• This is to inform that the Consulate General of India, Chicago has NOT AUTHORIZED any person or agency to collect and deliver the applications for Passport/OCI card/PIO card or for miscellaneous Consular Services on its behalf. It is advised that such applications should be deposited in person or sent by mail / courier service directly to the Consulate. Applicants should not fall prey to un-authorized and unscrupulous agents and spend more money than the prescribed fees,details of which are available in this website as well as the Consulate’s Notice Board. 
  • For visa applications, the Consulate has authorized only one agency namely M/s TRAVISA OUTSOURCING, 17 North State Street, Suite no. 950, Chicago IL 60603 (phone: 312-346-2367), which is the sole responsible to collect and deliver visa applications.
  • Kindly keep photocopy of all douments mentioned below in safe custody so that you can retrieve the same if you loose these and you need references for duplicate or new documents. In case of non-availability of these photocopies, the process of issue of duplicate /new document is prolonged and may result in long delay.

    (i)Passport, (ii) Relevant visa pages in that passport, (iii) OCI card, (iv) OCI visa sticker & (v) PIO Card       
  • Indian passport holders coming for studies/work please get registered with the Indian Consulate   
    after your arrival in the jurisdiction of this Consulate.

 
Passport 

  • Passport is a valuable document. It should always be in your own safe custody. Passports should not be sent out of the country of residence by post/courier.   If lost or destroyed, the fact and circumstances should be immediately reported to the nearest Indian Mission and the local police to avoid the misuse of the same by undesired elements. 
  •  Do check the expiry date of your passport time to time or keep record of the same which is easily noticeable to you. This will avoid your embarrassment at Airport or other places where you would like to travel for any reason including emergencies. 

Suppression of factual information/furnishing of wrong information:

  • It is an offence under the Passports Act 1967 to (i) suppress the factual information, or (ii) give false information in the Application, or (iii) willful damage of passport, or (iv) making unauthorized changes in the passport. Such acts may lead to denial of passport facilities.
  • Accepting or submitting a forged/counterfeit travel document, ID card etc, is a big offence, such persons will face serious legal consequences and punishments. 

Acquisition of US/foreign Citizenship: 

  • Possession of valid Indian passport consequent upon acquisition of US/foreign citizenship is not permissible under Indian laws.  You should submit the Indian passport to the nearest Indian Mission and get it cancelled.
  • Please note that valid visas in the cancelled Indian Passport do not get cancelled, these remain valid till completion of their prescribed period.  
  • The Indian Passport after canceling will be returned back to the Individual and not repeat not retained in the Indian Mission/Post. The cancelled Indian passport should be kept in safe custody, as it may be required at the time of applying for the PIO card/OCI card or for seeking separate passport for children, if it contains an endorsement to that effect. 
  • Please note that Dual citizenship [Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme] does not permit holding of Indian Passport after acquiring US or other citizenship. You have to take Indian visa for traveling to India or get an OCI or PIO card after getting other nationality (after surrendering Indian citizenship) .   

On-line applications for Passport and OCI services

  • Please note that all the applications except in respect of Extension of Passport (issued under Tatkal scheme or of short validity), miscellaneous services, and PIO card are on-line applications. You have to do first on-line registration and then send hard copy of the application with the requisite documents to the Consulate. Unless you send hard copy of the application to the Consulate, we will not come to know whether you have applied or not.

 

  • Before filling up the on-line application please read all the instructions carefully. Before giving save command please read the data which you have filled up as the same data goes in the on-line system and the Consulate officials do not interfere in it.
  • If you notice that you have made some errors while filling up the on-line application and you come to know only after taking printout of the application, do not panic, please do the on-line application once again, this will not affect your application or services as the Consulate will only consider the application on the basis of hard copy you sent.

