How to apply for OCI card for new born in USA by post - CKGS global services

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I had to go through the OCI application process for my recently born daughter in October. Thought of sharing my application process so that it would help folks who also would be in same situation. Also when I applied for OCI , I had to search in the web so much for every question I had through the process and Cox & Kings Global services site  who is the intermediary and India Passport OCI site did not have all the minor details in which I was stuck. They do cover the high level documentation process but do not cover some minor details.  In this post I will summarize the steps I went through to get my daughters OCI (Overseas citizen of India) card in less than 60 days.

Before you read the remaining : Let me re-iterate, this is application process explained below is applicable only for new-born who has an Indian origin through his/her parents or grand-parents. I was on a work visa in USA when my daughter was born here few months back.  If you are a naturalized US citizen and applying for OCI,  refer Cox & Kings Global services site and it has enough details and it is not as confusing. 

Cox & Kings Global services , an intermediary service provider, who would be facilitating you in the process of the OCI application. You never write directly to the Indian consulate in USA or to the Ministry of overseas affairs in New Delhi. Indian government has outsourced the service of facilitating Indian Visa and OCI application in other countries (especially in USA) to CKSGS.  If you are applying for OCI when you are in India  you may not reach out to CKGS.  This is a two stage process.

Step 1 : Visit  Cox & Kings Global services site to ensure they are the service providers still when you are reading this. ( I have seen BLS and CKGS fighting for these services most of the time). Check the latest process mentioned in the OCI page for new born. They keep revising this almost every couple of months. The current process as per the site, involves the following.

Step 2 :
  • Fill the online application in Government of India site. Select New OCI Registration.
  • On selecting New OCI registration the form has popup makes it very clear it is mandatory to upload Applicant's image and Applicant's signature image during OCI-Registration. 
  • This is where confusion No.1 starts. For a new born where is the signature. So do not worry, it is thumb print image you have upload. That is what I did, which came in the OCI card as well later.  I had put the thumb print of my new born in a white sheet and scanned that image.
  • You can also take a good quality photo of that thumb print with your phone. Now you would need to resize this thumb print to 1:3 aspect ratio. You can use this online tool resize it to get your scanned image to the aspect ratio of 1:3. Select the height as 200px and width as 600px in the resize tool. You should be able to download a cropped and 1:3 aspect ratio image with size restriction of 200KB.
  • For the passport photo you should not have a problem with aspect ratio as it is 1:1 and you could use the same resize tool. White background for passport photo in OCI application is allowed now, since that is the international passport standard and OCI application is complying with it. It is a 2in x 2in photo on a white background with the new born face clearly seen. I had use the services of Costco to take the photo of my new born. We had placed her on a white sheet and clicked it from the top. You might need to hold their head under the white sheet so that they don't move their head while taking photo. There is point in CKGS saying you cannot have same photo as passport photo, this is not possible for new borns. This is given mostly for folks who are applying for OCI after renunciation. In our case, we were applying for OCI immediately after US passport. Refer the specification of photos here
  • Once you have both the images in .jpeg format with less than 200KB size, you can start the fresh application form filling . You would need the USA passport details of the new born as well. 
  • In the OCI registration Part A form everything is clear, may be one box you might struggle is "Visible Marks". For new born I filled as none, which is perfectly ok, as I could not find any in our new born daughter. For address details, you can fill your current US address and it is not mandatory to fill native address or Aadhar card number for new born.
  • Once you submit Part A, you are asked to upload the passport photo and thumb impression. After uploading, you can fill the Part B , which is fairly simple. Enter details of family members living in India , in our case I had filled the details of maternal & paternal grandparents living in India.
  • Now you would need to upload documents, passport scanned copy of new born, and proof of Indian origin I had uploaded the scanned copies of the birth certificate of parents.
  • Then you would get a final application form with a barcode (which is the unique number throughout) which need to be printed and you would stick a physical photo in it.
Step 3:
  • Preparing documents copy to send to CKGS.  Use this check list from this page. Originals are not needed, I had sent all the photo copies attested by me and my wife on behalf of our daughter. We attached copies of our Passport, birth certificate (Daughter & parents), and our marriage certificate copy, parent authorization form, our visa copies ( since we were on visa), license copy as proof of address and the checklist of the documents. For notary, we visited our bank First Tech who provides free notary services for members.
  • After collecting the documents and application form printout, you would need to pay the fee to CKGS.
    • There are 2 options , you can pay online the CKGS fee + OCI fee + return Courier fee ( when they would send the OCI back). The online form may fail if you just paid the OCI+CKGS fee of ~300 dollars and missed selecting courier option in the beginning. It kept on throwing error as "duplicate details". You cannot send prepaid envelope to CKGS to send your OCI back as well. So the best option I took was attached a 15 dollar cashier's check / money order along with the documents. CKGS once received documents, immediately sent a receipt for the 15 dollars courier fee I had enclosed.
    • So if you take the route of money order or cashier's check it is simple, you check the total fee in CKGS Site. As per the site, here is the latest update for money order
Payment can be made by Credit Card / Debit Card or by Money Order / Cashier’s Check / Bankers Check in the name of ‘Cox & Kings Global Services USA LLC.Please print the name, do not hand-write it on Money Order.If submitting by Money Order/ Bankers or Cashier’s Check, kindly mention the Tracking Number / Web Reference number at the back of the Money Order/ Bankers or Cashier’s Check.
Step 4 :
  • Send all documents visa FedEx / USPS, I chose FedEx. You can also buy the FedEx courier option in CKGS, but that is confusing and prefer sending directly through a courier service.
Step 5:
  • Now it is tracking & waiting time. Here is the time estimate it took for my daughters application in SanFransico India mission. Below is the tracking info you would find in GOI site. You also have  tracking in CKGS site, which provides processing status updates outside of Indian consulate.
  • CKGS was prompt in providing updates regularly from the time sent my application till I got the OCI back. You can track your application status in CKGS site from the time CKGS receives your application till  it is submitted to Indian Consulate. After that you would need to track the status in the passport.gov site about your application. The bottleneck in this process is once the application is sent to MOIA India, it takes about 40 days to get any update. This is the longest time. Once OCI is sent back to Indian consulate, they would intimate the CKGS to request passport for matchup. Here on you would again get regular updates from CKGS.
Step 6:
  • This is match up process, when CKGS requests for passport, you would need to send by courier (FedEX / USPS) them the email you receive from CKGS requesting matchup, original passport of new born, and CKGS OCI matchup form applicable to consulate of your jurisdiction (in our case it was San Francisco), return courier payment receipt (the 15 dollars you paid for OCI return courier services)
  • CKGS provides regular updates once they receive and submit to Indian consulate for matchup. Once OCI is matched, it is sent to CKGS for mailing to us.

