MightyIndian
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Posts posted by MightyIndian
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25 minutes ago, Palak.v said:
Hi Mighty indian. One quick question - I submitted my application for renunciation of my Indian passport. I got an email from VFS saying there is one doc.missing- renunciation government application form. What is this form? I filled in everything and submitted it as well. There was no such form format which I need to fill up. Can u please help me.
Did you go here https://embassy.passportindia.gov.in/ and fill the government application form for renunciation? If not, that's what VFS is asking for.
Follow the attached checklist and you will be fine.
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1 hour ago, happytree said:
I just had my naturalization interview recently and my oath ceremony will be in the next few weeks. Right at the beginning of my interview, the officer informed me that I wouldn't be able to change my name as I had requested in my N-400 because their court was closed due to COVID and that no one was getting name changes in that field office. The IO told me what most people are doing is to get their naturalization without the name change, then apply for a name change in their local court, then apply to their US passport using the naturalization certificate + name change from court.
I asked the IO if this wouldn't cause an issue knowing the naturalization certificate would have the old/incorrect name as soon as I change the name in the court. The officer said it shouldn't, because even if the certificate had the old name, I would have the court document with the new name. The officer was really nice and helpful, but I didn't want to continue pressing the name issue during my naturalization interview. So I have a few questions:
1. Has anyone seen/heard about a situation like this in other field offices? (my field office is Portland, OR)
2. If I get my name changed through my local court (after naturalization), Should I request a new naturalization certificate? The fee for this seems quite steep: $555 for the naturalization certificate + $300 fee in my local court.
3. Has anyone here done this? Did you apply for a passport with a naturalization certificate (old name) + court name change (new name)?
4. Any ideas?
Thanks all!
My wife had exact same situation during her naturalization interview. She opted for name change on her N-400 but the IO told her during interview that it would take several weeks for oath as courts are closed due to the pandemic. She naturalized without name change and later applied for a name change in local court. It took about 6 weeks to get a hearing and name changed. In the mean time she applied for a passport to support any emergency travel. Once the name change order was on hand, she reapplied for passport with new name (re-applying within 1 year is free). She got the new passport and card in 4 weeks. Using the passport card she applied for SSN change and it was done in 3 weeks. Shen then got her DL changed using the name change order/passport and SSN card. It appears to be a lot of work but not complicated.
She didn't care to get a new naturalization certificate with the new name.
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50 minutes ago, striking19 said:
One more question. Did they return the old passport?
Yes they did.
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On 6/27/2021 at 12:00 AM, striking19 said:
however, a related question. Anyone know if the passport number changes with DS-5504?
My wife sent in DS-5504 for name change. Her passport number changed.
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You cannot.
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53 minutes ago, KevinSass said:
I have received the forms I mailed to SSO but haven't received the new SS card yet. Do you know how long it will take? I did not change name, just update citizenship. Thank you
In my case, which did not involve name change, it took 2 weeks to get the new SS card. I would say 2-3 weeks is normal processing time.
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38 minutes ago, Eternati said:
I hope you are right, because I explicitly asked the SSA clerk if the SS-5 + original of NC + original of the petition for the name change would be sufficient to update their record, and he said NO, we will also need the original of your driver's license that has your old name on it. So I am really on the fence here. I already received my new passport (it took 2 weeks btw), but haven't gotten my NC back yet. If what you're saying is true, I might just mail them the NC once I get it back.
I told you what I did so that you would gain from my experience. If you don't believe it, you are free to do whatever you believe and wish to do. Good luck.
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56 minutes ago, Eternati said:
Wait you changed your name through naturalization and you only mailed them the passport card/book/NC (one of these) alongside with the name change form? That's it? You didn't send them an ID with your old name and still got the new SSN card?
Not me but my wife. Your old name is already with SSA and you don't need to send any evidence for that. The evidence needed is for citizenship which passport card/book or NC supports. The other is for name change which the name change order supports.
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2 hours ago, ImmiGeek said:
As far as I know, SSN updates would happen automatically by USCIS informing your updated citizenship status directly to SSA office. It may take 2-3 weeks from your Oath date.
On the other hand, if you change your name or something like that, you may attempt to update SSA file by yourself by using your passport card (not passport book).
Federal jobs never ask you for your SSA records indicating your citizenship status. It is illegal for rejecting such an offer based on your SSA records. Worst case, they may delay your offer til you get your SSA records updated, this case is very unlikely. So, Keep working on your job hunt while when you are free, Call SSA office (after a month or so), check if your immigration status is reflecting on your SSA records. Then think of if you want to update the SSA records by yourself by sending your passport card and application etc.
SSN is not updated by USCIS automatically after naturalization. Every individual has to get his SSN status updated him/herself. The attached document explains it.
