How Long Does e-OCI Card Approval Take After Acknowledgment?

I recently completed my first e-OCI application through VFS London.

Mine was actually faster than I expected. After acknowledgment, the application moved to "Granted" in about 18 days. I didn't receive any document requests, and the portal updated directly without much warning.

One thing I'd recommend is not comparing your timeline too closely with someone else's, even if you applied through the same country. A friend who submitted only a few days before me waited almost five weeks.

Based on my experience, the acknowledgment date is the important milestone because that's when the official processing begins, but individual timelines can still vary depending on the case and any required checks.

My experience in Canada was a little slower.

The application was acknowledged within about a week after VFS forwarded it, but it remained "Under Process" for almost six weeks. Around week four, I started wondering if something was wrong because friends who applied later had already received approvals.

Eventually, the consulate emailed me asking for a clearer scan of one supporting document. Once I uploaded it, the application continued processing and was approved about two weeks later.

So a longer timeline doesn't always mean there's an issue, but if additional verification or documents are needed, it can extend the process. Every application seems to be reviewed individually.

I applied through VFS Chicago and my experience was pretty close to the official estimate.

My application was acknowledged on July 10, and it stayed at "Under Process" for about three weeks. Then the status changed to "Granted," and I was able to access my e-OCI shortly after. I never received an email saying it had been approved—I only noticed because I checked the OCI portal every couple of days.

I wasn't asked for any additional documents, and there were no status updates in between. The waiting period felt long because nothing seemed to happen, but in the end it was just under a month from acknowledgment.

From what I've seen, it's pretty normal for the portal to remain unchanged for several weeks before the next update appears.