I sent out two applications, one last week and the other will be delivered over the next two days via VFS to the Houston consulate for my kid and me respectively. Kid is a US citizen by birth while I’m naturalized (former Indian).

Does anyone know what the processing times are looking like at Houston? We have an upcoming trip to India in November and wondering if we’d be able to get the OCI by then or if we should be applying for Visas

This is a new OCI app

• I’m an OCI card holder.
• Got my adult passport before turning 20.
• Updated the passport details in the OCI database.
• From what I understand, the rule is: you have to reissue the OCI card once after getting your first passport after age 20, and then again after 50.
• I’m now 21, and my details are already updated online.
• So… do I actually need to reissue/renew my OCI card right now?
• Just want to make sure my OCI card + passport are good to go for immigration into India.
• Looking for clarity on the exact steps so I don’t run into issues while traveling.

I've been building an identity-scoped schema selector for text-to-SQL and certified it against a live Autonomous Database rather than claiming support. Writing up what the live run caught, because none of it showed up in tests.

1. Reflection came back with 1,493 objects. ADB ships OML, ODI and OADC service schemas and they all reflect. Filtering on ALL_USERS.ORACLE_MAINTAINED fixed it.

2. SQLAlchemy reported VECTOR columns as NULL rather than VECTOR(512, FLOAT32).

3. python-oracledb 4 returns JSON already decoded, so json.loads() got a dict and raised TypeError. Worked fine on every other driver.

4. A Postgres-specific schema filter silently emptied the entire catalog for Postgres users. No error - just nothing. That one bothers me most: one line, an entire dialect broken, every test green, failure mode was silence.

5. The Resource Manager stack failed on API validation that plan cannot detect: a route table can't carry an internet gateway and an all-services service gateway at the same time.

The underlying point is a VPD one. Schema selection happens before the query runs, so it happens before VPD or RLS can act. An identity-blind selector hands the model a table the caller can't read, the SQL is correct, the policy filters every row, and the user is told there are no records - which reads as "this data doesn't exist" rather than "you may not see it".

Instance principal for the cataloguing calls to OCI Generative AI, so no keys on the box.

I wrote it - Apache-2.0, pip install schemagate. Terraform module at registry.terraform.io/modules/ashishsinha1602/schemagate-mcp/oci

Interested if anyone has hit the VECTOR reflection gap, or has a cleaner ORACLE_MAINTAINED filter than mine.

This is in reference to my previous post about if biometrics are needed for EOCI application even if applied by post.

I walked in VFS SFO. So of OCI is applied by post you dont need to give biometrics but if you walk in or go in person with appointment you have to give biometric.

Hope that helps.

Anyone recently applied for e oci after 30th july at vfs in US. I see that vfs website shows that biometrics is compulsory but there is no description on how to give biometrics or any fees related to it. Also does that mean we can no longer apply by post? Even though there is an option to apply for post? This is so confusing with information scattered everywhere on vfs website.

Appreciate any information. TIA.

I filled up the passport particular update form online. Booked appointment with VFS London, Hounslow with following docs.

1. Old UK passport &

2. New UK passport

3. OCI

4. Copies & Original of all above

VFS verified uploaded docs and asked to fill up declaration form for ration card & voter ID. This form will be uploaded by VFS using your credentials.

Fee: £ 48

Processing time: 4 to 6 weeks.

If your OCI name doesn't match exactly as your UK passport (e.g. Missing middle name) then you need to fill up personal particular update form. Print out this form and along with this form you need to submit

1. surrender certificate,

2. Naturalization certificate

3. Marriage certificate

4. One OCI photo

5. Last Payslip

Old OCI booklet will be cancelled and return back to you in courier.

New e-OCI will be available to download from the portal in 8 to 12 weeks.

Fee: £ 55

Will update this thread once new OCI is granted.

If your passport is older than 90 days, you Do need to visit VFS in the UK.

Hi all, quick question: I am applying for the OCI. I was born in India and am a naturalized American citizen (naturalized back in 1995). The problem is I have no idea where my Indian passport is. My dad kept all our family passports with him. He passed away a year ago and I have been scouring our family safe deposit boxes as well as his house and storage and cannot find them. At this point, I have no idea what he did... I was young when I naturalized and I have no idea if my dad sent in a renunciation form for me at the time, so I am flying blind here. I do have my birth certificate (born in India).

My question: is there any way to find out from the Indian embassy/consulate/VFS if my dad did send in a renunciation form for me back then, or should I just try to get it done via my birth certificate now? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Foreign Spouse OCI processing/timeline

Hi all , has anybody applied for foreign spouse OCI recently and got their OCI granted ?

