r2i forum

Hi All,
I applied for my son's OCI in lieu of PIO. The OCI was approved by the Indian government and sent to NYC Consulate. Accordingly, I mailed my son's US Passport and PIO along with other forms. The FedEx delivered the package to CKGS in NYC. However, the CKGS team cannot locate my son's PIO card; still searching for it. I asked FedEx if there was any damage to the package in the transit; they said there were none.

I am asking you; if anyone faced this problem; if so what you did to resolve this. Please advice. Also, who I can contact at a higher level to resolve this issue.

Thanks,
Appanna

CKGS is unable to answer me consistently after I sent the original US passport and PIO to CKGS, NYC. One email from CKGS says they are still waiting on PIO card, when I called them one of the representative said I did not pay for return courier, approved OCI is lying in NYC center and I can pick up in person. CKGS website says OCI match up is still in progress. Totally Confusing !! Per USPS tracking delivery, documents were received by CKGS March end. CKGS also sent acknowledgement email stating documents have been submitted to Indian Consulate for match up. I compiled the list of all emails which I received from CKGS in a word document and sent to [email][email protected][/email] yesterday. I also spoke to James (supervisor in CKGS) to escalate the issue.

Lost documents need a police complaint. Anyone who had lost important identification documents -- like passport, OCI, PIO card etc..-- should immediately go to the police and file a complaint. The police may not do anything. However, you would need that document to get a duplicate of the whatever you had lost.

For instance, C&KS requires that an applicant send a copy of the police complaint along with the OCI application to replace a "lost PIO" card with a new OCI stamp and document.

Franz Kafka would get a kick out of these kinds of problems that the GoI creates.

Cox & Kings performs a very useful service in discouraging visitors off India. And testing the persons-of-indian-origin for their level of commitment to visit India. They ought to be commended by one and all.

Yes, I am contemplating police complaint once positively confirmed by CKGS that documents have been lost. It has been a frustrating experience so far applying for OCI, sent tons of documents, ever changing answers from CKGS and incessant hold on the phone. It is mockery of rules and human tolerance. Looking back, I was better off with multiple-entry 10 yr visa. Lets hope with new officer at the helm of affairs, Consul General in NY, Riva Ganguly Das, things may turn better.

honeyglue;628457Yes, I am contemplating police complaint once positively confirmed by CKGS that documents have been lost. It has been a frustrating experience so far applying for OCI, sent tons of documents, ever changing answers from CKGS and incessant hold on the phone. It is mockery of rules and human tolerance. Looking back, I was better off with multiple-entry 10 yr visa. Lets hope with new officer at the helm of affairs, Consul General in NY, Riva Ganguly Das, things may turn better.

If you are in America, a police complaint is easy to do. Not like an FIR in an indian police station. you'd just get to the nearest police station, meet the desk-officer, and tell him (why do they never have a girl at this desk ?) that you have a lost article complaint. He will produce a carbon copy form and you will fill in the details. He knows that he cannot do anything to recover your article, and that all you need is the copy of the complaint for some other paper work. Very nice,courteous and friendly thing in USA.
Just go ahead and experience filing a complaint. You'd be surprised how easy, and pleasant it is.

honeyglue;628454CKGS is unable to answer me consistently after I sent the original US passport and PIO to CKGS, NYC. One email from CKGS says they are still waiting on PIO card, when I called them one of the representative said I did not pay for return courier, approved OCI is lying in NYC center and I can pick up in person. CKGS website says OCI match up is still in progress. Totally Confusing !! Per USPS tracking delivery, documents were received by CKGS March end. CKGS also sent acknowledgement email stating documents have been submitted to Indian Consulate for match up. I compiled the list of all emails which I received from CKGS in a word document and sent to [email protected] yesterday. I also spoke to James (supervisor in CKGS) to escalate the issue.

Unless you provide all documents and forms, CKGS won't sent your application to consulate and from there to India for processing. So if Govt of India approved OCI that means they had all needed. PIO card might be withheld by Govt of India on OCI approval. They would issue you a OCI booklet just like PIO and stamp US passport (or sticker). You need to wait for next status change when you need to send original passport to CKGS. Please use UPS or CKGS pre-paid service for UPS.

cf_r2i;628464Unless you provide all documents and forms, CKGS won't sent your application to consulate and from there to India for processing. So if Govt of India approved OCI that means they had all needed. PIO card might be withheld by Govt of India on OCI approval. They would issue you a OCI booklet just like PIO and stamp US passport (or sticker). You need to wait for next status change when you need to send original passport to CKGS. Please use UPS or CKGS pre-paid service for UPS.

As I mentioned in the original post; the approved OCI is recieved by the Indian Consulate at NYC. I sent the passport & PIO along with match up documents to CKGS thru FedEx. It got delivered at CKGS. CKGS says it is waiting for PIO card. It is too frustrating. Please advice.

appanna;628472 Please advice.

Tweet Sushma Swaraj, she is very active lady.

@SushmaSwaraj

or

Indians in distress @MEAQuery

Chakraan;628473Tweet Sushma Swaraj, she is very active lady.

@SushmaSwaraj

or

Indians in distress @MEAQuery

I hope you are sarcastic...Wasn't SS instrumental in bringing CKGS to the table ? I dealt with their previous provider. Was smooth.
Something very fishy in the contract transfer...CKGS is worthless..

appanna;628472As I mentioned in the original post; the approved OCI is recieved by the Indian Consulate at NYC. I sent the passport & PIO along with match up documents to CKGS thru FedEx. It got delivered at CKGS. CKGS says it is waiting for PIO card. It is too frustrating. Please advice.

You say you had sent the PIO. CKGS says you had not. If this exchange had been confirmed well enough already, you have to concede that the PIO is lost. CKGS and the India-Ministry had already seen the copy of the PIO in the OCI application. So everybody knows that the thing was real and existed. If you still have that copy, CKGS would probably take that copy, plus the police report that says the original PIO was lost. Deal with it without losing your cool. And do so before CKGS manages to lose any more documents. Visa agencies are not supposed to sit on your passport for ever. If you do not get your passport back in a reasonable amount of time, complain to the India Consulate as well as your congressional representative.