Indian Consulate gouging Candian applicants - High OCI fees
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Quote:
Originally posted by DesiGuy1981
Well, PIO Fees still remain the same C$240 vs US$185 for kids!
so we can pay us 275 in canada?
or that price is for americans?
This is for individuals applying through Indian Consulate in Toronto.
If you pay by US$ draft or money order, you pay US$ 275.
If you pay by C$ draft or money order, you pay C$ 421.
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Quote:
Originally posted by rajcanada
Quote:
Originally posted by DesiGuy1981
Well, PIO Fees still remain the same C$240 vs US$185 for kids!
so we can pay us 275 in canada?
or that price is for americans?
This is for individuals applying through Indian Consulate in Toronto.
If you pay by US$ draft or money order, you pay US$ 275.
If you pay by C$ draft or money order, you pay C$ 421.
thank you for ur reply
but can we make us$ draft in canadian bank..im with td..dont have any us$ as of yet but can get it easily...
Sure... u can buy it... They will put their exchange rate... so u may be paying C$1.02 or so per US$1
Did anyone paid US $ 275.00 as their OCI fee. I am still doubting it.
Jignesh
Quote:
Originally posted by Jignesh
Did anyone paid US $ 275.00 as their OCI fee. I am still doubting it.
Jignesh
CGI toronto's official website says that (also Vancouver's and Ottawa's). What do you think it is?
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Location: carl sagan's universe
Posted on: 16-02-08 07:07:39
Please read
http://www.southasianfocus.com/community/article/43167
India backs down over OCI charges
Wednesday February 13 2008
By SUNIL RAO, Staff Writer
Print this article
Email this article Following accusations of gouging over Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card charges, the Indian government has finally picked a face-saving path out of the corner it had painted itself in.
Effective Feb. 4, 2008, Indian missions in Canada have dropped their charges to US$275 for each OCI applicant, the same as Indian missions in the United States charge applicants there.
The fees had hitherto been C$421, with no option of paying in U.S. dollars.
"With effect from Feb. 4, 2008, payment of the fee of US$275 or C$421... can be paid either in U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars," the Indian consulate-general in Toronto said in a message posted on its website recently.
The money can be paid only through a bank certified cheque or money order payable to The Consulate-General of India, Toronto, the message added.
Bragging rights
South Asian Focus had first exposed the issue in August 2007, pointing out Indo-Canadians who apply for an OCI card must pay a fee of $421 per application. In the United States, however, applicants pay a fee of US$275.
At exchange rates extant last August, the equivalent in Canadian dollar terms was around C$300.
At that time Satish Mehta, Indian Consul-General, had pointed out: "We cannot adjust fees on a daily or monthly basis every time the currency rates fluctuate-- that would be chaotic." But he had accepted the missions should charge applicants the correct amount.
A 'legitimate issue'
Subsequently towards end-September and early October, both Vayalar Ravi, India's first Cabinet Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, and R.L. Narayan, Indian High Commissioner, had agreed it was a "legitimate issue", and had promised to take it up to the higher authorities.
The issue continued to simmer, but with the loonie thereafter going on a bull run to eventually gain parity with its U.S. counterpart-- it had actually inched higher than the greenback, and is today placed marginally lower, at 99.85 cents-- the mismatch in OCI charges became especially glaring, prompting a rethink.
Indo-Canadians noted it wasn't a complete climbdown, keeping all parties' honour intact. "They haven't revised the Canadian dollar fees (which continue to stand at C$421), but at least they have given us the option to pay in U.S. dollars," noted a Peel resident.
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Looks like all the letters to the newspapers and the subsequent meetings the journalists had with Vayalar Ravi when he was here did have some influence.
Location: carl sagan's universe
Posted on: 16-02-08 07:16:11
I am reposting my comments on 23 Aug here for the sceptics.
Bravo Surtalme!
First crack gets attention. By South Asian Focus.
LINK
If you can read the editorial, that also mentions the gouging.
Should lay low the first round of sceptics that called me and emailed me that no paper would bother.
The next round of critics will say- So what? Only when the govt does something about it should we say we accomplished something.
That is a long arduous road, but doable.
As someone pointed out the general PIO fees were adjusted downwards. If enough pressure builds up the govt will def re-evaluate the currency rate changes and may adjust every 6 months or so, not on a daily basis.
You can be dead sure that had the Can D gone the other way the govt would have definitely revised the fees like pronto.
But again, a long and winding road.
Let's see if the other papers take up the matter.