I sent the initial application and documents to CKGS on November 28th and received back the OCI After match up on 27th January. So it took ~60 days turnaround time.  The biggest problem I faced when applying was the CKGS payment which was not working fine. But if you chose money order/ cashier's check it would be smooth as well. CKGS has been working so much in the last few months in improving their site, and I have seen a drastic change in their website since I applied in November. 
Hope this was useful for you. If you had some other good info, please leave in the comments, that might help other folks who are also going through this long and tedious process of OCI application for their new born kids. 

125 comments:

  1. Hello Hariharan, Thanks for sharing your experience. With Effect from Jan 29 2016, they changed the process where both parents and new born original passports needs to be sent to CKGS and they will keep it for 90+ days. Do you have any idea or anyone of your contacts had applied after Jan 29 ? Please share information if you now any additional details on new process.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This looks like a strange addition - I looked at the checklist now, they have added original passports to the list. They are asking to send originals in a separate cover. It would be frustrating to wait for 2 months without original passports especially if there is any emergency travel to India. Did you call and check with CKGS? Any update they gave on this, please share here, so people could benefit. I will also try to call CKGS.


      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
    2. Thanks Hari for your response. I didnt call CKGS yet. But its really frustrating to be without passport for Approx 2-3 months. I will try to find more details, but so far everyone is saying we need to give both parents + new born's original passport for 2-3+ months.

      Delete
    3. Hi , Do share your experience once you have applied and if you figured any alternate option of not sending originals earlier. Might help others.

      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
    4. Hi, I just called ckgs regarding parents original passports, they said it is must to send original passports and they are going to return them in 1 to 2 weeks.

      Delete
    5. Thanks for the update Keshav. This is a new addition to their process, which was not there when I had applied.

      Delete
    6. Hi, I have a doubt regarding application, I filled online form uploaded photo and thumb impression everything is done and I printed the application. The printed application already got thumb impression but it is mentioned that we need to take the thumb impression of infant inside that box.
      Do I need to take the thumb impression over it ?

      Delete
    7. I have submitted my daugter's OCI application last week in Chicago mission and parent's original passport are not required.

