SFO embassy (San Francisco) requires Apostille by US state before attestation while New York, Washington DC, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago may or may not require Apostille.

• Attestation of power of attorney is NOT the same as registration of power of attorney.
• Attestation is a pre-requisite to registration if you are outside India – NRI (non-resident Indian).

Documents Required

1. Miscellaneous services form. Each Indian embassy their own Misc Services form format – New York, Washington DC, Houston, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago.
2. Original Passport + Copies of all non-blank pages including first and last page.
3. Copy of Address proof in USA – 1 address proof is required – US bank statement, driving license, utility bill, Home lease agreement, etc.
4. Valid Visa copy – Valid H1B, H4, L1, etc. Remember that B1/B2 is not considered valid for creating POA.
5. Original Visa petition – approval notice i797 or USCIS issues receipt number for extension filing.
6. Original i94 + Copies – In the case of electronic i94, just take the print-out with you.
7. Two (2) passport-size photographs to be affixed against your name on POA.

NOTE: It is advised to carry the original version of the documents with you for verification, in case the consulate asks for it.

The process of registering the POA does NOT require ‘attestation‘ if you are still in India and planning to leave soon. i.e. you are about to leave and want to give power of attorney to someone in your family or a friend.

#1 Notarize Power of Attorney

2 witness signatures are required for attestation of Power of attorney. 

A witness can be anyone holding a valid US ID proof with an address and photo.

Witnesses should preferably be other than immediate family members.

• Witnesses CAN go to Indian Consulate with you? There is NO need to get the notarization.
• Witnesses CANNOT go to Indian Consulate with you? Take signatures of 2 witnesses on this POA in the presence of Notary.

A Free notary is available in most towns’ libraries, banks like Bank of America (Free if you have an account with them), and your own office would have one.

Paid notaries are available at USPS offices/shops too.

Online notaries are also available in the USA now:

• DocVerify
• Notarize
• NotaryCam
• Pavaso
• Safedocs
• SIGNiX

You should NOT sign the POA yet. It is to be done in front of the Indian consulate.

If the notary insists on your sign, then you can sign. You will be required to sign once again in Indian Embassy.

#2 Apostille PoA

You may or may not need Apostile based on your current Passport and the Indian Embassy you are applying at.

If you need Apostille, check the US secretary of state office website for the process. Supporting documents do not need Apostille.

#3 Attestation at Indian Embassy

An in-person visit to Embassy

You should either have 2 witnesses travel with you to the embassy or have the notarized POA.

Each embassy office has a time window normally between 9 AM to 11 AM to accept in-person attestation requests.

If both you and your spouse have been named as executant in POA, then both of you need to be present in Embassy physically with your original passports.

Documents required here:

• Your original POA,
• a photocopy of this POA and
• Original passport

You would be asked to sign in front of the officer on the POA to verify your signature.

Deposit the fees and you will most probably be asked to come back after 12 PM (afternoon) to collect the attested PoA.

Show the receipt and collect the attested POA and your passport. You are all set.

By Postal Mail

You need to get all the signatures (2 witnesses + your own) notarized.

Get the fees cashier check or money order.

The return shipping check has to be made separately. The amount differs by each embassy. No need to send the return shipping envelope. They take care of it with the return shipping fees that you send.

Send the documentary proof (only photocopies) with an exception of the original passport to the Indian consulate.

Documents required to be sent by mail:

• Your original POA,
• A photocopy of this POA and
• Original passport

The consulate will attest and return the documents back to you within a week.

Registration in India

Registration of ‘attested POA’ can only be done in India.

Send PoA to India and then follow the steps to register this POA.

FAQ

The post Attestation of Power of Attorney at Indian Consulate – USA appeared first on AM22Tech.

The simple answer is YES, you are eligible to get your social security amount monthly after you turn 62 (retirement age) even if you are outside the US physically.

Eligibility

1 SSN credit is given for 1 quarter of social security tax contribution.

40 credits mean 10 years of contribution if you keep working and contributing without any break.

The 40 credits can be achieved in breaks also.

SSA.gov has a tool to test your eligibility for payments outside the US.

