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

[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

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]

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.

[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?

[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.

[Vadhadia]

Happy for you!

ndk100, I feel so relived and happy to see that you've received your application back, and about time too! Glad that somehow it worked out.

Yes, I hope too that the transition to CKGS should bring some positive experience to this process, though when I tried to call them at three phone numbers, they say the phone number doesn't exit or the party is not available, guess it's too early. I'm sure they are sitting on my application at this time too. How can someone be so careless, it's beyond me! And I did send an e-mail to cgny, but no response, think maybe because they still haven't received my app yet. I've heard that they as well as the team in India are pretty efficient, it's the third party that's taking up all the time and making our lives miserable.

Thanks for wishing me luck, I'm going to need it badly and for all the information you've provided. If you don't mind, please visit immehelp every once in a while; I might post some questions for you and it would be very nice to have someone's opinion who has been through the process successfully. I very much appreciate the quick response.

[ndk100]

Yes. I finally got them back, no thanks to BLS.

They sat on the matched-up original passport + new OCI for more then 5 weeks. Finally, a friend of mine requested his friend who works in NYC to go personally to inquire. He was able to get my documents and mail them to me.

I feel that the switch to CKGS should improve the process. Their service fee is more realistic and they should be able to deploy more resources. The $4.70 fee for BLS was simply unviable. I wonder how it was approved by the Embassy/Consulate.

Also, I just read today on the CKGS website that BLS Houston is the only center which has handed over all the pending applications/information and they are in the process of uploading that to their website. The information from other centers will be uploaded when received from BLS.

I see that your application has not gone to the Consulate yet. But you can still inquire at the Consulate by sending an email to [email protected] to check if the application came to the Consulate and somehow the status on BLS site is not updated. I had sent an email to this address and they had responded promptly saying that the matched-up passport and the new OCI card was sent back to BLS on April 4th.

It appears that you do have time until the first week of Aug. The transfer to CKGS of the pending applications should happen in the next few weeks after which things should move. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the process at the Consulate and at Govt. of India Delhi (MEA) was quick and efficient.

Good luck and have a nice trip in August.

ndk100 - did you receive your other passport and OCI back?

I visited BLS' website today to check application status which has not changed in last two weeks, from the day it was received by them. But today, they don't show any status just ask us to contact CKGS (Cox and Kings Global Services - the new service provider). And sadly, CKGS' tracking tool says that we can only check status of applications that were sent to them after 5/21 or somethint like that. So what do we do, I've sent many e-mails to BLS, one to CKGS and one to CGNY, but so far haven't received any response about this. Please let me know if anyone has an update about currently pending applications. Good luck to all of you.

[Vadhadia]

OCI Reissue

ndk100 - did you receive your other passport and OCI back?

I visited BLS' website today to check application status which has not changed in last two weeks, from the day it was received by them. But today, they don't show any status just ask us to contact CKGS (Cox and Kings Global Services - the new service provider). And sadly, CKGS' tracking tool says that we can only check status of applications that were sent to them after 5/21 or somethint like that. So what do we do, I've sent many e-mails to BLS, one to CKGS and one to CGNY, but so far haven't received any response about this. Please let me know if anyone has an update about currently pending applications. Good luck to all of you.

[Vadhadia]

OCI Reissues (New Passport) Minor

Hi, when I mentioned about transfer of U-Visa to my kid's new passport to the traveling agent, she told me that I didn't need to do this, I can simply travel with old and new passport and the OCI booklet and this is recently, in the week of 4/28/14. We are thinking along the same line, I was afraid thinking what if airport authority here or in India wouldn't let my Son get on the plane, so I mailed the application, etc on 5/8/14. And again, I too, am considering just applying for a Visa if the OCI process is not finalized by end of July (bought ticktes for 8/8/14 already), since Visa can be granted on the same day if you go there in-person, I didn't see any such option for OCI reissue.