      Delete
    8. Hi Kuldeep,

      How long did it take for OCI card to come.

      Delete
  2. Do we have to pay again for Fedex on ckgs website for sending the passport for matchip???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Reader,

      For sending the passport for matchup - you either have a choice to send it through FedEx directly by paying at FedEx or by paying for FedEx shipping through CKGS and use the prepaid envelope while shipping.

      I had purchased only return shipping of OCI card and passport from CKGS. So while sending my daughter's passport to CKGS for matchup, I directly sent through nearby FedEX center. Hope this clarifies.

      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
    2. Do you have to pay $15 for return FedEx for the match up?
      I paid $15 courier fee with the OCI application (I applied prior to January 25, 2016).
      There was nothing that needed to be returned with the pre-match up process of the OCI app.

      Delete
    3. Yes , if you have applied before Jan 25th you would need to pay 15$ for the FedEx return which would be the cheapest option as well. They collect it in the beginning of the Stage 1 process, though you would avail that service after match up when you sent the process in Second stage.

      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
  3. Hariharan, Do we need to pay CKGS service fee of $17 at the time of passport match up again ? I paid the service fee at the time of OCI card application

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not required to pay again the CKGS fee fro second step. The 17 USD paid is the total 2 stage process.
      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
  4. Hi hariharan
    I like the way You have described the process in detail. Awesome . I was searching on Internet from long time about the details but no one has written with so much detail and neither the ckgs customer care answers our queries so well after waiting for minimum (30-50) mins.
    I have a question I'm applying oci for my 8 month old daughter. My application has got rejected once because of thumb impression(though 21 days for completing application were still there but they rejected our application as they say there system has sent our application back and the customer care of ckgs were so confusing they even don't know what's the issue with the thumb impression). They just sent us in email that thumb impression was too enlarge but we submitted as per the aspect ratio 3:1 like they asked. So can you please help me how to take a correct thumb impression. Thanks in advance waiting for your reply. Can you illustrate it with some image or something .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi,

      For taking thumb impression, I had used the thumb impression pad ( something like this from amazon : http://www.amazon.com/Fingerprint-Pad-1-5-Diameter-2-packs/dp/B004BZMGNO/ref=sr_1_5?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1456108462&sr=1-5&keywords=thumb+impression+ink+pad)

      You can place it in a white sheet of paper and scan the paper ( or take a high quality picture of that sheet).

      Do not change the aspect ratio or size of the original thumb impression, maintain the same aspect ratio. The 1:3 aspect ratio means - it is a horizontal one line box where this thumb impression would fill. So the thumb of the infant would actually fit horizontal and not vertical. let me know if you are able to understand this.

      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
  5. @haridaran , i have to travel in July for few weeks, is it possible to apply for some kind of visa which process is fast rather than going through this process. Do let me know !!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Abhimishra, If you are looking for a quick visa and also for a short duration then go for e-tourist visa. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html Please you can read more here. But this would be a one time visa, and short term duration only.

      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
  6. Hi Hariharan,

    Thanks for this awesome post. I had a question regarding the OCI matchup form SanFrancisco jurisdiction. In the form where it says applicant signature, what should be done for minor applicants.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Reader,

      Thank you. For OCI Match up form, if the applicant is minor , both parents can sign on behalf of the applicant ( and just mention the minor name). This is the process I had followed and did not face any issues.

      Hari

      Delete
  7. Dear Sir,
    I have recently recently received US passport. Do I have to wait for 8 months before applying for OCI.
    Do my kids who have older US passports but recently received new US passports also have to wait for 8 months.
    Because looks like they mentioned that the US passport must be valid for at least 8 months from the date of application.
    Thanks for any help.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Radi,

    I think you misunderstood the statement in the OCI site. "Your Current US / Foreign Passport. Passport should be valid for minimum 8 months from date of application."

    This means, your passport should not have an expiry date less than 8 months on the date your applying for your OCI.

    Say you apply today for your OCI (5/31/2016), your US passport should be valid at least for atleast 8 months. Your expiry date in the US passport should be any date from 1/31/2016 and beyond.

    Hope this clarifies.

    Thanks
    Hari

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you Sir. I understood that. Thanks for the confirmation.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Also just one more thing. Could anyone please post the format of self - attestation of the docs to be uploaded.
    Can we just write: I, , attest that the document is true copy of so-and-so original document. And sign?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Radi,

      For self attestation for minor, we just mentioned " Parents Attesting on behalf of ". If it is just your own documents, no need to mention any thing , just sign below each the photo copy of your document.

