I recently went through the process of applying for a PIO card for my daughter and for reasons beyond my control, I ended up just satisfied with a visa, but in the process I did learn a thing or two
- If both parents are citizens of India then the kid can only get a PIO and not an OCI
- Consulate General of India doesn’t handle the PIO cards or anything of that sort anymore, they have outsourced it Travisa (I found it the hard way when the consulate returned my application without even opening it)
- Unlike the old times, The new regulations require to send the passport along with the application for PIO card
- The Travisa website is well documented a complete opposite of CGI Houston which left things to imagination on requirements for either a PIO or a visa
- The Travisa office is also very professionally maintained, when I went to apply for a visa I was in and out of the office in less than half hour. They send you an email every step of the way (I got 3 emails in total, one saying they received the application, second saying they received from consulate and last one saying they have shipped along with tracking number)
- The only forms of residency proof they accept are drivers license or a utility bill, cable bill or DSL bill won't work
- Visitor visa is the simplest and fastest thing to get (I personally dropped the application I got it the very next day)
- One thing I didn’t like was the fact that they were willing to hand over the passport back to anyone who had the receipt.
- Tuesday is a bad day to go to Houston as most Indian outfits in Houston are closed on Tuesday
- In spite of clear instructions I witnessed quite a few people sent back due to lack of things they were supposed to get
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