Example:

An H1B worker comes to work for Infosys in the USA. He pays social security tax for 6 years and then returns to India for offshore work. Infosys has an approved i140 for this employee.

He then changes his employer in India and joins TCS (Tata Consultancy Services).

TCS applies for his H1B transfer using Infosys’s approved i140 after 2 years in India and sends him again to the US for a long-term onshore assignment.

As soon as the person joins the TCS in the USA, the payroll starts again, and social security tax is automatically deducted before in-hand pay.

He has worked for another 5 years and continues to contribute to Social Security.

How to check my Credits?

You can register on the Social Security website for a free account and connect it with your SSN.

The website is pretty user-friendly and will show all your contributions irrespective of your work breaks.

You can even use your social account login like Facebook or Google to create an account on the SSA.gov website.

How to Apply for Social Security outside USA?

If you are living outside the USA and want to claim social security, you need to apply for it explicitly in the Social Security office located in your country.

If your country is not listed on the SSN website for an office location, then you should contact the US embassy in your country for the next steps.

Example:

If you are in India, you will need to visit the SSN office in Manila. You will need to visit the office 3 months before your retirement age i.e. 62 and apply for receiving benefits.

Once your application is approved and you are eligible (have 40 credits), you will start receiving your money in India.

How Much Money Will I Get As Social Security?

The amount of social security is calculated based on several factors. You can check an estimate of how much money you are eligible for by entering your average salary in the calculator provided by the SSA.GOV website.

You will need to register on the SSA.GOV website to access this calculator.

H1B workers Eligible to Get Social Security?

I discussed this topic with one of my guests on my YouTube channel and they also have the understanding that one is eligible to get Social Security outside the USA:

FAQ

The post Will Social Security Benefits be Paid in India / Canada If I Leave USA? appeared first on AM22Tech.

The move to Canada from the US is easy except for the transfer of a Robinhood account.

Robinhood is not available in Canada as of writing this article. We will update it as and when this changes.

Also, if you move to Canada permanently, meaning that you are not maintaining a physical presence in the US, then you are also not eligible to maintain your Robinhood account.

This is mandated by IRS rules and not Robinhood.

What happens if you Move to Canada?

Robinhood will detect your location as and when you log in to your account. Once they detect that you are outside the US, you will need to re-verify your US address with a government-issued photo ID card with a US address.

If you still have a valid ID, you may be able to extend your Robinhood use until the ID expires.

Many people who move to Canada on PR use the VPN to hide their real location. This may be helpful for a short period since Robinhood forces you to sell all your investments once they detect that you are not a US resident anymore.

Restrictions on US Accounts

Creative Planning recently reported that most banks and almost all stock brokers have added these restrictions for non-US residents due to stricter FATCA and European Union rules.

I found this Reddit thread where a Fidelity representative has cleared the confusion. The important points:

1. You can maintain your existing US accounts, but cannot create new accounts.
   • You should be able to create a new account with the same company’s entity in the destination country though.
   • Example: If you move to Canada and Fidelity offers stock brokerage as ‘Fidelity Canada’, you should be able to open a new account with them and start trading afresh.
2. Trades (buy and sell) of most individual US stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are allowed.
3. Purchases of new US mutual funds or adding to MFs will NOT be allowed. Automatic dividend reinvestment will be allowed.

Merill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and Charles Shwab also have similar restricted rules as Robinhood for non-US residents.

The grace time may vary by each broker company.

Most of them use the app installed on your smartphone to track your device’s IP address to find your physical location.

You can of course sell your shares anytime but new deposits are not allowed.

Do not worry about the control of your account. Even though your account will be restricted, you maintain control over when investments will be sold.

401k Account

You will be able to hold your investments in a 401k account and not be required to sell them immediately.

As per IRS requirements, your brokerage firm (like Robinhood, Fidelity, Morgan Stanley, etc) will need you to fill out IRS form IRS W-9 or W8-BEN for correct tax withholding on withdrawals.

You should ideally wait till you reach retirement age to sell and withdraw 401K money to avoid early withdrawal penalties.

Credit Cards

If you have a branded credit card through Fidelity, Charles Schwab, or Robinhood Gold card, you can keep using it normally.