      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
  11. Hi Hari,

    I am planning to apply OCI for my daughter. I have two questions -

    1. I do not see any request for original passports of parents. The site says that we need to send only the kid's passport at the time of match-up.
    2. Do we need to upload notarized copies of the documents onto the Govt website (or) only the scanned copies.

    Thanks,
    Raji

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Raji, When I applied for my daughter , during matchup I had sent only kid's passport. During the first stage of application, I have sent the copies of my passport.

      Also during last year, i just sent the notarized copies over email to CKGS, and not uploaded to the website. since CKGS does all the document processing if you are in USA.

      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
    2. Thanks Hari!

      I am not very clear with the courier option that we need to select.

      For sending to CKGS, I select "not required" , as I will be sending thro Fedex.

      For CKGS to send back , I selected "Fedex" and entered the address details and Submit.
      Clicked on Get Rates and it Showed as $15.52. Can I send this amount as Money order?
      can I pay the remaining amount of ~ $ 300 online via credit card?

      Is this how you did?

      Please clarify.

      Also, in the Document checklist,what do I have to do across the documents, that are not applicable. Does it have to left unchecked ?

      While signing in the document checklist, as its for minor, do we also mention as "Parents on behalf of" and sign.

      This process is so confusing and your article helped a lot!!

      Delete
    3. Hi Raji,


      Yes I sent my daughters application via Fedex and paid for return service through money order.
      I sent a money order Separately for return courier service through Fedex. So when CKGS received my application and the money orders, they sent an email receipt for the money order I sent for courier service. I paid the OCI application fee online through credit card.
      You can combine and pay both online as well if you wish.

      In document check list, I put NA (not applicable) near the check box. You can leave it unchecked as well.

      For self attestation - yes mentioning Parents on behalf and both parents signing should be good.

      This OCI process is quite tedious to collect and send the documents, next steps should be fairly simple. Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions. Do leave your experience here in comments after the process is completed, it might help others.

      Thanks,
      Hari

      Delete
    4. Thanks for all the clarifications....

      Got the OCI with passport today! Took close to 2 months time period...

      Submitted application in CKGS Houston on 28-Aug
      Reached Houston Consulate on 30-Aug
      OCI processed and reached back in Houston on 11-Oct
      Matchup done and received OCI on 25-Oct

      Delete
    5. Thanks for posting your time lines Raji, the 60days is good a turnaround time, given the two step process.

      Regards, Hari

      Delete
  12. Hi Hari,

    Can i know how long did the whole process take from start to end with receiving the documents from New Delhi and the Match Up Process. I have plans to visit India on Nov 30 and i have applied recently and it is with the embassy in Atlanta from Aug 26, so just needed your inputs if it would be enough time or do i need to apply for a tourist visa instead.

    Thanks,
    Vinod.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Vinod,

      As mentioned above, it took 2 months for complete process including matchup. Of which the matchup is just a 2 week process. Wait till end of October and make a decision for tourist visa. Since India has now e-Tourist visa , which is faster you need not rush to apply for visa immediately.
      Here is the link about e-tourist visa and you can check timelines for visa. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html

      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
    2. Hi Hari,

      Thanks for the above info, have you ever applied for e-tourist via the link that you have mentioned and how long does this process take for a tourist visa.

      Thanks,
      Vinod.

      Delete
    3. I have not applied for tourist visa through the new e-visa program. But from what I heard this is faster than the earlier process which used to take about 30 days. There is no where in the site ,exact timelines are mentioned. The etourist visa is eligible for only 30 days stay in India. If you need a longer period you can go through existing India visa process as well. But from your timelines, you can wait for a month for OCI status before working out on a visa option.

      Regards, Hari


      Delete
  13. Hi Hariharan, Thanks for putting this together. I have a question about notarization. Did you get all the supporting documents notarized for SFO jurisdiction (https://www.in.ckgs.us/oci/oci-categories/oci-us-minor.shtml)? Or Notarization of only "Affidavit in Lieu of Originals" and "Parents Authorization Form" is good enough?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No need to get Notarization for every document. The Checklist already provides the list of document that needs notarization. Parent authorization form is one such document. Please check the SFO checklist, they have called out clearly the documents that needs notarization.

