmarried guy , so I am only filing for myself, but no, the instructions are so bizarre that it would make anyone confused. I can imagine it could be harder for people applying for their families/ applying through parents/grandparents in case of being second or third generation

You call CKGS and to be honest, some of their representatives don't even know what they are talking about. I spoke to a man and he was constantly interrupting me and talking before I could even finish my questions. Eventually I did get what he was saying, but it would have been easier if he would have allowed me to finish and not jumped in and finish his answer as if he is appearing in a press conference with memorized answers.

A major issue here is the 'Signature Image'. The website DOES NOT tell you clearly the distinction between the Application Image and the Signature Image. the Application Image is the Digital scanned ( jpeg) version of your photo which you get clicked in walmart. The Signature Image ( the one with 1 : 3 ratio) is NOT an actual photo but a signature that you have to do on a white blank paper and then scan it to yourself as a JPEg and get it adjusted to 1 :3. ( Call me stupid but I never understood what Signature image actually meant till i spoke with CKGS, i was thinking it is the 1:3 version of your application image) I have browsed hundreds of threads and not one actually shows you a sample PDF that guides you how the OCI form looks like after you enter all the information.
Let me share some info. People please feel free to dive in with your info to make this process less confusing
after you upload the application image ( 1:1 ) and generate the pdf,The Application Image goes and sits at a location under the 3 lions emblem and over the Bar code. There is a Square Box to the right of the page where you have to physically affix the photo by printing out the pdf ( which is again not mentioned by the site as far as I know, it only talks about digital photos - correct me if I am wrong) and the signature box is where you have to upload the signature by signing on a white blank paper and scanning the image to your computer and then doing a jpeg 1 : 3 adjustment on it. ( though i do not understand why you cannot physically sign on it like how you do on a renunciation form).

What a headache. The process is a mess.It is not what they are telling us to do. It is the incomplete information on the website that makes this whole process not so simple

[ctdesi]

Welcome to the group !

Hi,

You are very right. The whole process is a mess. Not only are the instructions confusing and badly written, the whole process is over the top. This business of self attesting and notarizing is a joke. Getting things notarized can be a pain in the neck. Many institutions/places will not notarize photocopies, so you end up running from place to place to find someone who will. There are places like AAA and UPS which will notarize, but they charge per page and it can quickly add up. I wish they had used some common sense when designing the whole process and consulted someone who knows such processes.

Anyways, it is what it is. I had to reapply for my Kids because, believe it or not, once their passport expires, which is every 5 years, you have to reapply OCI and redo the WHOLE process of sending copies and originals and notarized copies etc. What a mess. I have decided that next time I am going for a visa instead, as OCI is not worth all the trouble.

Sorry not to be of much help, but my advice would be to read and reread the instructions and definitely follow the document checklist. I think of all the instructions, I found that to be the best at explaining what is needed, what should be attested/notarized, which copy needs to be color etc.

So all the best, and let me know if you have any specific questions!

[TheKonkanidude1990]

Hi,

You are very right. The whole process is a mess. Not only are the instructions confusing and badly written, the whole process is over the top. This business of self attesting and notarizing is a joke. Getting things notarized can be a pain in the neck. Many institutions/places will not notarize photocopies, so you end up running from place to place to find someone who will. There are places like AAA and UPS which will notarize, but they charge per page and it can quickly add up. I wish they had used some common sense when designing the whole process and consulted someone who knows such processes.

Anyways, it is what it is. I had to reapply for my Kids because, believe it or not, once their passport expires, which is every 5 years, you have to reapply OCI and redo the WHOLE process of sending copies and originals and notarized copies etc. What a mess. I have decided that next time I am going for a visa instead, as OCI is not worth all the trouble.

Sorry not to be of much help, but my advice would be to read and reread the instructions and definitely follow the document checklist. I think of all the instructions, I found that to be the best at explaining what is needed, what should be attested/notarized, which copy needs to be color etc.

So all the best, and let me know if you have any specific questions!

Ohh God tell me about the running part. You have to run from target to walmart to Staples and God knows which place to get your picture scanned. No one will do it saying these are the rules of the land ( What a nice position to be in- Indian gov wants you to copy ( xerox- that too in color) documents and notarize them which are borderline illegal practices in USA, you are stuck between 2 systems, both sticking to their guns ( india gov for notaray and colored copies and scan and US giving you a hard time to provide all of these). I live with roommates and don't have a printer/scanner at home ( my parents don't live here anymore, they went back after getting their OCI and my relatives might think I am big fat cheapo for going to their house for doing such simple work, they tell me why I don't go to target- if I use the 'illegal' word, they will turn me away anyways) , so I have to do these things from office on weekends because if anyone at work sees me doing this, I am going to be in trouble. This just sucks..SMH.

Most of my peers are barely into their h1b, probably not even thinking of OCI and are years away from the process. A lot of relatives here are either PIO card holders/ just using tourist visa. My parents and a cousin did their OCi 3 years back but the process has changed as it always does every 6 months ( how stupid), limited people available for help/advice for this process.