It's been three days since BSL received my son's application and the status has not changed. I'm so afraid, have no idea what I'm going to do if they mess it up. I wish you good luck with your case. Not sure, if you saw the notice, but now they've changed the company to Cox & Kings, hope they are good or we all NRIs are doomed.

[jpman70]

Visitor visa an option if there is not enough time?

Hello. I have been reading these good and detailed posts that you all have been kindly writing. My 2 kids have new passports since obtaining OCI in 2011. We have tickets to go to India on July 25. I am very concerned about initiating the process of U-visa transfer to their new passports now (given 10 weeks to go). It seems like immigration authorities in India have not been hassling anyone (even kids) as long as you carry the old passport with the U-visa stamp. Is this the recent experience? What about the airline- while boarding the plane in the US? - I am actually less concerned about what would happen in India than if the airline denied boarding in the US itself. Finally, has anyone considered getting visitor visas for kids if they do not have enough time for the OCI transfer? I appreciate any thoughts. Thank you

[ndk100]

No I haven't received the one application back yet. No response to several tickets I have raised. It has been almost a month since the new original passport was sent back from the Consulate to BLS NY after match-up.

Regarding your other question, yes, everything was in the same envelope. In fact, they also sent back the second copy of the documents I submitted. I don't know why they ask for the whole second set if they need only one.

[Vadhadia]

Instructions and Contact Information

I know several people had problem navigating the website. I've somehow managed to get to this insructions.

***

and this website seems to have some more information as well.

****

and on the same website, I found a contact information. Not sure if I was just pure lucky, but I received a detailed response to my question from the below e-mail within few hours about OCI application.

For Queries related to OCI: [email protected]

Good Luck to everyone and hope your application is processed in a timely manner.

- - - Updated - - -

ndk100, did you recieve your other kid's passport with new OCI back yet?

For the other kid, did you recieve everything back in the mail in the same envelope- New passport+new OCI and old passport+old OCI (Cancelled)?

[Vadhadia]

Thank you again ndk100, truly appreciate your help. I bought tickets to go on Aug 8th with my son, I'm begining to think that I'm going to lose the money. When I initially got OCI, it was with Travisa and I didn't experience any of this at the time, so I thought it would be easy to transfer the OCI from the old passport to the new one, but it turns out, it's now with BLS and I've been worried sick ever since I've read their reviews on the internet. I'm going to have to be very very lucky to have everything done in time and be able to make to India with my son to see my parents this year.

[ndk100]

I had applied for OCI re-issue for my two kids at the end of Feb. I received one of them back a couple of days ago (almost exactly 2 months). The other one has been back to BLS NY from the Consulate after match up in the first week of April and they just have to just dispatch it but haven't done so yet (after more than 3 weeks!). I have been raising escalation ticket every week but haven't got a response back from them.

Here is what I had posted in another thread about the documents I had sent:

For the most part, I followed their check-list. I just noticed that they have updated the requirements from when I applied in Feb.

Here are few general points to keep in mind:
- Original OCI booklet and original expired passport are required
- They need two sets of copies of everything.
- When in doubt whether a document (copy) is needed or not, just include it.
- For minors, both parents should sign and get it notarized on application (as explained in the check-list)
- Don't forget to include the proof of residence (copy of drivers license for both parents)
- All copies can be self-attested
- Include the copies of 'Naturalization Certificate' and 'Renunciation Certificate' of both parents

If you have any specific questions, I can try to answer them.

Thank you for the quick and detailed response, ndk100.

I guess, I'll have to re-do the online form so that it has the new passport number. Do you currently have a pending application with BLS? If not, how long did it take you to receive everything back from the date you mailed it initially?

Also, let me know if you had to do somethin extra that is not listed in the instructions so I can be prepared accordingly.

[Vadhadia]

OCI Re-issue

Thank you for the quick and detailed response, ndk100.

I guess, I'll have to re-do the online form so that it has the new passport number. Do you currently have a pending application with BLS? If not, how long did it take you to receive everything back from the date you mailed it initially?

Also, let me know if you had to do somethin extra that is not listed in the instructions so I can be prepared accordingly.