PIO Card issue - Urgent Help appreciated

[Concept2Reality]

All,
I have applied for my spouse's PIO card last month (Jan 7th or 8th of 2008) and forgot to enclose return mail fee/envelope. I realized only on Friday(Feb 1st) and immediately sent 20 dollars Money Order in overnight shipping. I am not able to contact the right person at the Embassy in DC and the person I talked to have no clue and refusing to give any details saying that there are tons of papers around her and she can't pull up any records. My questions are:
1. Is there anybody in this situation before and how is it resolved?
2. Do they process the application and just wait for the fee? or they dont process the papers until they have all the fee?

I understand that it was my mistake that I haven't checked before sending. I need urgent help as I already booked non-refundable tickets to India for February 13th. I have sent a letter with my itenary and the fee. What else can I do? Do you guys have any contact at the Embassy? This will be immense help to me. Appreciate any feedback.

Thanks,
C2R

[layman]

Why don't you post in this forum also?http://boards.immigration.com/forumdisplay.php?f=243

[Harvinder]

All,
I have applied for my spouse's PIO card last month (Jan 7th or 8th of 2008) and forgot to enclose return mail fee/envelope. I realized only on Friday(Feb 1st) and immediately sent 20 dollars Money Order in overnight shipping. I am not able to contact the right person at the Embassy in DC and the person I talked to have no clue and refusing to give any details saying that there are tons of papers around her and she can't pull up any records. My questions are:
1. Is there anybody in this situation before and how is it resolved?
2. Do they process the application and just wait for the fee? or they dont process the papers until they have all the fee?

I understand that it was my mistake that I haven't checked before sending. I need urgent help as I already booked non-refundable tickets to India for February 13th. I have sent a letter with my itenary and the fee. What else can I do? Do you guys have any contact at the Embassy? This will be immense help to me. Appreciate any feedback.

Thanks,
C2R[/quote]

I have been successful contacting consulates through fax. It was near impossible for me to reach them in any other way, strangely enough. These consulates come across as being a microcosm of Indian bureaucracy circa 10 years ago. Good luck.

[schinnaraj]

Once I sent 2 set of POW papers to consulate in DC but by mistake I send MO to only one. They called me one morning and mentioned the problem and asked me which one needs to get attested immediately and took care of the problem. So I guess if you had specified your phone number there is a good chance that they will get in touch with you, just the MO details handy.

[gabbar007]

C2R,
Relax. They will contact you. I am unsure of PIO specifically, but for OCI, it is actually recommended not to send money for return, while applying. Once OCI gets approved, that is the time you send your passport for stamping, with a return envelope (rather than money, which keeps changing).

At least CGNY has always been professional. Just because you are not able to get them on phone, doesnt mean all is lost, as and when they process your case, someone will get in touch with you. I hope your contact numbers are available to them via the application.

Good Luck,

-g

All,
I have applied for my spouse's PIO card last month (Jan 7th or 8th of 2008) and forgot to enclose return mail fee/envelope. I realized only on Friday(Feb 1st) and immediately sent 20 dollars Money Order in overnight shipping. I am not able to contact the right person at the Embassy in DC and the person I talked to have no clue and refusing to give any details saying that there are tons of papers around her and she can't pull up any records. My questions are:
1. Is there anybody in this situation before and how is it resolved?
2. Do they process the application and just wait for the fee? or they dont process the papers until they have all the fee?

I understand that it was my mistake that I haven't checked before sending. I need urgent help as I already booked non-refundable tickets to India for February 13th. I have sent a letter with my itenary and the fee. What else can I do? Do you guys have any contact at the Embassy? This will be immense help to me. Appreciate any feedback.

Thanks,
C2R

[Concept2Reality]

Thanks for all the replies. I had my BIL(Brother-In-Law) go to the embassy and find out the status. They processed our application but didn't mail it because of return envelope. The guy at the counter pulled up the application. That itself is amazing to me considering the number of applications they get. They couldn't track my additional mailing of 20 dollars MO though, so he paid in cash. I might get the card in the next 3 to 4 days. Its very close to our Travel date but atleast now I know the latest.

Lesson Learned. (Lack of Planning on our side doesn't constitute emergency on their side).

C2R

[Concept2Reality]

We had to postpone the trip because of fiasco with Indian Embassy. They were saying different things at different times. Last week they said in 5 working days and yesterday they were saying 10 working days. I will never again wait until the last minute when dealing with Indian companies and especially with Indian Govt. So much for my R2I ambitions.. :emembarrassed:

[dhavala]

True... but I have had much worse experience when dealing with ALL embassies, especially the western ones, which supposedly have better
bureaucracy. To my amazement I had always managed to contact our Indian embassies, and consulates when I RReally needed to (fax, voice mail and e-mail work better )and the Houston consulate had been excellent in helping me out in an emergency. Inspite of their lineage from the slow Indian bureaucracy, I would like to place for the record, the Indian consulates functioning had been exemplary ... when compared to their western counterparts!