Child pasport renewed - no time to renew OCI - urgent travel

[need_a_tier1]

Then on one Indian conslate website it says if you must travel just carry acknowledgement of renewal, old passport, new passport, and OCI. I only have a week at this point so I plan to travel with those 4 documents and renew it when I get back.

Thanks for the update! Which website was this?

If you have the link can you please share it. Thanks again.

[westcoast984]

Then on one Indian conslate website it says if you must travel just carry acknowledgement of renewal, old passport, new passport, and OCI. I only have a week at this point so I plan to travel with those 4 documents and renew it when I get back.

Thanks for the update! Which website was this?

If you have the link can you please share it. Thanks again.

https://cgihouston.gov.in/component/k2/ ... o-oci-card

"For OCI card holder under twenty years of age, he/she must get OCI card reissued whenever US passport is renewed. OCI card needs to be renewed after crossing 50 years of age only once, that too when the US passport is renewed. If time is short and you have to travel, please make an online application for renewal of OCI Card, carry acknowledgement/print out thereof, old passport and new passport and the old machine readable OCI card."

[jaisingkar]

Hi,
I am in the same boat.. travelling with Emirates and 10 working days to travel. I just came across this that I need to transfer OCI to new passports for my kids. Wondering what to do?

[USA2001]

Hello,

I am in the same situation. My daughter has got a passport renewed recently and has OCI linked to Old passport. I emailed to NY and Chicago embassy and they replied either apply for an emergency visa or a regular visa. I have applied E-visa mentioning that she visited India on visit visa and OCI visa number. not sure if I will get it or not.
Though I have got all conflicting information when one person at the embassy told me that there is no issue if you are carrying an old passport along with a new passport with OCI card. but other Visa officer told me, You must need the visa to travel to India.

I connected with the immigration office at Delhi airport through my friend. The immigration officer told there is no issue to enter India if you have an old passport along with you.

it seems like all these issues are created by Qatar airline when they didn't issue the boarding pass if you do not have a new OCI. whereas Air India refused boarding pass in the US because the passenger was not carrying the old passport.

I am at damn risk now as my travel is just in 40 hours. I am at the mercy of EVisa or airline staff.

I don't know why the Indian embassy says OCI is with lifelong validity if it requires renewal with the passport. if it requires renewal then it must have expiry dates.

An update- my family is able to travel to India without issue with old passport, old OCI and new passport. They travelled from Chicago to delhi via Amsterdam. No question asked by anyone at any ententes and exit criteria

[Indimom]

USA2001
That is great. So was this KLM and did they check in directly at Chicago O'Hare or did they fly domestic to Chicago and then onwards? The reason I ask is because my friend flies from Austin to Kolkata and never has to interact with the international check in counter at JFK or Chicago and all his boarding passes are issued at Austin by Jet Blue or whoever. And they never questioned the OCI validity.
Also, were you able to get the eVisa for your daughter? Thanks!!

[Bhav111]

So has anyone been on Emirates from US to India lately? Any issues with expired OCI "U" stamped passport, OCI Booklet & New passport for a Minor? Just like others, I was under impression for the longest time that once OCI is done for my lil one, I'll no longer have to worry about any sort of renewal or visa. Time will tell...

[txs89378]

Its good to hear the experience from USA2001. Very encouraging.

Some more research that I have done shows that in Oct, the system that airlines uses to check the visa requirements showed that the OCI needed to be renewed. The Timatic system has since been updated and revised this to a "Special Warning" at the very bottom, that will appear only on the 6-7 screen of a terminal if the agent decides to scroll so far down.

[Bhav111]

Hi,
I am in the same boat.. travelling with Emirates and 10 working days to travel. I just came across this that I need to transfer OCI to new passports for my kids. Wondering what to do?

Hi, Please provide update once you have completed your travels.

[Bhav111]

I am the OP for this thread. Very sorry for not getting back.

I can now share my experience - we flew with Air India to Ahmedabad in Dec 2018. For my child, I carried both new and old(cancelled) UK passports. The old passport had the OCI U visa sticker.

