Worrying about How to get an OCI card in India for a USA-born child.
Here are given steps to help you out through the process.
If you have any more questions, please leave a comment below, and we will answer. For urgent questions / guidance only, msg me at +91 988.125.1392. Glad to help.
Problem Statement:
The child is born in the USA and you leave the USA for India before taking an OCI card. Now you are not going back to the USA in the short term and need OCI for your child who is in India with you.
Pre-requisites: No travel outside India in the last 6 months.
Process:
Before you start, you will need the original birth certificate “Apostilled” by the US state in which your kid was born. This is a tricky process to do from outside of the USA.
Fill up the form at the following link – https://ociservices.gov.in/
Take special care of the following –
| Birth Certificate | Should be ‘Apostille’ by the US state |
| Photograph | Check the photo dimensions and pixel size to upload. The background is not white but some light color (I went with sky blue) |
| Fingerprint | After touching child’s finger on the ink pad, take a print on rough paper first. Take the 2nd print on form for better clarity since the first one just looks like a smudge. |
| Demand Draft | DD for Rs 15000 has to be drawn. Double-check the ‘Payable To’ to make sure there are no mistakes. |
| Supporting Documents | At the time of submissions, carry all documents that you think may be required in addition to whatever is mentioned in the site. Whatever is extra will be returned to you by the FRRO office. Carry 2 sets of copies and all originals. Carry passport of kid’s parents along with their marriage certificate. Carry previous registration certificates if any. Carry Form C. |
After I had the Apostilled birth certificate, I visited FRRO office in Mumbai and applied for my daughter’s OCI. It took 44 days for me to receive the OCI after the application in FRRO Mumbai although they say it may take up to 2 months.
How to get the US Birth Certificate Apostilled when you’re in India
This was the most complicated process since I was already in India.
I got to know about this process when I wanted to file for OCI card for my daughter (She is a US citizen). I was in India and had no plans to go to the USA in the short term. My daughter was in India with us on an Entry visa.
I started searching for information online but there was none available. I found a company in Mumbai that reverted saying that they will do it for Rs 19000 as their service charge + all fees to be paid by me. I thought this was ridiculous.
I reached out to the USA embassy (call/mail). They suggested that Apostille is a state matter in the USA. Since my daughter was born in Wisconsin USA, I need to reach the Secretary of State office in Wisconsin. I did so and on my request, they said that they will ship the Apostilled copy to any address I send a pre-paid envelop for (only FedEx or UPS). I inquired at FedEx and UPS in India and none of them gave me a Pre-Paid envelop. (apparently, this is possible if you have an account with FedEx like a Corporate account or individual account)
I then reached out to my friend in Wisconsin. I also sent him an Authorization letter so that he could get the copies of my daughter’s long-form birth certificate. The long-form birth certificate comes pre-certified by the Registrar office so one step got reduced. My friend collected the birth certificate from the office of deeds and registry in the county we lived in. He then sent the filled-up form (available at Secretary of State WI website) along with pre-paid envelop for his US address and $20 processing fee in cash. After 10 days, he got the Apostilled copy which he sent to me using FedEx priority.
TIPS:
- Try to get OCI when you are still in the USA. It is easier that way.
- While returning from the USA, get a couple of birth certificates Apostilled. It may save you tons of headache later
- If you are applying in Mumbai, take a train to CSMT station and walk. The office is near the Police Commissioner’s office and is hardly 800 meters from the railway station. You will waste time and money if you take a cab from the station to reach the office. Don’t drive your car to the office because there are no parking facilities nearby.
ADDITIONAL INFO
As per the current rules,
- Till the child reached the age of 20, OCI needs to be renewed each time the passport is renewed.
- Between the age of 20 and 50, the OCI doesn’t need to get renewed after each passport renewal. For travel purposes, you will have to carry the old passport on which the OCI was issued as well.
- After 50 till death, the OCI needs to get renewed only once. For travel purposes, you will have to carry the old passport on which the OCI was issued as well.
Also read, In 2019, every investment worked
***Please verify the documents or draft related latest info from the OCI website.
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