There is no restriction on using those cards outside the US as they are issued through a separate bank entity.

Treat them just like any other credit card you have.

Robinhood Restricted Access

Robinhood restricts access from certain countries that do not have good relations with the USA.

These restrictions are meant only for people who are temporarily traveling to these countries. It only means that you being a US resident, cannot access your Robinhood account while you are physically in these countries unless you bypass it through a VPN connection.

Social Security Outside USA

Social security account is managed separately by the SSA.GOV government entity.

The rules for social security are different than the rules for stocks and securities.

Your Social Security account can be maintained from outside the US and you will stay eligible for receiving the Social Security amount from outside the USA.

FAQ

The post Can You Use Robinhood in Canada/India? How to maintain US 401k account? appeared first on AM22Tech.

As per CATO Institute’s estimate, an Indian’s waiting time to get a green card through EB2 or EB3 employment-based queue will be 150+ unless the US immigration law is changed.

Our Green Card visa estimate app also projects similar timelines for Indians waiting in an employment-based queue.

Due to the multiple-decade backlogs and the mental stress of maintaining the H1B employer sponsorship till you get the green card, many are trying to devise new strategies to keep the motivation on.

One of the strategies is to file a petition in the immediate family member category.

Rules

A US citizen can sponsor an immediate family member for a US green card. This immediate family sponsorship has special treatment in US immigration law:

• No yearly limit on the number of Green card
• No country of birth limitation
• No visa bulletin dates required
• A Green card number is always available for immediate relatives

You are an immediate relative if you are:

• The spouse of a U.S. citizen;
• The unmarried child under 21 years of age of a U.S. citizen; or
• The parent of a U.S. citizen (if the U.S. citizen is 21 years of age or older).

Process

1. File Application to Sponsor the parent and/or siblings using form I-130.
   • The child will need to fill I-130 for each parent/sibling.
   • The child can sponsor any sister or brother who was born outside the US.
2. The parent is physically present in the US:
   • File Adjustment of Status application using form I-485
   • You can file both I-130 and I-485 together at the same time if the parent is physically present in the US.
   • Parents can also file Form I-765 for a work permit and I-131 for a travel permit until they receive the green card.
3. If the parent is physically outside the US, the parent will need to wait for I-130 approval.
   • Once I-130 is approved, the parent will file a DS-260 with the US embassy to get a Green card stamp on the passport instead of form I-485.
4. Get approval and a Green card.

Processing Time

The total processing time depends on the USCIS service center. You can check the current processing time for the type of applications here.

Estimated time:

1. Form I-130 approval is mandatory and usually takes about 2-4 years.
2. Form I-485 approval takes about 1-2 years.

The best case scenario is when your child sponsors you at the age of 21 and if USCIS processing speed is good, you might get the plastic permanent residency card in hand within 3 years. I.e. when the child turns 24, you will have it.

The worst-case scenario is probably going to take about 6 years in our opinion. Hence, if a kid is sponsored immediately after turning 21, then, you can expect to be greened by the time the Kid turns age 27.

Affidavit of Support

It is important to note that simply sponsoring the parent when the kid turns 21 is not enough. The kid needs to prove that they have the financial ability to support his parents in the US.

This financial support has to be proved and signed by the adult son/daughter using form I-864.

It does not matter if the parents are currently living in the US using a visa like H1B (with approved I140).

Since this application is separate from the employer-sponsored category, it has its own set of documents to prove the Green card claim.

Prepare Child Financial Profile

Almost all Indian families will be able to have financial sponsorship requirements fulfilled easily using their savings.

We suggest to have this financial set up to make it easy and start preparing for it now:

1. Create a bank account in your US citizen kid’s name while he is young. I suggest creating this account as soon as the kid turns 14 or before.
   • Keep adding some amount in it monthly (like $100 to whatever you can) to have a good balance by the time he turns 21.
   • Even better option: Pay the amount to the kid as a salary (once he turns 14) and claim this amount as expenses in your LLC (if you own one). Money stays within the family and you make it completely tax-free.
2. Create a Roth IRA account [OPTIONAL] (with companies like Fidelity, Charles Shwab, etc.) in Kid’s name and keep depositing the maximum allowed amount by the IRS every year.
   • This will help you save income tax and also help create your kid’s bank balance.
3. Kid’s W2 or Business Income at age 21
   • It would be easier if the kid had a job with a regular W2 income or a regular business income.
   • Let kids have some kind of work so that regular income can be proved on paper.

