Being an Indian and living and working in the US on a visa, it becomes your priority to keep a note of the expiry date of your passports and getting it renewed on time. It is important to get your passport renewed in time because it is the most vital key which can get you back home. So, to avoid complexities related to your stay in the US, make sure you apply for renewal early enough.
Most people have a certain level of confusion and questions in their mind regarding the process of renewing their Indian passport in the US. Well, the basic procedure of renewing your Indian passport constitutes of the following steps:
- Visiting the Embassy with the list of required documents along with your current passport and three copies of 2×2 inches photograph.
- Filling up the passport renewal application form and applying for the issue of your fresh passport.
- Submitting the application form along with the application fees. The application fees depend on the type of booklet you are asking for.
- Collect the application reference number and keep it safe for tracking the status of your passport renewal process.
Well, on an average, Indian Passport renewal process requires a period of three to six weeks, if the last passport was issued from India. You can easily get a fresh passport issued in about ten days’ time if the passport has been issued from the Indian Embassy present in the USA.
A passport holder can apply for renewal 365 days before its expiry. It is, however, recommended to keep a minimum of six weeks time in hand before the expiry to avoid unwanted delays in the processing from the Indian Embassy. It must be noted that the police clearance certificate for immigration is handled by the Indian Embassy only.
There are three types of fees that you need to pay for getting your passport renewed, namely, the application fee, ICWF fee, and service charges. The application fees cost around $75 for a regular booklet which consists of thirty-six pages. For a booklet of sixty pages, the application costs about $100. ICWF or Indian Community Welfare Fund fee costs $3. Finally coming to the service charges, the renewal process costs $19.95.
The list of documents required in the process of renewing Indian Passport in the USA consists of:
• A neatly filled, complete application form.
• The Expiring passport, the recent one only.
• Three copies of 2×2 inches photograph of the passport holder. The picture should have a completely white background.
• Copies of the initial five and last two pages of the current passport.
• Notarized copy of a list of documents including the driving license of US, I-94, work authorization, stamp of visa on the passport, a copy of the degree and marriage certificate.
Usually, the Indian passport renewal process in the USA requires three copies of photos having a perfectly white background. The copies of photos are to be attached in the following ways:
• One copy of the photo is to be attached in the passport renewal application form.
• The second copy of the photo is to be attached in the signature or change in appearance form.
• Earlier, the CKGS nationality verification form required the third copy of the photo. However, after CKGShas removed this form, the third photo may or may not be required. However, it is advised to send a copy of losing photo in the package for related use.
When you schedule an appointment with CGKS, you will be provided with a reference number. The reference number which is generated by CGKS is unique and can be used for tracking the application of passport renewal. For tracking via online methods, all you need to do is enter the Tracking ID or the reference number, the Passport number, and the date of birth.
This would provide you with the entire details regarding the current status of your application. It must be noted that the online reference number, which is present in the online registration form is not a valid one for tracking.
Yes, you can renew your Indian Passport before it expires. However, you should keep it in mind that you can not get your passport renewed for some time of more than a year before the date of expiry.
Once a fresh passport gets issued, the old one is cancelled and is returned to the applicant. However, if a visa is valid in the old passport, it does not get cancelled. It can be used until its expiration date without any issues.
You can get the US address in your Indian passport by submitting the required application and document. You can either visit the office personally and use the medium of post for applying to the CKGS service application center. Check your jurisdiction and based on it, visit the CKGS center, and submit the required documents.
It is important to note that you submit all the necessary documents with the duly filled application form to avoid situations of delay and rejection.
If your last passport was issued by the Indian Embassy in the USA, you could easily apply for the passport keeping ten days in hand. Well, if you want to play too safe, you can apply for the same at a maximum of 365 days before the final expiry. However, if your current passport was issued from India, it is advised to keep six weeks time in hand while applying for it in US so that you can avoid issues regarding the delays at the Indian Embassy.
These are the most basic list of questions which most people living and working in the United States have regarding renewal of their passport. It is advised to keep enough spare time in hand while applying for the renewal process to avoid unforeseen troubles. Make sure that you submit all the required documents, the notarized copies as well as photos and get yourself a fresh passport easily and effectively.
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