My spouse is going to apply for a PIO card. Anyone have recent experiences with PIO application? VFS does not accept PIO applications in Brampton and these have to be submitted directly to CGI Toronto. We want to go there in person at the earliest opportunity. Does CGI return originals same day upon verification? How long does it take to get the PIO card? I would appreciate if you can share your timelines and experiences in this matter.

Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally posted by kulb

My spouse is going to apply for a PIO card. Anyone have recent experiences with PIO application? VFS does not accept PIO applications in Brampton and these have to be submitted directly to CGI Toronto. We want to go there in person at the earliest opportunity. Does CGI return originals same day upon verification? How long does it take to get the PIO card? I would appreciate if you can share your timelines and experiences in this matter.

Thanks.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Trinity

Quote:

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Originally posted by kulb

My spouse is going to apply for a PIO card. Anyone have recent experiences with PIO application? VFS does not accept PIO applications in Brampton and these have to be submitted directly to CGI Toronto. We want to go there in person at the earliest opportunity. Does CGI return originals same day upon verification? How long does it take to get the PIO card? I would appreciate if you can share your timelines and experiences in this matter.

Thanks.

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Any reason why you are planning to get a PIO card instead of the OCI?

Comparison: http://www.immihelp.com/nri/pio-vs-oci.html & http://in.vfsglobal.ca/images/oci-and%20PIO%20comparision%20sheet.pdf

Trinity

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Hi,

After some deliberation I opted to apply for PIO card today instead of OCI card. The main reasons for not applying for OCI cards were the same as mentioned by Kulb earlier in the thread.

So, I went to the CGI Toronto today and on advice of Mr. Hiren Chheda, reached there around 10.30 AM. There were some 25 odd people sitting there. I stood in the queue to take a number. The person looked at my documents and noted my name on one paper and gave me 2 numbers as I had 2 applications, for my self and my wife.

He told me that first I would have to go for an interview in room number 1 where an officer would check my documents and if accepted, then I have to go to the counter to deposit the fees along with documents. The fee would have to be paid ONLY by way of Postal Order, Money Order, Certified Cheque or Draft in the name of Consulate General of India.

So, I sat there for around 30 minutes and then I was told to go for an interview in room number 1. The Gentleman there, checked my application, originals of Indian Passport, Landing Document (IMM 1000 in our case but could be a PR Card for PR card holders) Canadian Passport, Citizenship card and the big Citizenship cerrtificate and photocopies of all these documents. In case of passports, I had photocopies of first 2 pages but I would suggest other people to also photocopy the last 2 pages of the Indian Passport. The Gentlemen initialed all the documents and wrote "Please Accept" on the application and asked me to go to the counter to deposit the application with fees. This all took around 10 minutes or so and my token number had already gone. So, I immediately went to the counter and the lady accepted the application, checked the photos and asked for the postal order. I though that I would pay by credit card but as that is not acceptable to CGI, she asked me to go to the Canada Post counter in the lobby of the same building and bring postal order. She said that I could bring 1 postal order for both me and my wife's application fee. I went down and brought the postal order in less than 5 minutes, went to the counter and deposited the same. The lady was pleasant and she asked for the self addressed envelop but I insisted that I would like to pick the same personally so she gave me a date for pick up after 2 weeks. So, it took me only 1 hour to get the total job done which in NOT BAD at all as I was thinking that it would take the whole day or so.

It was quite convenient to apply for the PIO instead of going for so much hassle for getting the OCI. Though it looks cheaper to get OCI but it would ultimately cost you more because of time involved, number of visits to VFS and their fees as well. Moreover, as the Canadian Passport expires every 5 years, you may have to go again to get the OCI endorsed on the new Canadian Passport and this not only would waste your time but you may have to pay some nominal fees again.

One thing here, as luckily our Indian Passports had a 'CANCELLED' stamp, we did not have to face any problem of getting a Surrender Certificate etc. Fot those people who do not have their Indian Passports stamped as cancelled, they may have to first get 'surrender certificate' before applying for any type of Consular Services.

So, hopefully, I would collect my PIO card personally on 20th January, 2010.

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Pramod Chopra
Senior Mortgage Consultant
Mortgage Alliance Company of Canada

Good description Pramod.

I just checked all our Indian passports. mercifully, they are all stamped, "Cancelled due to holder voluntarily acquiring Canadian citizenship". Hopefully, we are saved from the surrender certificate maladies.

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Dimple2001

Quote:

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Originally posted by Pramod Chopra

Hi,

After some deliberation I opted to apply for PIO card today instead of OCI card. The main reasons for not applying for OCI cards were the same as mentioned by Kulb earlier in the thread.

So, I went to the CGI Toronto today and on advice of Mr. Hiren Chheda, reached there around 10.30 AM. There were some 25 odd people sitting there. I stood in the queue to take a number. The person looked at my documents and noted my name on one paper and gave me 2 numbers as I had 2 applications, for my self and my wife.

He told me that first I would have to go for an interview in room number 1 where an officer would check my documents and if accepted, then I have to go to the counter to deposit the fees along with documents. The fee would have to be paid ONLY by way of Postal Order, Money Order, Certified Cheque or Draft in the name of Consulate General of India.

So, I sat there for around 30 minutes and then I was told to go for an interview in room number 1. The Gentleman there, checked my application, originals of Indian Passport, Landing Document (IMM 1000 in our case but could be a PR Card for PR card holders) Canadian Passport, Citizenship card and the big Citizenship cerrtificate and photocopies of all these documents. In case of passports, I had photocopies of first 2 pages but I would suggest other people to also photocopy the last 2 pages of the Indian Passport. The Gentlemen initialed all the documents and wrote "Please Accept" on the application and asked me to go to the counter to deposit the application with fees. This all took around 10 minutes or so and my token number had already gone. So, I immediately went to the counter and the lady accepted the application, checked the photos and asked for the postal order. I though that I would pay by credit card but as that is not acceptable to CGI, she asked me to go to the Canada Post counter in the lobby of the same building and bring postal order. She said that I could bring 1 postal order for both me and my wife's application fee. I went down and brought the postal order in less than 5 minutes, went to the counter and deposited the same. The lady was pleasant and she asked for the self addressed envelop but I insisted that I would like to pick the same personally so she gave me a date for pick up after 2 weeks. So, it took me only 1 hour to get the total job done which in NOT BAD at all as I was thinking that it would take the whole day or so.

It was quite convenient to apply for the PIO instead of going for so much hassle for getting the OCI. Though it looks cheaper to get OCI but it would ultimately cost you more because of time involved, number of visits to VFS and their fees as well. Moreover, as the Canadian Passport expires every 5 years, you may have to go again to get the OCI endorsed on the new Canadian Passport and this not only would waste your time but you may have to pay some nominal fees again.

One thing here, as luckily our Indian Passports had a 'CANCELLED' stamp, we did not have to face any problem of getting a Surrender Certificate etc. Fot those people who do not have their Indian Passports stamped as cancelled, they may have to first get 'surrender certificate' before applying for any type of Consular Services.

So, hopefully, I would collect my PIO card personally on 20th January, 2010.

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The stamp states the same thing as mentioned by you and Dimple. I only shortened it but I am told that they stopped cancelling passports some time in 2006.

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Pramod Chopra
Senior Mortgage Consultant
Mortgage Alliance Company of Canada