There were no questions asked at the Air India check-in desk at Heathrow.

Landing at Ahmedabad was late night / early morning, so few arrivals at that time. The immigration officers looked like the juniors doing the night duty, I handed over both old & new passports & oci for my son and again no questions were asked and new passport was stamped with the arrival stamp.

There were no problems either when we left India at the end of the trip.


However, I am going again in Dec now and I still haven't managed to get the "OCI re-issued" for my son. There are various screenshots of a memo issued by HCI London doing rounds on whatsapp groups.

I am worried now, but again I don't have time to apply for the new OCI. I am going my emirates this time, so all the more reason to worry as someone reported that emirates are denying check-in. The only thread I could find for emirates in this matter is from 2013:
Third party weblink removed by moderator
But, the family were denied boarding as they were not carrying old passports which had the visa sticker.


I am planning to apply for e-visa for my son now. Anyone else in the same boat, who is applying for the e-visa. May be we can share our experiences.

Hi, Please provide once your traveling is completed

[Syams04]

So has anyone been on Emirates from US to India lately? Any issues with expired OCI "U" stamped passport, OCI Booklet & New passport for a Minor? Just like others, I was under impression for the longest time that once OCI is done for my lil one, I'll no longer have to worry about any sort of renewal or visa. Time will tell...

Yes, we travelled on Emirates from Seattle to Kochi on Sunday,Dec 1st. My son’s passport was renewed last month and we didn’t have the time to apply to renew the OCI, as it took 4 months last time when we applied for OCI in lieu of pio . 2 days before our travel date we called emirates customer service and asked about this and they said they will allow us to board but they don’t know about the immigration. We carried old passport and OCI booklet along with new passport. no questions asked while boarding or at Immigration at Kochi.

[Bhav111]

Yes, we travelled on Emirates from Seattle to Kochi on Sunday,Dec 1st. My son’s passport was renewed last month and we didn’t have the time to apply to renew the OCI, as it took 4 months last time when we applied for OCI in lieu of pio . 2 days before our travel date we called emirates customer service and asked about this and they said they will allow us to board but they don’t know about the immigration. We carried old passport and OCI booklet along with new passport. no questions asked while boarding or at Immigration at Kochi.

Thank you so much for your update and info.

[Deb74]

Great - I have a similar Situation- traveling Via Delta - Cincinnati- Paris-Delhi on Thu Dec-12 - Daughter got her OCI in 2017 and passport renewed in Aug 2019 - completely unaware- too late to do anything now- saw today on facebook someone petitioning the Consulate to give temporary reprieve to Folks like us till Mar 2020

Anyway, I have spent hours and come to the conclusion that its is the Airline (s) that is the causing the issue, As not one out of 100s of cases have been turned away at the Indian Port of Entry - so, if we onboard the Plane, we should be good in 99% of the cases.

I called the Airlines /Delta - it was picked by a simple person (didn't seem very knowledgeable about OCI) who said, as long as the Destination Country was ok, they don't care as long as the OCI is valid (not expired) - However, don't know though if we meet an overzealous Agent , if that will change.

I have sent an email to CGI NY and awaiting reply and other option is to get an E-VISA ( though as you guys said, its not straightforward with some of the questions where we might have to give incorrect info) - also don't know if it will be ready in 3 -4 days time.I will keep you posted.

As one of our friends above gave this link below -this is the best/most reasonable I have seen so far - maybe we can take a printout

https://cgihouston.gov.in/component/k2/ ... o-oci-card

So, I would probably start an OCI application, take the printout of the email acknowledgement and take it along just as proof that I have started the process (I am not going to submit everything)

I personally feel fully confident that no one in Indian Immigration is going to turn our kids away - we just need to board the airlines

[abhay10001]

believe me, they will not let you board

[umasuta]

Looks like most of the people posting here didn't seem to have a problem boarding. Are you saying this with experience? I ask because I am in a similar situation

[Ashish Rastogi]

letter from immigration delhi
BOI SUPPORT CENTRE <support-boi@mha.gov.in>
To:


Nov 30 at 6:50 AM

Dear Sir/ Madam,

Your son may travel to India on his OCI card and valid Passport but it is suggested to carry old passport on which OCI card was issued to avoid undue/unforeseen delay/trouble.
You may do OCI re-registration.