FAQ

The post Can US Citizen Kid Sponsor H1B Parent’s Green Card at Age 21? appeared first on AM22Tech.

They will print the address that’s listed on your Aadhar card.

This is the message that many users have received from VFS in the USA:

VFS has not provided any official consent letter format as of now.

We have created this sample consent letter which you can use for your passport renewal.

How to Create Consent Letter Online

The app takes care of creating the PDF for you and sends you the properly filled consent letter affidavit to your email address securely.

It will only take 2 minutes to generate the letter.

A user log-in is required and the app will save your information to generate the affidavit again anytime later from any device including your iPhone, Android, or Samsung mobile.

#1 Enter Your Details

Enter your full name, select your Gender, and fill in your father’s name as per your current unexpired Indian passport.

The gender is used by the app to change the affidavit language to refer to ‘his/her‘ and make it unique for your case.

The app will flash an error if there are any missing fields to make sure you do not miss anything on the affidavit.

#2 Address

The self-sworn affidavit needs two types of addresses:

• Indian Address: This can be your parent’s address, relatives, or any neighbor in India.
• Non-Indian address: This should be your current active residential address outside India.

We strongly recommend providing your current foreign country address.

For example, people living in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, etc. should enter their current address that matches the address proof.

We have entered a sample New York address here:

#3 Date of Leaving India

The app considers the date of your leaving India as 5 years from today as the default date. This means that if you do not enter or select the actual date that left India, the app will assume it has been more than 5 years.

This affects the language in the affidavit. There is no need to worry even if you do not select the date as the Indian government just wants to make sure that you are living outside India for more than 5 years.

If you do select the actual date, the app will automatically calculate the years and days and will print on the affidavit PDF to make it easier for you.

VFS Sample Consent Letter for Indian Address

You can fill out this template, print and submit it to VFS.

FAQ

The post VFS Consent letter for Printable Indian address On Passport Renewal Based on Aadhar card appeared first on AM22Tech.

CTC Contents

A Sample Cost to Company package of 14 lakhs in Karnataka, India with take-home pay of 93 thousand per month:

CTC = Direct benefits + Indirect benefits + Saving Contributions

in-Hand Salary = Direct Benefits – Income tax – Employee PF – Other deductions, if any

Cost to Company Direct benefits

Paid to employee monthly and forms part of your take-home (in-hand salary) after deducting income tax plus any additional state taxes.

CTC Indirect Benefits

Benefits (also called Perquisites in legal Indian government terms) that an employee enjoys without paying for them. Your company takes care of them but adds their monetary value to your CTC.

Of course, it is an expense for the company and hence, could be added to CTC.

1. Interest-free loans, if any in CTC

Banking companies like ICICI allow their employees to get car/home loans at highly subsidized rates and then add the amount equal to the difference between the market and the subsidized interest rate to the employee’s CTC.

The interest that you did not pay (actually saved using a subsidized rate) is a benefit for you!

If you don’t take the loan, you won’t get this benefit, but it is anyway added to your CTC. Be careful while accepting the offer letter.

2. Food Coupons / Subsidized meals

Many MNC employers offer free lunch and evening snacks at the workplace. No lunch is free in this world.

On the other hand, meal vouchers (or food coupons) help you save income tax too.

3. Company Leased Accommodation (CLA)

Your employer might provide you with company-paid accommodation or pay rent to the landlord directly, saving you from the tension of finding a home and negotiating rent deals.

The monetary value of CLA, which is taxable, is added to your CTC, which is normally the rent and furniture cost.

4. Medical, Life Insurance premiums paid by the company

Group medical and life insurance policies by your employer give you much better and more comprehensive coverage than individual ones.

The cost is added in CTC and you can claim it for income tax rebate while filing ITR.

