PIO Card Application

Shaktipalooza

So I'm sitting here staring at a PIO application. It seems to be a one-size-fits-all affair but ends up being vague about my particular situation. I'm wondering if anyone out there has successfully filled out the form who has similar qualifications.

Here goes:

Husband: Has always been a US citizen
Wife: Was Indian Citizen until 2007, now a US citizen
Child: Born in the US, US citizen

Husband and child are applying for PIO cards. Wife is applying for OCI card.

I have a few questions about PIO application required documents listed at http://www.cgisf.org/releases/pio_press.html

1. Completed application form – in duplicate (for very young children, thumb impression in place of signatures)
Understood
2. Photographs- 4 (four) latest, preferably in color, front facing, 2" x 2"
Understood
3. Indian Passport in original (the last one acquired by applicant), with copy of first 3 and last 3 pages only.
Question: Husband never held Indian Passport. What is required?
4. Copy of U.S. Passport (notarized copy) [Page with particulars only]
Understood
5. Proof of permanent address in India as per Indian Passport. If there has been a change of address, documentary evidence to support it, duly notarized.
Question: Neither husband nor child was ever resident in India. What is required?
6. In respect of children born in USA:
a. Notarized copy of Parents Indian Passports [First 3 and Last 3 pages Only]
Question: Only one parent was an Indian Passport holder. What is required?
b. Notarized copy of the Child US Passport [First 3 and Last 3 pages Only]
Understood
c. Photocopy of birth certificate in case of applicants under 18 years
Understood

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kmalik

Shakti -

I and my wife got the PIO cards - with myself as a "real" PIO and my wife due to our marriage. I am a bit hazy on the details, but I recall that on the application (Q 14) stated that if the applicant is spouse of an Indian citizen or another PIO (and now OCI), the details of the his/her (citizen/PIO) should be provided. I recall not being a bit nervous about precisely this issue and even spoke to someone at the consulate. And, they said one could apply simultaneously - and we did, making liberal reference to the primary and the secondary application.

Not sure if I helped you much above, but the application is not terribly well designed for this obvious case and one needs to take the best shot.

All the best!

icetea

Well don't fill in the fields which don't apply to you. Provide your marriage certificate copy and details (documents and/or reference to her application) about your wife's ex-citizenship in India, that's enough to prove that you're entitled for a PIO card.

Shaktipalooza

Sounds like you haven't even seen the forms. None of the fields apply to my situation, that's the problem. Rather than just sending what I think will work, having it float in limbo for several weeks, then come back denied, I'm trying to get accurate information from people who've dealt with this issue.

Nick-H

It might have been easier to do when your wife was still an Indian citizen. Useless hindsight, eh? Oh well...

But only by a small percentage.

I suspect that, as this is a form which is going to be really considered, rather than rubber-stamped like a tourist visa, that you shouldn't worry too much --- just get the information on there somewhere.

Recommend also that you repeat everything in a covering letter!

This is a favourite trick of the govt guys here --- to examine all your paperwork, tell you it's fine, and send you away to write a covering letter. Now that we are wise to it, we can respond by saying, yes, we have done it already

But isn't you wife applying for OCI? It would be a better deal for her. ...or have we done this question before?

Anyway, there is a cheap 'upgrade' from PIO to OCI.

Good luck... I'm sure you won't need it. My experience is that the High Commission in London is much less 'Indian' than trying to deal with officials in India. I think they have to get used to a less Indian work ethic.

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catpat123

With regard to questions 3 and 6a, the Indian passport should be your wife's cancelled Indian passport as she is the one of Indian origin.

We have recently received our PIO cards, I'm British and my husband is a Kenyan born Indian with a British passport. We found when we applied that the authorities like to see evidence of Indian origin via an Indian passport if you have one, a cancelled one is fine but it's by far the best proof. The best we could come up with was a photocopy of his maternal grandmother's passport (his father had mislaid his own, along with his birth certificate ) so we provided as much documentation to prove Indian origin as we could.

To obtain my PIO we just had to provide a copy of our marriage certificate, I think you need to be married at least a year before a spouse can obtain a PIO.

Good luck.

Shaktipalooza

Thanks everyone.

Yes Nick, Mrs S is applying for the OCI card at the same time. I don't think the paperwork chase is any different.

I'm wondering how people ended up with 'canceled' Indian passports? Since Mrs S took US citizenship I wasn't aware of any formal process for relinquishing the Indian, it's just no longer valid right?

Thanks for the cover letter idea, I'll definitely add that to the package. The PIO application requires an Indian passport so I guess I'll send in my wife's even though it's my application?

Seems like the San Francisco consulate is busy these days. I was unable to get through today on the phone.

crvlvr

Shakti,

On your application, I would just go ahead and include a copy of the marriage certificate and a refrence to your wives PIO application. On your kids, a birth certificate with tyour wovce's name showing as mother. That should address the irrelevant question son the PIO appplication

India [passports are required to be turned in (to the closest consulate) when the holder obtains any other country's citizenship. Ot says so somewhere in the passport. How one is supposed to produce copies of the pages after it is turned in, still boggles my mind.

kmalik

What crvlvr suggests is exactly what we did in our successful application. Also, I had not turned in my Indian passport after forfeiting my Indian citizenship - and used that for the proof-of-citizenship. No one complained. That said, your mileage may vary as no one can accuse the bureaucrats of consistency (except in being inconsistent)

crvlvr

malik, did they actually see the Indian passport, or a copy? And if they did see the original, did they give it back to you?

kmalik

They saw the original - and I believe they sent it back. (Not totally sure - as my wife is the Records Administrator in our house.) The passport had already expired - so there was no question of it being used.