Hello,

I had applied for Refugee status in Canada in 2000 and I was accepted and now I am a Canadian citizen.

I want to know is can I apply for OCI/PIO card I don't see any correct info on Indian embassy website.

I will appreciate your help on this.

Best

What was your nationality before Canadian citizenship?

Assuming you had Indian nationality before Canadian Citizenship and if you applied as a refugee from India, then it is not expected that you will apply for OCI/PIO - maybe that is the reason why you cannot find information on CGI website.

Best option would be to make an appointment at the CGI - Toronto and see the High Commission to discuss your specific case.

Good luck.

Hiren

People with refugee status are not eligible for OCI . They can't even have the passport extended if they some how retained or acquired it .
. Ppl at Embassy will treat you very poorly .

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Growing Old Is Mandatory ..Growing UP is Optional

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Originally posted by AshwaniG

People with refugee status are not eligible for OCI . They can't even have the passport extended if they some how retained or acquired it .
. Ppl at Embassy will treat you very poorly .

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Refugee status was probably a way to get into Canada, Now that he has achieved Canadian citizenship, everything gets normal as usual.
Hence, the need to get OCI, so he can visit his friends/family in India.

There were in fact times when innocent people needed to flee the country as there life was in danger . Its not just prosecution fears .
Circumstances changed now but Indian govt. doesnt understand that .
I know few ppl personally under above circumstances . I bet if you hear their story , you can't sleep for days .

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Originally posted by brown_bear

Quote:

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Originally posted by AshwaniG

People with refugee status are not eligible for OCI . They can't even have the passport extended if they some how retained or acquired it .
. Ppl at Embassy will treat you very poorly .

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I think the fact that O.P. applied for refugee status means he/she have had a reasonable fear of persecution in India.

Now what I don't understand is the same person who fled India and doesn't believe in Indian Legal and Political system (Isn't that the reason O.P. came in as refugee?) feels its perfectly safe to visit India and wants to get OCI/PIO.

It doesn't make any sense to me.


Please educate me if I am missing something here

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Growing Old Is Mandatory ..Growing UP is Optional

The surrender certificate application checklist states among other documents the copy of the Canadian passport. My question is that do you need to copy the whole passport or only pages with observations and the other thing is do you need to send the original landing paper (COPR) or a copy of it with your application. The Canadian passport is expected to be ready in a week's time.

Will appreciate if anyone can guide in this regard.

Thanks in anticipation.