5. Free Cabs / Taxi for Office commute

You would be lured to a new job with the option of FREE transportation to the office. It is not free even if it is subsidized.

Most employers would add it to your salary package (CTC).

6. Income tax savings

Sometimes companies offer you some benefits that are tax-free for you but are taxable to them.

Example:
If you receive per diem allowances, they are subjected to FBT (Fringe benefits tax). It is supposed to be paid by your employer and not you.

Some companies do add the value of FBT in your CTC, which you, as an employee, would be liable to pay if your company does not pay it.

Related: Unspent Per Diem Allowance Received Abroad Are Taxable In India

7. Office Space Rent

You must have heard about FAT pay packages (several crores for a fresher) that IIM (Indian Institute Of Management) or IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) graduates receive.

A deep look at their break-up of CTC would reveal the work cubicle rent too.

Example:
If the company is spending INR 7000 per month on the cubicle that you would sit in at your work location, they would add the yearly rent to your CTC.

Employee Retirement Saving Contributions

Payments made to your long-term savings account by your employer.

1. Superannuation

A pre-defined amount is contributed every month to your superannuation account, mostly offered by multinational companies as a way of saving for retirement.

You can withdraw it after you retire or at the time of leaving the organization.

Most employers do not directly give you cash on separation though. You get the option of converting the amount into some kind of insurance policy.

2. Employer Provident fund Contribution

Most employers contribute 12% (called PF) of the basic salary every month to the employee’s Provident fund account, shown in CTC. An employee also contributes 12% (called VPF).

Difference between Employer PF, Employee PF (Called VPF) and PPF.

3. Gratuity is part of CTC

Paid @4.81% of total yearly basic salary, per Indian tax law, with no withdrawal allowed before 5 years.

If you leave the organization anytime before 5 years, you lose your Gratuity accumulation.

The post What is CTC? Difference between CTC Package and Net Salary? appeared first on AM22Tech.

In the Netherlands, the same Affidavit F is known as Annexure L.

This affidavit declares the details of how the passport was lost or damaged. The format of the affidavit varies a bit by the Indian embassy in the country where you are applying for a passport.

We have an app that you can use to create this Affidavit without worrying about the format. It automatically picks the correct format based on your country.

You will need to declare your last 3 addresses and the page numbers of the entry and exit stamps if you are an NRI (Non-resident Indian).

Annexure F/L Lost Damaged passport online

The app creates a pre-filled PDF file with all the required information for Annexure F. You can then upload it or send it with your passport renewal package.

What is TR Concession?

The TR concession on Annexure F means ‘transfer of residence’.

Transfer of Residence is an option to save Indian customs duty if you want to move to India after a stay abroad of at least two years. You can take most personal and household items without paying Indian customs duty with some exceptions.

The question on the Affidavit “Have you availed TR concession” can be answered as No if you have not used this transfer of residence option anytime in the past.

FT Allowance Meaning?

FT allowance on Annexure F means ‘Fund Transfer’ allowance.

Normally, when you travel abroad from India, you buy foreign currency for travel needs. This is usually mentioned on the last pages of your passport by the bank or the agent who gave you the money.

If something like this was mentioned on your passport, then please select ‘Yes’ and provide details.

FAQ

The post Annexure F/L for Lost/Damaged Indian Passport Renewal appeared first on AM22Tech.

If yes, then you can create a ‘One and Same Person Affidavit‘ and get it notarized to prove that all names belong to the same person.

This affidavit is also known as the ‘same name affidavit form’ and can be submitted for legal purposes such as immigration, Green card application, or PR for Australia, Canada, the UK, and other such countries.

You can either write this affidavit yourself or use an app to fill it out for you.

Affidavit for Multiple Names on Different Documents

#1 Enter your Details

Enter your Primary name as per your current passport and then birth details.

You are also required to enter your current residential address. This address can be anywhere in the world irrespective of your birthplace or home country.

#2 Enter Other Names

You can enter different versions of your name for yourself. This is the same as entering your alias name.

Make sure that you do not make any mistakes in the name spelling as they will be written on the affidavit PDF.

Should I consider Social media names as ‘Other Names’?