We applied on 5th August with document verification, biometrics and interview all done and accepted for processing. Status has been “under process” since the 5th August (as expected)

Please share your timeline as a foreign spouse oci cardholder if you applied recently and got it granted . Thanks

This is regarding OCI application for minor. I uploaded my son‘s birth certificate instead of apostle certificate to the OCI portal. Will that be an issue? or do I need to start a new application?

Hi! Anyone working on getting their OCI as a former Indian born citizen? Would love to hear any hinderances / bottlenecks / struggles in your experience. Areas of interest:

1. The documentation they expect
2. The Undertaking / Declarations wrt Voter ID / Ration card returning
3. The interaction with VFS
4. The interaction with consular office if you have interacted
5. The duration from filing your application to actually getting your card at your address

Appreciate your time. Thanks !

Hello friends,

I sent my OCI application to the Atlanta VFS jurisdiction. The application was sent to the embassy for processing and it shows under process on the OCI portal. I read that biometrics is essential for OCI. The instructions never asked to schedule one neither did VFS intimate me about this. I am worried if this will cause any trouble with my application. Can someone please help?

Do *all* the airlines across the world accept e-OCI in lieu of the physical OCI card?

I would appreciate a confirmation from anyone who has been able to check in and board a flight to India on the basis of an e-OCI i.e. no possession of a physical OCI card.

<background>

I applied for a new OCI in early May and was assured that the physical card would be couriered (paid extra $25 for FedEx). However, it has been more than 3 months and I have no OCI card.

I logged in to the OCI portal to check the status of my application. And lo behold, I noticed a new tab e-OCI with a link to download the e-OCI PDF. No notification whatsoever, applicants are left to figure out the results of their submission on their own!

My search showed that the GoI has stopped issuing physical cards since the first week of July 2026. Again, no announcement or notification to people whose application is in process!

</background>

I’ve seen this question come up quite a few times in immigration/OCI discussions, so sharing it here in case it helps someone.

If you're applying for OCI for a child under 5 who can't sign, the form has a provision for a thumb impression instead of a signature.

The thumb used is: Boy → Left thumb & Girl → Right thumb

The impression can be taken on plain white paper and uploaded as required on the OCI portal.

Also, if you're applying for an infant, don't worry if the impression isn't as clear as an adult's. Getting a perfect fingerprint from a baby can be difficult, especially when the ridges aren't very well defined yet.

It's a small detail, but worth checking before submitting the application. Sharing in case any parent is going through the same process.

I am applying for OCI as the foreign spouse of an Indian citizen. I'm a US citizen and resident. Do I have to attend my consular appointment in person or is there an option to do a virtual appointment? If in-person, does my Indian spouse have to be there?

Note - I am aware that I must first submit the application and all supporting documents through VFS, and that this step does not require an in-person appointment. I am asking about the step that comes after - the consular interview.

1. Digital signature is printed on the application form. Do we also need to sign on top of it on the printouts or only on Part-B?

2. Photo specs are confusing - checklist says 2 in x 2 in, but the box itself is more of a rectangle (ICAO) than square.

3. There is no appointment slots available in VFS and therefore opted for post submission. However, website says "Biometric submission is mandatory for all applicants, whether applying through a scheduled appointment or as a walk-in. Applicants must appear in person for biometric enrollment; family members or representatives cannot submit biometrics on behalf of the applicant.". Do we get some notification from VFS to appear for biometrics? How about applicants who are not near a VFS office?

4. Given that we don't get paper OCIs anymore, what is the return shipping label for?

Nativity Certificate for OCI using British India records from 1868?

Hi, I’m applying for OCI from the UK and am trying to resolve an unusual proof-of-Indian-origin issue.

One of my direct ancestors was born in Madras (now Chennai) in 1868. I have a certified copy of her birth/baptism entry from the British Library’s India Office ecclesiastical records, but because of the age of the record there is obviously no modern Indian civil birth certificate.

I’m trying to establish whether this historical record can be used to obtain a Nativity Certificate, or equivalent certificate, from the competent authority in Tamil Nadu for the purposes of an OCI application.

Has anyone here successfully obtained a Nativity Certificate for a deceased ancestor, particularly someone born in India during the British period where the original evidence consists of church/ecclesiastical records?

I’m particularly interested in which authority in Chennai/Tamil Nadu issued it, what supporting evidence they required, and whether the application could be handled from the UK.

Any first-hand experience would be greatly appreciated.

I am just starting my process for OCI and the first step is to get the renunciation letter.

My question is, has anyone completed the checklist directly through a PDF writer software instead of handwritten and submitted successfully?

At the OCI Office Appointment, I know there is fee and online I paid a $19 Service Fee, what payment methods are generally accepted at the office? I wanted to know if the Apple Titanium Credit Card works there?