Team BoI Support Centre

[Deb74]

This is Great news - whoever's travelling, lets take a prinoutout of this email

[Harry2]

That is great ! Just make sure to Carry old passport with oci visa for minors ! We been traveling with both new and old passport for kids along with oci cards to India from US for past 6 years and there has been no issues.We are leaving this week and continue planning to do the same(carry old and new passport, oci cards).

[jojo001]

Why does everyone blatantly disregard the rules and try to take a chance?

The airline may deny boarding as there is a clear TIMATIC notice regarding OCI

If you manage to reach India then Indian immigration may let you in

There have been multiple cases of passengers not being allowed to board as their OCI was not as per TIMATIC requirements .

Just because someone has managed to go without issues does not mean that you wont have any problems.

[https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english ... s-to-india]

It's always safer to apply for a online evisa ( 5 year multiple entry evisa is available online for around $80 for British passport holders) and you get it within around 48 hours or so and everything is online..

I have had a family member denied boarding ex UK (passport changed at over 50 years and OCI not renewed)

[jojo001]

CGI Birmingham has in fact put up this alert recently.

[https://cgibirmingham.gov.in/news/display/1717]

[jojo001]

I know several people who have applied for evisa for their kids as they did not want the hassle of having to renew every 5 years after the first OCI.

Also the family member who was denied boarding due to having a new passport after 50 yrs travelled finally with the evisa .

[Deb74]

Everyone would gladly apply for evisa for these few measly $$$ but https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa does not give the option of applying for an evisa for OCI/PIO - it was clearly mentioned in this forum before the problems with the web site.

So either one goes in person to the Consulate (which many of us do not have time) or one gives incorrect information on Website saying that your OCI is your Cuurent Touritst visa(which is false information) but since there is no dropdown for OCI, you will have to select Tourist/Visit visa as your current category- and the website clearly says you can be deported for false information .I called the CKGS and as usual they gave confusing information saying either you give that you never visited india and do not have a current visa or Go directly to the consulate.

So, what is our choice, go in person to the consulate ? and if you live away from the cities take a couple of days off and etc etc just before you are flying ? Hmm...really frustrating !

[txs89378]

That is great ! Just make sure to Carry old passport with oci visa for minors ! We been traveling with both new and old passport for kids along with oci cards to India from US for past 6 years and there has been no issues.We are leaving this week and continue planning to do the same(carry old and new passport, oci cards).

I second this. Great news! Thanks everyone!

[jojo001]

I think we are complicating things unnecessarily..I did help my relative in filling up.the evisa form.

We put have you visited india before as yes
Previous visa as Entry VISA ( no option for OCI)

For previous visa number we put OCI 12xxxxxx


After all in the initial questions if you are previous indian national you do declare that.

I know 3 other people who have got and travelled on evisa after getting the British passport before surrendering Indian passport as they had to travel at short notice.

Remember that all the penalties are for travelling on Indian passport after foreign nationality and not for travelling on Foreign passport..

[jojo001]

Please also look at the advise from the consul general in Australia for those who dont have time to renew OCI before travelling.

https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english ... s-to-india

He has suggested getting a e-visa..

Evisa is neither controlled by VFS/ third party agents in other countries nor by Indian high commissions in your country. So it's useless asking them anything about this. An E visa is also not actually a visa ..Its just a document giving you authorisation to travel and the actual visa is stamped on your passport on your first arrival to India.

Chances are that on arrival in india they will probably just let you in with your previous OCI.The evisa is just a backup to keep the airline happy

[Deb74]

ok..thanks makes sense ..let me try with this - hopefully will get in next 48 -72 hours as I leave on Thursday

Visited india before as yes
Previous visa as Entry VISA ( no option for OCI)
For previous visa number put OCI 12xxxxxx