Visa

  • If you have a valid visa on your US/Foreign passport and if you acquired new US / Foreign passport, it is essential to carry your both US/Foreign passports (old/new) while travelling otherwise you will face embarrassment at the airport, as we often forget to take our old passport (which contains valid visa). It is always better to transfer your valid visa to the new passport.
  • Though your US/Foreign passport expires/cancels, the valid visa on it does not get expired/ cancelled until it completes its validity or visa issuing authority does so.

  Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card

  • It is essential to carry OCI card, your US/Foreign Passport (carrying LIFE LONG visa sticker) while travelling to India.
  • If you got a new US/Foreign Passport and your OCI visa sticker is in old passport, please carry OCI card, Old Passport (containing OCI visa sticker) and new passport along with you while travelling to India.

 

  • If you want to get a new OCI visa sticker having new passport number, please apply through OCI Miscellaneous Services.

Person of Indian Origin (PIO) Card

  • It is essential to carry PIO card, your US/Foreign Passport while traveling to India. Separate visa is not required.
  • If you got new US /Foreign passport, please carry PIO Card, Old and new US/ Foreign passports along with you while traveling to India.

 

  • You should get endorsed the new passport number in the PIO card. 

 MAILING SERVICE: 

    • Outstation applicants may send their application(s) for various consular services by mail, except for attestation of Power of Attorney, Life Certificate, issue of new passport due to lost/damage/change of appearance, issue/renewal of Emergency Certificate.  
    • Emergency service is not repeat not rendered in cases where documents are received by mail.  
    • The documents received by various categories of mail like FedEx, Airborne, Certified mail, Registered mail, Express mail, Regular mail etc. are treated at par. If you are sending application by mail, then it is always better to send application by FEDEX or USPS Express mail so that you can track down the application and also get confirmation of the receipt of the delivery of documents to the Consulate through FEDEX or USPS Express mail. No separate intimation will be done by the Consulate about the receipt of documents.
    • The Consulate is not responsible for loss of documents during transit in mail in both directions.
    • Please do not call to the Consulate immediately after sending your application by mail to check whether it has reached to the Consulate or not, please give sufficient time for the delivery of the document. As explained above, delivery of documents can be confirmed from the mailing agency through which you have sent the documents.
    • Do not plan your air travels without getting your documents in hand, you may loose money as well as peace of mind. 

MODE OF PAYMENT:
At the Counter:         Cash or Money Order or Postal Order or Cashier’s cheque.                            
                                      Personal Cheque or Credit or Debit card is not acceptable.

      By Mail:                  Money Order or Postal Order or Cashier’s cheque.                           
                                       Cash or Personal Cheque or Credit or Debit card is not acceptable.  

                                    Please note that fees for OCI will not (repeat not) be accepted in cash. 
  • Do not send cash in mail.

  • We follow the Chicago Time; do not argue with Consulate Officials showing the time at your place.

  • Cashier Cheque/Postal Order or Money Order should be on the name of “ Consulate General of India, Chicago” . In the event of dishonoring of Cashier Cheque/Postal Order/ Money order submitted by the Applicant owing to "Stop payment" or by any other reasons, the applicant has to pay the due fees along with the penalties levied by the Bank. Failing to do so by the applicant will attract legal action including cancellation of the service (if provided already). No arguments on this will be accepted.  
  • Do not argue with the Consular Officers showing the differences in the various websites or website and the available form, the decision of the Consular officer present there will be final for all Consular services. Please go by the instructions given in this website.
  • If you expect courtesy/politeness from the Consulate Officials, same is expected from you also.
  • If you come with or send all proper documents, your work will be done without any delay and as per the prescribed time schedule.

Please note that the information provided in SAMPLE PASSPORT / OCI / PIO APPLICATIONS AS WELL AS OCI / PIO SAMPLE DOCUMENTS is totally imaginary.

  • The laws against child sex crime and such intentions are very strict in the USA. Please stay away from chatting on Internet with un-known person and do not fall in the cyber sting trap, you may land in jail and face severe punishment.