need_a_tier1 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 5:26 pm
Yes, conflicting information. Spoke to various people at HCI London & VFS UK, and conflicting information each time.
Everyone I spoke to gave different information than the previous person.
This is what I have been told -
- No regular visa or e-visa can be issued to the active OCI card holder. So do not submit a regular visa or e-visa application, it will be rejected straightway .
- You can submit a regular visa application to VFS with an application explaining the situation that there is no time for OCI renewal. The HCI might consider this and grant a visa.
- In case the HCI issues a regular visa, that will no effect on the OCI or the OCI visa.
- In case the HCI issues a regular visa, they will 'temporarily' cancel the OCI. On your return, to the UK you can just use the £21 OCI Misc service to transfer the OCI to new passport. The temporary cancellation will have no effect on OCI re-issue Misc application on your return to UK.
- In case the HCI issues a regular visa, they will 'permanently' cancel the OCI. On your return, to the UK you will have to make a fresh OCI application.
My brain is completely fried now and I really don't know what to do.
Moreover, I tried starting the e-visa and regular paper visa applications online and both applications and more or less similar in the questions they ask. Both applications, ask the question "if you have visited India before" and if you answer yes then have to provide your expired/current Indian visa type, number and expiry date. Now you have to pick the visa type from a drop down menu and there is no option to choose OCI.
So, selecting "No" to "if you have visited India before" is like giving wrong information.
selecting any other visa type like 'tourist' or 'visit' is like giving wrong information.
But, shockingly both HCI & VFS have given wrong information and conflicting information:
- You can answer No to "if you have visited India before".
- You can answer Yes to "if you have visited India before" but in visa type select "tourist" and write your OCI number
- You can answer Yes to "if you have visited India before" but in visa type write N/A and write 000000 in visa number. (this was not possible as there is no option to write anything in visa type, but have to select from a drop-down menu)
So, basically no one at either the HCI or VFS knows what to do - everyone has their own understanding and just keeps giving wrong information.
I am really not sure what to do now.
- If I apply for OCI misc service, the application may not complete in time.
- If I apply for e-visa or regular paper visa, I may have to give incorrect answers to the questions I mentioned above.