OCI Experience at HCI London (Queue and other matters)

[aryaman]

This is for folks who wish to apply for an OCI at HCI London:

1. I reached HCI London at 7:00 AM in the morning.
2. The officials split the queue into two, one exclusively for OCI while the other for PIO, Passports and Visas.
3. I was applicant number 34 in the OCI queue and I think all applicants who joined the queue prior to 08:30 received a token (max 100 tokens for the 08:30 AM slot)
4. Applicants are allowed inside and issued tokens from 08:30 onwards.
5. The OCI applications were accepted from 09:30 AM onwards.
6. Two counters (No.1 and No.4) processed applications in parallel.
7. Applications were considered in ascending sequence of token numbers.
8. Original surrender certificate was verified and returned right at the counter (i.e. there was no need for a SDE for return of original SC by post)
9. Once the applications were accepted, we were directed to Counter No.5 to make a payment and we received a receipt for the same.
10. As mentioned earlier - I was number 34 in the queue and I was done with the process by 10:30 AM (estimated 35 applications per hour)
11. There is limited seating capacity in the waiting area and so for applicants interested in securing a place to sit must ideally arrive early.