A lot of people get confused with respect to choosing which names are considered other names especially when we use different alias names on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and others.

The rules for what is considered ‘other names’ vary by country and purpose. We suggest writing all the names that you think people (your friend circle and family) know you along with your social media names.

Examples:

• In the USA, it is expected and required by law that you consider all names like maiden name, social media names that people know you with, and names on all legal documents like passport, birth certificate, education documents, and others mentioned on this same name affidavit form.
• Other countries may have different requirements and may or may not require you to mention your name that you are not on any legal document.

Our suggestion is to use all names if you are not sure about the actual requirement to make the document universally acceptable.

#3 Enter Father’s Name

The last step in data entry is to fill in your father’s name. Once you are done, you can click the ‘validate and save’ button to check all your data.

If there are any errors, the app will automatically ask you to fix them.

If there are no errors, you can purchase (if applicable) the document and your affidavit will be sent to your registered email address within minutes.

Email with Affidavit

Notary

The notary will be required from your local notary to make it a legally valid document. You must sign this affidavit in front of the notary.

The notary service may be known by a different name in your place of residence like ‘Justice of peace’ in Australia, ‘Commissioner of Oaths’ in England / Wales, etc.

There are options for online notaries as well in the USA where they connect and see you sign via video call. Not all states in the US accept online notaries though.

Example:

The state of Texas in the USA allows online notaries while some counties in California accept documents notarized by online communication.

Please check with your local state/county law before getting online notary services:

• DocVerify
• Notarize
• NotaryCam
• Pavaso
• Safedocs
• SIGNiX

Photo on Multiple Name Affidavit

The photo is not required but highly recommended to avoid forging documents.

We recommend pasting a passport-size photo (according to the passport photo rules) of your country of residence and then signing across the photo so that half of the signature appears on the affidavit.

Sample Same Name Affidavit

This is a sample affidavit that arrives by email.

The app automatically adds the most recent tried and tested legal language based on your country and state of residence. All such country and state-specific formats have not been shown here due to limited space.

Example:

• The same name affidavit in New York, US may have a slightly different language than the one created for a person living in Edinburg, UK.
• Similarly, the language of the same name affidavit may be edited by the app based on the purpose of use like immigration or real estate purchase, or a civil/criminal court case proceeding.
• The address on the final affidavit is also printed based on the residence address, and the address format requirements along with country-specific date formats.
• The self-help app will always provide you with the most recent and updated PDF document that’s currently being accepted by your local government and the purpose.
• The app provides LIVE text chat support in case you have questions and a full refund policy.

Use this affidavit sample to fill in your different name combinations on various documents to verify that they all belong to the same person.

FAQ

The post One and Same Person Affidavit for Multiple Names (Immigration/Other) appeared first on AM22Tech.

People who select the wrong jurisdiction get their applications rejected.

Passport Renewal Rejection

Many people who are selecting an Indin embassy that has no control over their residence address are getting passport renewal denials from VFS Global Services.

Note that your fee is not fully refunded if your application is returned due to the wrong embassy.

The Indian government’s website does not auto-select the correct embassy based on your address. The responsibility of finding the correct consulate is with you.

Power of Attorney & Other Services

The selection of the correct Indian consulate is required for all purposes including attestation of power of attorney, police clearance certificate, or any other document signing requirement.

The Indian embassy accepts attestation requests by mail.

Hence, it becomes extremely important to select the correct address. They will cross-check it with your residence proof like your driver’s license or most recent utility bill.

What if I have multiple addresses?

If you have multiple addresses like a holiday home or a university dorm/hostel address in addition to your primary home, we suggest using the address printed on your unexpired driver’s license or the most recent utility bill to find the correct Indian embassy.

The post Indian embassy Jurisdiction in USA – Find by your address appeared first on AM22Tech.

OCI means the Overseas Citizen of India and allows visa-free travel for Indians who have got citizenship in other countries like the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and others.

Benefits of OCI:

• Get you multiple entries, and a multi-purpose lifelong visa to visit India.
• Allows exemption from reporting to local Indian Police authorities for any length of stay in India; and
• Equality with NRIs in financial, economic, and educational fields except in the acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties.
• OCI is also issued to kids of Indian citizens who do not hold Indian passports.