Usually name changes and job requirements drive the need to update SSN status immediately after naturalization. Most states mandate a SSN change for name changes, to issue a DL. Most others tend to ignore as its not a priority for them.
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23 hours ago, Eternati said:
Yeah but I am changing my name. They need an ID with an old name on it, which in my case (and per their website) is a driver's license.
If the name change is through naturalization, you must attach the name change order you received from USCIS, signed by a judge along with your passport car/book/NC. While sending in SS-5 and collaterals use a trackable mail such as USPS priority mail FedEx/UPS with return postage paid envelope. SSA will make copies of your collaterals and send back the originals. In my case it happened in 2 days. USPS priority mail is the quickest and cheapest trackable mail to use. It takes 2 weeks to update in the system for SSA and you will get a new SSN card in mail, in the third week, with your new name.
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7 hours ago, Erica12 said:
Hi, am I understanding this correctly, it does not matter where you sending your application from, it will be all processed at the same center?
Or there different centers for each state? Thanks everyone!
There are a total of 27 passport processing agencies including National Passport Center. An application for passport can be sent to any of these depending on the work load. I live in Charleston,SC and despite a processing center in Charleston, my application was processed in Western passport center in Tucson, AZ. You would get to know the processing center either when you call the National Passport customer service line or when you receive the passport.
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6 hours ago, KevinSass said:
Hi,
I updated citizenship by mail. I have received my passport and the application back. How do we know if my citizenship has already been updated? Do we need to call them to check? I don't change my name, so will they send me a new SS card or not?
Thank you.
They will send you a new SS card in 2-3 weeks.
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8 hours ago, HunnyBunny said:
Hello everyone,
Here I am again after dealing with an unique situation. Last month I had posted in this group about mistake in my US passport. I realized that after submitting my OCI application. Everything was done...payment, uploading all the documents, photograph, courier labels. But just a day before sending the physical documents I found a mistake in my US Passport. I wrote to VFS & I had been informed that if I don't submit the physical documents my application expires & I can ask for refund. That has been done, I got my refund as per their refund policy. Now I am trying to create a new application under same name, email id & I keep getting message that "User already exists". And if I try to login with previously created id & password and try to "Add a new customer" with old GRN number its giving me this message -
- Government reference number is not valid. Please recheck if its correctly entered or belongs to the correct Consular Jurisdiction
I don't know what to do. Has anybody tried to reapply for OCI the second time? After first application expired?
You login with your older userID and Password but use a new ARN after filling in a new application on government site.
Consulate of India at Atlanta made this detailed video on application process for OCI. Refer to it and you should be good. -
58 minutes ago, Target2020ForN400 said:
Usually updates would have some invisible and important changes such as RFID readers, touch less data chips embedded (smart passports) etc.. I would prefer to get the latest if I have a choice.
The current passports that are being issued, with old design, already have a chip embedded.
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14 hours ago, OlympiaBound said:
Hi. My wife wasn't allowed to do the name change with USCIS when she became a citizen. They said that due to Covid she would have to petition the court at a later date.
So, she has her Certificate of Naturalization with her Chinese name on it. We've made an appointment with our county court to have her name changed. Afterwards, we want to get her US passport, update her Social Security card, and change her name on her state ID (she doesn't have a driver's license).
Will we be able to get a passport if her Certificate of Naturalization has her old name on it? Even though we have a document from the court saying that her name is changed? If we wanted to get another form of ID, we would have to get her state ID, but they need her updated Social Security card to do a name change. Can we get an updated Social Security card even though her Certificate of Naturalization has her old name on it?The officer who conducted her interview and did the oath ceremony for her told her that she didn't have to worry about her Certificate of Naturalization having her Chinese name on it and that she should still be able to apply for everything, but I'm getting kind of worried, as that doesn't seem right at all.
Thank you!
Yes, The name change order from court will take care of the new name. NC need not be changed. If your wife has a passport on her old name, she can file a DS-5504 to get the name changed. The change is free for normal processing if filed within one year of the previous passport issue date. If she doesn't have a passport yet, she can file DS-11 attaching both NC and name change order from court to get a passport on new name.
Now for SS you need evidence of citizenship. If you are applying for a first passport, you need to send in the NC as evidence of citizenship. So you have to wait until the passport and collaterals come back to apply for SS change. I believe most states require SS change prior to getting the DL changed. So depending on the need you have to figure out which one to apply first, passport or SS.
My wife's case is exactly same but she applied for passport on her old name first and later got it changed. She used her passport card with old name to get the SS name change. -
12 hours ago, Ayja said:
Hello good people , I need info from anyone that have been interviewed recently for combo n400 & i751 at Charleston,SC uscis office to please share his/her experience .
I have n400 interview coming up with a pending i751 ,hence my question.