      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
  14. The new list of document asks for a notarized copy for almost very document (address proof, parents marriage certificate etc). It is somewhat ridiculous to get everything notarized. At our local bank in Bay Area, the notary said that in California, they are only supposed to notarize the signatures and not documents. However, at UPS store, the notary will notarize anything for $10 per document. It comes out quite a bit, if we have to get everything notarized. Does anyone has experience with submitting self attested documents and only getting signatures notarized. Thanks in advance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SG - As far as I remember, when I submitted I got notarized on my few document like passport copy as well. It was not just signatures that I got notarized.

      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
  15. Hi Hari,

    I have a question on the Process.
    I see that below are the statuses for the documents which were sent to the Embassy:
    Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On 19-SEP-2016
    Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On
    Document received At ATLANTA On

    Does this mean they have processed the case and are sending the documents to Atlanta?

    Thanks,
    Vinod.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Vinod, That is right, now your documents are verified and Step 1 process is complete. You woudld hear back from CKGS in another couple of weeks requesting passport for matchup ( If passport was not sent already). Step 2 of the process is only match up of the original passport and OCI card is sent along with the original passport. In the above post you can see there is similar status in my case as well, but my post was San Francisco.

      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
  16. Hi Hari,
    With respect to this "or the passport photo you should not have a problem with aspect ratio as it is 1:1 and you could use the same resize tool."

    What did you set the height and width in resize tool?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Hari,
    With respect to this "or the passport photo you should not have a problem with aspect ratio as it is 1:1 and you could use the same resize tool."

    What did you set the height and width in resize tool?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 2 inches x2 inches was the passport photo size I uploaded.

      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
  18. In the OCI match up request form, there is a section for 'documents submitted'. It has 'money order', 'payment receipt/order form'. Any idea what payment they are referring to here? I thought there is no fee for the match up process.

    ReplyDelete
  19. There is no separate match up fee , it is the receipt of your payment you already have made. Same way you would be attaching the receipt of your payment for courier service returning your passport.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Hari

    I need to apply for OCI in lieu of PIO for minor & looking at https://www.in.ckgs.us/oci/oci-categories/oci-in-lieu-of-pio-us-minor.shtml, it says about Current US passport: "(Original & Copy for New York) Copy - (Only Self Attested Colored Copy for Chicago & Houston)"

    What about San Francisco? Do I need to submit original passport of minor for SFO or copy is fine?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  21. What name should i write on money order ...

    Why are all google links to ckgs not working?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Application number and applicant name ( infant) should be good.

      CKGS has been chaning the site links , so the google indexed links might not be updated to latest.

      Regards
      Hari

      Delete
  22. How to upload Multiple documents for Indian Origin Proof as it allows Only one document that can be uploaded per category. please help

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Try combining the scanned copies of the multiple documents and binding as one pdf file and upload.

      Thanks, Hari

      Delete
  23. Thanks for your response. It was a challenge but put those documents into one pdf.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thank you Hari for the information, this is very helpful.

    I have one question, I selected to submit the documents/collect OCI card at CKGS office in SFO, Do you have any idea that do i need to pay for fed-ex shippings ?
    Do i need to go again to submit the original passport for match up process ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you are collecting in person , you don't need to pay for fed-ex return shipping. But Match up process is part of the process even if you are doing in person or mail submission.

      Thanks
      Hari

      Delete
  25. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  26. On the affidavit in lieu of originals, does the minor have to again put a thumb impression? It is not clear. There is another form which is additional particulars form where it clearly states to put thumb impression for minor. But, nothing on the affidavit form.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Yaswanth -No in additional particulars parents sign on behalf of the minor child, but if it states clearly for thumb impression (which was not mentioned during my application last year) then you can put a thumb impression of the child.

      Thanks Hari

      Delete
    2. Hi Yashwanth.
      I have exact same question. Did you sign on your minor's "affidavit in lieu of originals" form? Did you face any problems by notary? Was the form accepted?

      Delete
  27. Thank you for the article. There is so much confusing information the ckgs website your blog helped a lot. Although I still have some questions related to thumb impression, On the Affidavit in Lieu of Originals, Additional Particulars should we get child's thumb impression?? And on the OCI form I submitted it online and it also has the online thumb impression should I need to take the thumb impression again on the physical copy of OCI form?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. No in additional particulars parents sign on behalf of the minor child, but if it states clearly for thumb impression (which was not mentioned during my application last year) then you can put a thumb impression of the child. For the form you have submitted online thumb impression you don't need to take once again an impression in the physical form.

