I’m a Canadian citizen of Indian origin and applied for my first OCI card from Canada. My application was submitted and the documents were verified at the Indian Mission, and I received the acknowledgement on the OCI portal about two months ago.
Since then, the status has basically stayed the same. It shows that the application has been received and is under process, but I haven’t seen any further update.
When I submitted the application, I provided my Canadian passport, citizenship certificate, old Indian passport, surrender certificate, address proof, photograph and signature. As far as I know, everything matched the information in my current passport.
The OCI website mentions that the normal time for issuing an OCI registration booklet is about 30 days from the date of acknowledgement. I’m now well beyond that, so I’m getting a little concerned.
I’ve checked my email and spam folder but haven't received a request for additional documents. I’ve also been checking the OCI status enquiry page using my application ID and passport number. The official portal provides this status-tracking facility for applications submitted through Indian Missions/FRROs.
Has anyone else had their OCI application acknowledged but no update after two months?
Is this usually just a processing delay, or could “under process” for this long indicate that something needs attention? Should I contact the Indian Mission now, or is it better to wait longer?
I’d especially appreciate experiences from people who applied from Canada and had a similar OCI processing time.
I had a different experience. My OCI application was delayed because the Mission asked for clarification about one of my documents.
That's why I'd first make sure you haven't missed an email or message requesting additional information. The OCI FAQ says that if there is a deficiency in the application, documents or photograph, the concerned Indian Mission/Post/FRRO can inform the applicant by email.
For people who became Canadian or US citizens after previously holding Indian citizenship, I think the citizenship and surrender documentation deserves particular attention. I submitted my foreign citizenship certificate, cancelled Indian passport and surrender certificate along with the other documents.
Another thing I noticed is that the OCI portal asks applicants to enter their details according to their current passport.
If all your documents were already verified and you've received acknowledgement, though, I wouldn't start changing the application simply because the status hasn't moved.
Two months is frustrating, especially if you have upcoming travel, but other applicants' timelines aren't necessarily a reliable indication of what will happen with your application.
Mine took longer than I expected as well. I applied from the US, and my status remained under process for several weeks after acknowledgement.
One thing that confused me initially was the word “acknowledged.” I assumed that meant the application had been completely approved, but it doesn't. According to the OCI FAQ, the Mission acknowledges the application after verifying the documents and confirming that the application and supporting documents are in order. The system then shows the application as received and under process.
So I wouldn't interpret an unchanged status by itself as a rejection.
I kept checking the OCI status page and my registered email address. I also checked spam because some automated messages can easily get missed.
The published normal processing time is around 30 days from acknowledgement, so two months is definitely longer than the normal timeframe stated by the OCI portal.
In my case, the status eventually changed without me submitting another application.
If you're already at the two-month point, I would probably contact the relevant Indian Mission and ask about the pending application rather than submitting a second application.
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I would contact the Mission at this point, mainly because you're already beyond the normal processing period published by OCI.
The official FAQ currently says the normal time for the issue of the OCI registration booklet is about 30 days from the date of acknowledgement.
That doesn't mean every application is guaranteed to be completed within exactly 30 days. There can be differences between individual cases and Missions.
Before contacting them, I'd have these details ready:
I'd also take a screenshot of the current status for your own records.
Don't send passport numbers or other personal information publicly on a forum.
The official OCI status enquiry page allows applicants to check their application using the application ID and passport number.
I'd follow the Mission's current contact instructions rather than relying on an old email address found in somebody else's forum post.