OCI Reissue is not Required

1. Minor child up to 20 years – OCI renewal is not required for minor children on a change of
   passport. Only upload the latest passport copy and photos on the OCI website.
2. Adult OCI Issued after 20 years of age – OCI renewal is not required for any OCI issued after 20
   years of the applicant’s age.
3. Adult Older than 50 years – OCI renewal is not required after 50 years. However, you should
   upload latest passport and photos ONCE after completing 20 years using the below process.
4. Change of address/contact details – Renewal of OCI is not required for change of address.
   Upload the latest details using the below process.

OCI Reissue is Required

• ONCE after the passport renewal and 20 years of age
• Change of name, father’s name
• Change of nationality

If you are an existing OCI cardholder and require uploading the latest Passport copy and photo, please follow the following steps.

This process needs to be done within 3 months of Passport renewal. Ministry of Home Affairs has granted extensions to use existing OCI without re-issue till Dec 31st, 2021, and anyone planning to travel to India after Dec 31st, 2021 should upload a Passport copy and photo as soon as possible.

Since it takes 2 weeks to 4 weeks to update the system it is better to complete it ASAP.

Documents Required

1. Photo: Non-white background, Square (equal width and Height), Picture size should be less than
   500kb in size. You can use Google Photoscan app.
2. Scanned signature – Sign on plain white paper. Then, use an app like Adobe Scan to scan or click a picture.
3. A PDF copy of the Passport picture page in color – Use Adobe Scan.

New Passport Upload Process

#Step 1

Access the Indian government’s OCI website. Select OCI Miscellaneous Services.

#Step 2

Click Proceed button.

#Step 3

Read the instructions and select ‘I have read the instructions at the bottom of the page’. Then, click the ‘Accept’ button.

#Step 4

Select “Fill New Miscellaneous application”. In case you exit in the middle, you can come back and complete the application by selecting “complete partially filled Miscellaneous Application”. 

#Step 5

A new pop window opens with the application. Please save the Temporary application number so you can use it to come back in case you lost a web connection or to complete a partially filled miscellaneous application.

Enter the Passport number from the last page of OCI.

We recommend entering File No# from the last page of the OCI card. We tried using U-Visa No# and OCI number# but page errors prevented us from going forward.

#Step 6

Select the “Submit” button after filling in all the required information. This will complete Part-A of the application. If you are ready with the picture, signature scan, and passport scan you can select the “Yes I am ready with the image” button. 

If scans are not yet ready, you can select the “Exit Now” button and come back by selecting the “complete partially filled Miscellaneous Application”.

Resizing the image to 500Kb size. If you used the Google Photoscan app, you may already have got a smaller size image. If not, then you can use any photo edit app or the windows photo edit to resize the image to 2×2 inches.

#Step 7

When you select “Yes I am ready from step 11”, the screen will update with an option to upload the image and signature.

Select “Choose File” and upload the picture. Once the picture is uploaded you will see the crop button and you can adjust the picture by clicking the crop button. 

• Picture file size should be less than 500kb and
• The signature scan file size should be more than 10kb – A signature needs to be a 3:1 ratio (width: height) so once the signature is uploaded you can select the crop button and resize it to a 3:1 ratio.

After selecting the upload button and you want to upload again you can select “I want to upload again”. If not select “I have uploaded successfully”.

#Step 8

You will now have the option to proceed to Part B and upload the Passport picture page scan.

#Step 9

Answer the following questions.

The first question is tricky. Select “no” for the following question if the family has only one person with an OCI card.

Have you/any member of your family applied for Overseas Citizen of India registration earlier? * 

#Step 10

The next step is to upload the Passport scan (Only pdf is allowed) and you can upload it by selecting the “Upload Documents” button.

OCI Upload/Reupload

In case you exited before uploading the documents you can also upload by selecting the OCI document upload/Re-upload button on the main page here:

OCI Status Enquiry

You can check the status by selecting the “Status Enquiry” button and selecting proceed button.

Enter the passport number and File the reference number to check the status. It will take 2 to 4 weeks to get updated in the system. 

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