      Delete
    3. Great, thanks again for the prompt reply. We did confirm from ckgs customer service also you are right on the additional particulars and affidavit in lieu form parents can sign on behalf of minor.

      Delete
  28. Hello Hari,

    For my son 'Aaron' is first name and 'Amit' is middle name. We entered 'Aaron Amit' in first name field in the first form. But in parent authorization form this gets auto generated and it shows first name as 'Aaron Amit' and middle name as 'NA' by default.

    Is it okay?

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi Hari,

    Affidavit in Lieu of Originals is auto generated hence which I downloaded for my 2 monthold son.First thing is that its not editable since I need to uncheck documents which I am not sending secondly it has my son's name in "Subscribed and Sworn by".I cannot get it notarized until I change it to my name.
    Please help to answer both question.
    Thanks in Advance

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just downloaded Affidavit in Lieu of Originals. I got confused, who has to sign on it. I spoke to ckgs customer care 3 times.3 different answers I received. 1) Thumb impression of child only. 2) thumb impression of child in the box and below the box both parents should sign 3) Both parents should sign in the box itself..all are answering differently.
      Also they said we need to send Original passport for initial process only. they are saying process has changed. And document check list also saying to send original and a copy of child passport.
      Can somebody respond who has applied in dec-2016 or in Jan 2107.

      Delete
    2. How did you proceed?

      Delete
    3. "Uncheck not necessary,Since everybody knows that this is how it is" From CKGS

      Delete
    4. Can some one confirm what needs to be done for signature in Affidavit in lieu of originals, thumb impression from minor or parents signatures ?

      Delete
    5. Hi, From an earlier reader who confirmed with CKGS , this is the response

      ***We did confirm from ckgs customer service on the additional particulars and affidavit in lieu form parents can sign on behalf of minor.***

      Delete
  30. I Just called them they said Both parents should sign in the box. I was wondering how the notary will notarize if the person signing is different from the name mentioned in the document .

    ReplyDelete
  31. I am highly disgusted with CKGS and their idiotic website. The website has so may issues. I am pissed off!! So, I applied for the OCI for my newborn. While applying, I selected Shipping - Shipping label as my preferred option. While making the payment, the website was not able to find my address via their 'Address check' feature. On switching to Google Chrome, it worked. However, the final receipt was generated without the price of shipment added in it. Now, when I went to My Account page, I found that there was no way I could take a print of the shipping label. It mentioned document submission mode as 'WALK IN'. What the HELL is this? I never selected Walkin mode. Called the customer service. They told it is a common bug on their website..If it is so common then what is CKGS doing about it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The time when I applied in Dec 2015 , CKGS site was even bad, they have improved a but over the last one year. But agree sometimes,these technical glitches makes a big pain in application process.

      Delete
    2. Hi OCI new were you able to talk to the customer support and ship the documents?? I'm also in the same boat!! when trying add shipping it says already opted for both way shipping and there is no way to print shipping label

      Delete
  32. Do we need to send Original passport initial process itself?

    In Additional particulars form for minor based on gender thumb impression instructions given(Left hand for male & Right hand for female, but in OCI registration form PART B Left hand thumb impression requested..Please confirm is it correct..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, i have the same question as yours; trying to find an answer since yesterday.
      there's so much confusion on which hand impression should I take for my daughter.

      I had also submitted LEFT thumb impression before Part B and now Additional Particular Form asks for RIGHT thumb impression.
      SHould I start a fresh application to submit RIGHT thumb impression ONLINE??? Please guide.

      Delete
  33. Question. To get the affidavit in lieu of originals notarized, do we need to show the notary all the originals?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Usually for notarization, notary does look for originals.

      Delete
  34. (1) Where do I find "affidavit in lieu of originals" form? I read above comments and its being mentioned a multiple times.
    I filled in the form online but did not see any such form. Please guide.

    (2) Also, there's so much confusion on which hand impression should I take for my daughter.

    I had submitted LEFT thumb impression before Part B and now Additional Particular Form asks for RIGHT thumb impression.
    Should I start a fresh application to submit RIGHT thumb impression ONLINE as well??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi TM, did you call CKGS on this and check? When I filed I did not have this process of left and right thumb impresssion confusion. I used right thumb impression for my daughter wherever required. Some of the direct site links to the documents are not working, so I am not able to provide a link to the affidavit in lieu of originals. It should be in the document check list you got if it is needed.