I’ll really appreciate everyone’s response .thank y’all .
Here is the link to timelines of all who applied at Charleston, SC from a year ago. You may look through to find what you need.
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20 minutes ago, christophec said:
Applied at USPS 01/13
Status In Process 02/02
Called yesterday to apply for expedited service. can someone clear my doubt on that? I called and he took my credit card, $60.00 and he said my card will be charged only if it is approved for expedited. When should I expect my card to be charged, and why would they not approve it ?
The customer service representative only collects the expedite service payment and then passes on that information to the passport processing center. That center based on their workload would respond to the expedite request. I did the same as you and they took 2 weeks to respond to the expedite request. A week later I received the passport itself. It could be be early in your case but expect to wait at-least 2 weeks to hear an update.
The approval thing is a standard disclaimer. Good luck to you.
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On 1/25/2020 at 10:32 AM, Mounat02 said:
Spectacular. Congrats.
Now I wish I'd paid that extra $60.
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3 hours ago, MrKo said:
Hi, new citizen here. I just applied for my passport, but I have a concern. I used the DOS website to fill out and generate my passport application, I felt that's better than filling out by hand because the online filler generates a bar code, in which case it makes it easier for the passport center to transmit your information into their computer system since they don't need to type everything, all they do is just scanning that bar code on the form.
When I filled out the application using the DOS filler, the website clearly marks which questions are required to answer and which questions are not. If you leave the required questions blank, you won't be able to proceed to the next page. So because I wanted to fill out the form quickly, I only filled what were required -- in other words, I didn't fill out my parents' birthdays and their birth places, I also didn't fill out the emergency contact information, since these were NOT required ACCORDING TO THE DOS form filler.
My concern is what later happened at the postal office. When I printed out the finished forms and went to the postal office, the employee looked at it and said they were going to accept my application but my application will likely be denied by the passport center because I haven't filled out my parents' birthdays and birth places, neither did I provided the emergency contact info. I explained to her that the DOS system says these are not mandatory fields. The employee said he's "been doing this for years and everything on the form is required" and since the bar code on the form had been generated, I could not handwrite anything on the form any more. I either go home and re-do a new form, or take the risk of being denied for an "incomplete" application form.
I chose to trust the DOS website and signed my application.
So, my question to you is that, has any one of you tried to use the DOS website to fill out the passport form without providing your parents' birthday, birth places, and emergency contact info and successfully got your passport???
I used the DOS filler as well and printed my application form without filling the non-mandatory fields.However the USPS employee who reviewed my application suggested to fill in the blank fields by hand saying giving as much information helps. I obliged her suggestion, filled up the blank fields by hand. USPS employees do this work everyday and they know very well what works. Heeding to their advice is useful. It was, in my case at-least as I received my passport/card/NC back, without any questions.
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I received my renunciation certificate and canceled passport today. My timeline below for information.
12/30/2020 - Renunciation package delivered at VFS office.
12/30/2020 - Received email from VFS Global confirming receipt of application
01/04/2021 - Received message "processed and sent to Embassy"
01/12/2021 - Received message "your application has been reviewed by the embassy and dispatched"
01/13/2021 - Received Cancelled passport and surrender certificate by FedEx. -
18 minutes ago, Sma99 said:
Sorry to hear that. I have an international flight in exactly a week and beginning to feel like I will not receive the passport time. Can’t do much I guess...
Did you try calling and informing about your travel? Usually for priorities like that passports are issued within 3-5 business days.
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1 hour ago, HunnyBunny said:
Thank you. I submitted all my papers through Fadex & it got delivered today. Let see how much time it takes.
Good. According to VFS it takes about 10 days. Good luck.
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12 hours ago, QueenofSwords said:
Hello all, as I suspected I learned that they won't allow any phones for the interview. I thought that I could check it in with the guard and retrieve it after the interview.
Unlike most people, I fly solo as in I will be driving myself there. I would rely on GPS so I need my phone.
So, am I expected to just leave my phone in the car then? And I can take my purse in? I suppose we can have a book or something to pass the time while we wait our turn?
I was allowed to keep my phone with me. Despite me keeping it in silent mode the alarm went off in the middle of the interview😀. I apologized and went right back to answering the questions. While it depends on each of the field offices to allow phones, in general you are allowed to take your phone with you. Unlike me, please switch the phone off during the interview.
OCI APPLICATION MARITAL STATUS - SAME SEX MARRIAGE
in India
Posted
Irrespective of sex, if you are married, you must claim correct marital status in your application form. Otherwise you would be committing a perjury. Indian law applies to Indians in India and not to overseas citizens. At the same time India is not that rigid to not recognize the law of a country that allows same sex marriages, unless it suspects a fraud. So don't be afraid and claim married on your application if you haven't already.