PIO Card

Hi All,

I received my PIO (SFO embassy) card today. The stamp date is 08/01/2015 and " lifelong " validity.

Application Status Date of Status
Passport sent by post/courier number xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 02/02/2015
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. 01/30/2015
Your application has been submitted at The Indian Embassy/Consulate for further processing. 01/05/2015
Your application is in process. Your tracking id is USASxxxxxxxxxxxxx 01/05/2015
Your application has been received and will be submitted subject to verification. 01/05/2015

Thanks rawraw, vinniemak and others for all the inputs and suggestion I received during the wait time.
I really hope the others who have applied receive their PIO's too..

I received my PIO today.

After all the experience I had with CKGS team for this consular service, I would like to conclude that you guys are lucky to still be in business with MEA. It is a matter of time when your contract should be taken away as the quality of service, quality of information, efficiency that this team works with is nothing but a disgrace in today's world. It is shocking to see the kind of response your team sitting in India on the phone provide to customer.

They have the audacity to scream back to the client, the supervisor(s) have no guts/responsibility to deal with clients on the phone and always go on hiding.

How dare your team provide information like the PIO is not issued to you as this program is cancelled just from the top of their wild thinking's with out knowing the status of my application. How dare your team lie to me that they will call me back but only 1 of them rings back out of plethora?

Your man tells me that he can't get through to San Fran Embassy because its been **** down today due to "something happened there" or "please wait for couple of days"- - what a typical desi reply in Hindi translated in English and how does he expects this excuse to sell???

Sitting on their desk in India and sipping a cup of tea can never compare to pain applicants get fro the quality of service your provide.

Why n earth my application didn't got dispatched from Jan 27th to Feb 2nd? How was the checklist verification done and why the brainless sitting in CKGS office check online if I ever paid for return courier.

The amount of pain, cost of inconvenience deserves a lawsuit against CKGS and it will be coming sooner for the plethora of pain to thousands of applicant.

I see that you guys are deducting CKGS and courier fee for the applicant whose PIO were not issued - shameless! how can you deduct any fee for not providing any service but pain - if it was me - lawuit was ready!!!

If you guys don't have the answers to calls, stop taking calls or for your own sake stop working for world's most inefficient company!

A parrot-ted answer for every call and email is ridiculous and the quality of fame CKGS brings to India through their various office and call center is surely making India shameful.

Vinnie and my other pals!

Finally, document sent back yesterday and expecting them today. Not sure if PIO is coming or only passport will update in few hours.

I threatened to escalate to MEA which I apparently did (but no traction from MEA). I sent escalation to [email protected] and [email protected]

Spoke to Thoma the supervisor yesterday (after 15million calls to CKGS)

I think we are foolish even to call these people again and again.

For all of you new bloggers - Ask my people here - I am the expert now with these issues hence only because you are asking for suggestion here it is:

anyone with travel plans up to May - DO NOT apply for OC but pay extra bucks and get your tourist visa.

Anyone with pending application with CKGS send prior to Jan 15th will get PIO card and people who sent post 15th (basically date to be sent to embassy should be prior to 15th) will get their documents back with out PIO (Exception was Houston and NY but t anymore, especially SFO)

Escalation to MEA goes at : [email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]

Another email for CKGS only is: [email protected] (well known email which is useless but atleast send your request and get a parroted answer)

Here is manager for San fran : [email protected]

Di anyone did what I asked through facebook link???????? I guess even I will forgot the pain I had if I get my doc's back today but apparently I wont - I promise to abuse these guys once I get my docs back at the best of my profanity....

My ticket is dated Feb 17th so if I am not getting PIO today - I will change the travel and sue these guys for sending my passport back without me sending passport withdrawal form and eating away my fees.

If you applied at san fran - by today I estimate the San fran consulate will be processing (approving or returning) PIO application for date: Jan 6th/Jan 7th.

Hi Guys, has anyone submitted the PIO application and still hasn't received the application or PIO card? It seems most of the friends in this page are taking about SFO, Houston except Chicago. Anyone has applied from Chicago.

I have applied on 01/13 and still waiting for them to send my application.

Regards

Hi Guys,

Thank you for all the help and it is good to see some of our virtual friends are getting the PIO's issued. However, my application(PIO-minor) is not moving forward. I had submitted my application on 01/07 and i am still waiting.
CKGS is not updating the details and Consulate doesnt care to respond to my emails or phone calls. We have a itinerary in last week of Feb and i am now worried they might not even issue PIO's.

is anyone else in the same boat as i am in? I have a Visa appointment tomorrow and CKGS call center(the so called supervisor with fake american accent) told me to go and pay for entry Visa(he believes consulate with hold the passport and send back to me with the visa)

Please help as i really dont know what to do!!!

* My daughter's PIO application reached SFO center on 16, Jan 2015
* 19, Jan 2015 found PIO has been discontinued
* After calling & sending numerous mail - got the passport & document back on 31, Jan 2015
* Have non-refund ticket booked for 22, Apr 2015

1) Any experience on applying OCI card after this PIO - OCI merge
2) Should i apply for OCI or Entry visa ???

Please suggest...

 
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. 01/27/2015
Your application has been submitted at The Indian Embassy/Consulate for further processing. 01/02/2015
Your application is in process. Your tracking id is: 01/01/2015
Your application has been received and will be submitted subject to verification. 01/01/2015

I have been calling those guys for last 3 days. Today evening the guy in call center told me new story . he said my application will be sent back to embassy as those are recalled by embassy. They wont even ask us before sending.

Right now only option for me is to go there :(..

Application Status Remarks Date of Status
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. 01/27/2015
Your application has been submitted at The Indian Embassy/Consulate for further processing. 01/02/2015
Your application is in process. Your tracking id is USAS70000315 01/01/2015
Your application has been received and will be submitted subject to verification. 01/01/2015

They r not sending the application even when courier is paid

I proved it by checklist bY email my receipt number what else now no one knows where the application is

Finally the much awaited email of my lifetime !!!!!!!

Dear XYZ,

Your completed application has been recieved from the Indian Embassy/Consulate and is being sorted.
Your application will be ready for collection from our Application Centre on next working day during the collection time specified on our website for your location. Kindly carry your identity proof and copy of payment receipt for collection of documents.

In case you have applied for courier or postal service, we will despatch the same within 24 working hours.

Kindly note the Tracking ID of your application USA YYYY YYYY . You can track your application using this number on our website www.in.ckgs.us.

With Regards,
CKGS Team

But the webpage has not been updated with the status yet.

https://www.facebook.com/IndiaVisaProblems/posts/1446466998939833

click on this link and escalate - send the emails as directed and talk to the officials. We are stressed out and annihilated by the CKGS and consulate. Don't let your efforts wasted and do something - all you need to do is type!!!!!!!!!!!