PIO Card

All,

Since from morning I am trying to check my application status ? Does anyone able to check status today ?

http://www.in.ckgs.us/VPOOnline/WebPages/TrackYourApplication.aspx

Folks

Wanted to provide an update that i received an email from CKGS that our PIO card has been couriered. I had posted earlier on 11/23 below (check that for details). One of my friends visited CKGS yesterday and was told they were out of the PIO cards and will receive about 500 of them today and most of the backlog should be cleared very soon. Not sure how helpful that is for those who had immediate plans but may provide insights into why things were slow at SFO while other places were issuing PIO cards in around 2 weeks.

Thanks
Vento

Good news to all. Our PIO got approved, received email today. Hopefully they will process all others too.

I applied for my wife's PIO card by walk in on Oct 28 at Houston CKGS. PIO card was approved on 11/20/2014.

I received an e-mail on 11/24/2014 @6:42 PM with the FedEx tracking information from CKGS (When I checked CKGS web site after the e-mail the on line status still did not have the tracking information).

PIO Card reached home 11/25/2014. Leaving India next week. Good Luck to all those who are still waiting. Lesson Learned. Apply at-least 2 months in advance for any thing to do with Indian Embassy.

Applied : 10/28/2014 -- Houston CKGS - Walk-In
Approved: 11/20/2014
FedEx: 11/24/2014
Tracking ID : USAH70222X14

Today I received a FedEx Shipment Notification. I don't know what it is this. I called CKGS and they told me that my son PIO document has been sent to embassy on 9th of Nov and they have no update back from embassy...just wait for 4-6 week (Standard answer).

Any of you also received FedEx Shipment Notification email ??? I have submitted my document on 10/27 and my document sent to embassy on 9th of Nov however this information is not been updated on tracking site.

My travel date is on 6th of Dec. Please advice me here if I need to go to NY CKGS office to withdraw PIO request and then apply for VISA in order to travel on 6th of Dec...

*** Update for folks waiting for PIO @ SFO ***

Received PIO for my son today after an 11 hour wait at the CKGS office. I overheard the staff mention that they expect most of the backlog to be cleared tomorrow (Tuesday) but again, I cannot guarantee the reliability of that information.

Will update more details shortly (my son's application had reached consulate on 10/29).

Rohit

Going to CKGS in SFO has not helped us in any way.Our PIO was sent to SFO consulate on oct 28th. Will it help if we visit consulate in person for PIO. If anyone has had any positive experiences at SFO consulate; if update. Your replies are highly appreciated. thank you.

I have some important family ceremony to attend so booked travel tickets on Dec 5th but now I am worried about getting PIO card for my daughter. CAN ANY ONE TELL ME HOW LONG CONSULATE MIGHT TAKE AND IS THERE ANY OTHER WAYS TO GET IT SOON?

**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ***
**** **** **** **** PROCESSING STATUS SO FAR **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ***
**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ***

Your application has been submitted at The Indian Embassy/Consulate for further processing. 11/13/2014
   
Received Additional Document 11/13/2014

YOUR APPLICATION IS ON HOLD due to the missing or incomplete documents as mentioned in Remarks Column Only once the documents are received by us at CKGS and post verification, will we be able to continue to process your application. 10/30/2014 MISSING NOTARY ON PARENTAL AUTHORIZATION FORM.

Your application is in process. Your tracking id is USAH70226714 10/30/2014

Your application has been received and will be submitted subject to verification. 10/30/2014

Friends,

Wanted to share my overall experience to get a PIO card for my daughter.

Received the Passport and PIO document on 11/24/2014
Passport sent by post/courier number YYYY YYYY YYYY 11/21/2014
Your application has been collected from the Embassy/Consulate and is being sorted.
Your application will be ready for collection from our Application Centre within one business day. 11/20/2014
Your application has been submitted at The Indian Embassy/Consulate for further processing. 11/10/2014
Recieved Additional Document 10/24/2014 missing both parents valid u.s. immigration status.
YOUR APPLICATION IS ON HOLD due to the missing or incomplete documents as mentioned in Remarks Column Only once the documents are received by us at CKGS and post verification, will we be able to continue to process your application. Refer to the Email sent to you from CKGS with further details. 10/23/2014 missing both parents valid u.s. immigration status.
Your application is in process. Your tracking id is USAN7 YYYY X14 10/23/2014
Your application has been received and will be submitted subject to verification. 10/23/2014

My experience was bad but it would have been better if I had sent all the documents to them in the first place. But I followed the checklist religiously (They had a bad checklist earlier which they fixed now) and the checklist didn't have a Visa copy in it. I should have been smart enough to include it but I didn't.

Once the application is on hold, it takes forever for them to get back to it. I wasted 17 days waiting for them to pick up my documents ( 8 calls to customer care, send 3 emails with the same documents and finally mailed them the hard copy as well). Once the application reached the consulate, I got my approval super fast. So looks like CKGS is the bottleneck and they should work on their processes a bit.

I have my travel in first week of December so I had submitted my passport withdrawal form on 4th Nov. But cancelled it when I got to know that the application was sent to consulate on 11/10. Luckily they had not processed my withdrawal firm till then :)

All the best to all other PIO seekers. My advise is spend additional time reviewing the document list before sending to CKGS. Their call center sucks and they are helpless. Once u send the documents, the only person who can help you is GOD.

Now SFO consulate is the worst and lazyest in the word. They never process applications on time. They ask people to apply for emergency / urgent visa to collect extra $100 by simply delaying the PIO applications. CKGS is their nice partners to collect this hafta.
The SFO consulate become like this after their consulater general Parthasarathy left on 2nd November.