      Delete
  35. Update: I have applied for OCI card 12-Jan, received OCI card on 23-Feb. Its NewYork. In "affidavit in lieu of originals" I used my daughter's right thumb impression. We also signed under the box.
    CKGS is one the worse service I have ever seen. They did not dispatch our passport. I called them more than 10 times, every time they were saying different reason. My passport was under sorting facility in CKGS on 06-Feb, they dispatched it on 23-Feb.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sreedhar, I am applying for my minor son's OCI in New York. Did you send original passports to CKGS ? In the 'checklist' it only mentions that my son's passport needs to be sent.

      Delete
  36. Applied OCI for my Daughter, I may receive OCI card in Mid of April. Meanwhile shall i apply tourist visa for my daughter to travel and once i received OCI will send to India(with in 1 month itself).Does this process will work or do i need to apply any other Visa, we can't wait for OCI because of emergency. Please guide

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hi, I have couple of questions it will be great if anyone could answer 1) Do we need to send Original passport (minor + parent) initial process itself? 2) Did you sign on your minor's "affidavit in lieu of originals" form? I was wondering how the notary will notarize if the person signing is different from the name mentioned in the document. Did anyone face any problems?

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hi can anyone confirm if they they got affidavit in lieu of originals notarized for minor.. Since it mentions minor name the notary refused to sign it..he just put his seal without signature.. Is it Ok if I send it to ckgs

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hi Hari,

    I have some question if you can help. I want to apply OCI from India for my son
    1) Do i still need to go ckgs or i can start directly from Gov site
    2) I fill dummy application in gov site but they didn't ask for Money
    3) should I sent the original passport ( my son + mine + mu wife )?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you apply from India it has to be From govt website and frro offices in blore chennai bombay delhi

      Delete
  40. 1) You need to goto CKGS website first, after finishing there, it will tell you to go to govt website
    2) First CKGS, there payment is done
    3) Website says child passport is needed, but, not immeditaely with application. After sending all copies and application, they will tell you when to mail the passport. However, when i applied (2 months ago), they did not request to mail original passport. My son got the OCI card without mailing original. So, to get started, only send copies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Yaswanth

      Thanks for reply.

      But I am not apply from USA. I am applying from India. So still I need to goto CKGS. I think CKGS is only for USA

      Delete
  41. Hi,

    Can someone please provide a link to printout Checklist of OCI for Minors applying in Washington DC. I would really appreciate your help. Have been searching for it from the past 2daysn still cldn't find it.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hey guys, so I just filled up new OCI form for my daughter but realized that all the documents in "Affidavit In Lieu of originals" are checked. Does anybody know how I can edit this list to exclude documents that are not applicable?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is no way to edit this list. You don't have to unchecked non-applicable documents. CKGS knows that's the way it is

      Delete
  43. i filled both part A and B. Is "Affidavit In Lieu of originals" the checklist

    ReplyDelete
  44. Which are the documents that need to be notarized for SF mission.
    the checklist says Parental Autorization form and Original Passport copy.
    Is there any other document that needs to be notarized?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. this are the only two forms and they can be notarized from the bank.

      Delete
  45. Hi,

    I have douth related to notorization.

    In the site they mentioned
    1.Affidavit in Lieu of Originals
    2.Parental Authorization Form

    Can you help me related to this

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. this can be available once we complete the inital form from ckgs and proceed with online government form. Once this is completed you can get this two form by going into my account.

      Delete
  46. Hi Hari ,

    Can you please share the link from where i can download the
    1.Affidavit in Lieu of Originals
    2.Parental Authorization Form

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. this can be available once we complete the inital form from ckgs and proceed with online government form. Once this is completed you can get this two form by going into my account.

      Delete
  47. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Hi,
    I dont think we have to send parents original Passport. I am applying for my kid and we need to submit only kid original passport. I have made notes but never found asking my passport. Also i want to mention that we are having US passport and have OCI card already

    Scanned Copy
    1. Child Passport
    2. Photo
    3. Signature
    4. Parents US Passport and Previous Nationality paper
    5. Grandparent Nationality
    6. Child Birth Certificate
    7. Parents OCI Cards - First three and last two Pages

    Orginal Copy
    1. Checklist
    2. OCI Application
    3. Photo - 2
    4. Additional Particular Form
    5. Child US Passport
    6. Shipping Label and Return label

    Not Sure what this is - Orginal Needed and Notarized
    1. Affidavit in Lieu of Originals Duly Fill-in and Notarize the Affidavit and submit along with the application.
    2. Parental Authorization Form - The Parental Authorization Form must be DULY NOTARIZED and signed by both the parents.
    3. Legal Status of Parents in US - Copy
    4. Affidavit for Child’s Naturalization By Parents (Naturalization Certificate on Basis of Parents) - Orginal

    Photo Copy
    1. Child US Passport
    2. Parents US Passport
    3. Parents Marriage Certificate
    4. Parents OCI Card
    5. Copy of Proof of both parents and grand parents current nationality and previous nationality
    6. Parent Citizen Certificate
    7. Child Birth Certificate
    8. Address Proof of Parents - Driving License

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do we need to submit both Paternal and Maternal grandparents passport copies?