Now for tha notary part, where Do I go ? Which place will not turn me away? Your answer is much appreciated.Thanks
thanks

[happy2016]

India is the call centre / business processing outsourcing capital of the world, yet the OCI process is as difficult as it can possibly be. Makes going to the dentist look like a piece of cake. I have to apply for a "mandatory" OCI conversion in lieu of an existing PIO :-( May God help all of us.

[sunrag1]

Ohh God tell me about the running part. You have to run from target to walmart to Staples and God knows which place to get your picture scanned. No one will do it saying these are the rules of the land ( What a nice position to be in- Indian gov wants you to copy ( xerox- that too in color) documents and notarize them which are borderline illegal practices in USA, you are stuck between 2 systems, both sticking to their guns ( india gov for notaray and colored copies and scan and US giving you a hard time to provide all of these). I live with roommates and don't have a printer/scanner at home ( my parents don't live here anymore, they went back after getting their OCI and my relatives might think I am big fat cheapo for going to their house for doing such simple work, they tell me why I don't go to target- if I use the 'illegal' word, they will turn me away anyways) , so I have to do these things from office on weekends because if anyone at work sees me doing this, I am going to be in trouble. This just sucks..SMH.

Most of my peers are barely into their h1b, probably not even thinking of OCI and are years away from the process. A lot of relatives here are either PIO card holders/ just using tourist visa. My parents and a cousin did their OCi 3 years back but the process has changed as it always does every 6 months ( how stupid), limited people available for help/advice for this process.

Now for tha notary part, where Do I go ? Which place will not turn me away? Your answer is much appreciated.Thanks
thanks

I Attempted to complete this task twice and could not. This process & instructions are very complicated. Wonder how so many other folks submitted already.

[TheKonkanidude1990]

Confusion about something

Hey guys , I have some confusion, the document checklist says

SIGNATURE

OCI form has multipleplaces for
signatures. The following sections must be
duly SIGNED correctly.Signature must be legible and on the white background.OCI PART A (
Uploaded Signature must be legible on plain white background)
o
OCI
PART B
NOTE
-If the signature is OUTSIDE
of the boxes provided, the application will be REJECTED
.
If the
signature
isn’t clear
after they upload online, they need to
upload again
or has to sign in the application form.

OK, As far as I know, the only box that I have seen is the box where you scan your digital image. Form B has dashed/dotted lines where you have to sign physically. Am I right? Please correct me if I am wrong. Also Form A and Form B are both generated as a single pdf when you print it from the website, is that right? There is just 1 BOX for a signature which is used by your digital signature and the rest all are dotted lines, right??

PHOTOS- Now read the photo instructions below. Why do they need 2 photos? ( Okay wrong question- What is it that they exactly need?). I understand that one photo is your application image which you upload, one photo is the physical one which you will stick on the form ( Hopefully with a gum, I hope it is fine, no instructions given on the site if Gum is okay or not), " Paste 1 photo on page 1 at the relevant place on the online form and send 1 photo with the Application" Do they mean that you have to also send a photo ( lose photo) like a document with the rest of the application. In all a total of 3 photos? ( one application image which is a digital image, one physical photo that is stuck on the box and one photo just like that,( as a document) )?. Please help

"2 most recent passport size color photos (no older than 6 months) of the applicant to be provided.Uploaded photo must be a most recent
passport size color photo.Paste 1 photo on page 1 at the relevant place on the online form and send 1 photo with the Application.

Photos to be 2 inches x 2 inches in size, in color, depicting front pose strictly against white background only on photographic paper."

[zilok]

Regarding photos, you are right.

1. A digital image to be uploaded on govt website
2. Paste it on the application
3. Send a loose one

[happy2016]

I think you need to submit two copies of the application. Also for photo it is a light coloured background not white. I hope my shade of grey is light enough.

I have spent weeks looking at this stuff and feel little the wiser. It is time to jump in at the deep end and see what happens.

Anyone else converting from a PIO?

[TheKonkanidude1990]

not it's white background not light

I think you need to submit two copies of the application. Also for photo it is a light coloured background not white. I hope my shade of grey is light enough.

I have spent weeks looking at this stuff and feel little the wiser. It is time to jump in at the deep end and see what happens.

Anyone else converting from a PIO?

I think I will disagree with you here. I don't know about PIO, but for OCI ( NEW application). Government site, ckgs site and reliable sites like immihelp all specifically state White background. Plus , there are lot of online geeks who do your OCI photo editing ( incase you run into trouble with the photoshop or editing software) for about $3-$5 and they will also state their background is white .When I went to walmart last week, the dude knew rightaway the OCI photo requirements and made me sit in front of a white background.

[proonindiandoc]

I think you need to submit two copies of the application. Also for photo it is a light coloured background not white. I hope my shade of grey is light enough.

I have spent weeks looking at this stuff and feel little the wiser. It is time to jump in at the deep end and see what happens.

Anyone else converting from a PIO?

Photo background must be clear and white, if shadow or not paper white will be rejected