      Delete
  49. Nice post , thank you Hariharan.

    ReplyDelete
  50. HI,
    DOES MINORS THUMB IMPRESSION NEEDED IN ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS FORM AND AFFIDAVIT IN LIEU OF ORIGINALS?

    ReplyDelete
  51. Yes, thumb impression is needed in additional particulars form. For affidavit in lieu of original thumb impression is not needed but you need to get notarized. remember both parent should sign in front of the notarized person. This can be done in your bank. The charges mostly are free sometime they charge $2 per notary

    ReplyDelete
  52. If you need to send something to your family or send your business documents at ease, we are sending cheap Courier Service Delhi to Australia.
    Courier Service Delhi to Australia

    ReplyDelete
  53. what can be the proof of parents and grand parents nationality.can we submit indian passport as proof when applying for infant born in usa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you dont need to provide any proof for grant parents nationalityas long as you provide parents nationality. If you are US citizen and have OCI card for you . That is the proof of your nationality. If you have Indian Passport then Indian Passport is the proof of the nationality

      Delete
  54. can you let me know what documents to be notarized and where i have to take my daughter thumb impression

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. once you complete the first steps you will see form for Notarized. In which you can download and sign and then both parents should go to bank or anyplace who do notarized and present your document for proof and they will do the notarization. Mostly you can go to your bank and they will do it free

      Delete
    2. Yes, thumb impression is needed in additional particulars form. For affidavit in lieu of original thumb impression is not needed but you need to get notarized. remember both parent should sign in front of the notarized person. This can be done in your bank. The charges mostly are free sometime they charge $2 per notary

      Delete
  55. can you let me know what documents to be notarized and where i have to take my daughter thumb impression

    ReplyDelete
  56. for notarization in affidavit in lieu of orginals as my daughter is mentioned will they notarize the document

    ReplyDelete
  57. Guy! CKGS has notified me that they need new photograph. I just got new passport photo but i am not sure about these:
    1. Do i need to just ship it to Application center or are we expected to upload on CKGS/Government site? (i could not find any link to upload photo)
    2. Do i need to send two pictures or just one? (guess two)

    Any help, mainly, on #1 would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Looks like you need to ship the photo to the application center. Also you need to send two pictures since the size maybe incorrect. try to take a pictures from a store and mention 2*2 or US Passport size they will do it. Make sure if the picture is for baby they want to see the face if you go to store they will do it correctly. Thanks

      Delete
  58. hi Hariharan,

    The link that you provided for check list does not work, where do i get the check list on CKGS website? It is one of the most horrible experience for me to go through this OCI application process.

    Also, after taking the print of the Part A and B, does the parent need to sign on the point number 32 which has the declaration?

    ReplyDelete
  59. Hi Hariharan,
    I see that when i try to upload the birth certificate of my son born here in Virginia , it says we need to "Apostille/Authenticate" the birth certificate. Are you aware if this is needed or its sufficient that we notarize the birth certificate of my son.

    Kindly advise

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Birth certificate has the state seal/ aposstile by default. Notarization should be good, you don't need to get additional apostille for that.

      Delete
    2. I have been going back and forth the rejection and apostille by Secretary of State for the birth certificate is a REQUIREMENT. Its a big pain if one doesnt have this information when ordering the birth certificates as it can take anywhere from a week to 10 days to get the apostilled document and you only get 7 days to submit corrected documents on their site. For future - its best to order an apostilled copy when ordering your childs birth certificate.

      Delete
  60. Hi Everyone, I had a baby two weeks before, I am planning to apply OCI for my baby. My question is I have valid stamped visa in my passport for 1.5 years but my wife visa has expired. Shall I proceed with the OCI application or my wife also need a valid stamped visa in her passport. Also my wife's H4 visa extension is in process and receipt is in our hand.

    ReplyDelete
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