OUTSOURCING OF VISA, PASSPORT AND OCI SERVICES - UPDATE

In order to ensure that the visa, passport and OCI application process is as convenient, fast and customer friendly as possible, the High Commission of India and the Consulate Generals of India had decided to outsource these services in Australia to M/s VFS Services Australia Pty Ltd.

2. M/s VFS have since set up Visa & Passport Services Centres (V&PSC) in the following cities:

[Central Contact Centre No.: +61 (02) 92993539 from 8:30 hrs - 15:00 hrs (Mon-Fri)]

3. The Centres in Perth and Adelaide will be opened as follows:

Centre		Date of Opening
Perth		28 March 2008
Adelaide		18 April 2008

4. The V&PSCs would accept applications for the following services:
      1. Issue of visa for travel to India (except for Diplomatic and Official passports);
      2. Issue of passports;
      3. Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Cards.
      4. Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) Cards.

5. Application forms can be collected from the V&PSCs and also downloaded from the High Commission and Consulates General websites. A service charge of A$ 16.36 plus GST per applicant will apply in addition to regular fees, details of which are available on the websites of the High Commission and the Consulates General.

6. In case the applicant wishes the Passport to be sent through courier/express post etc., separate postal charges will be required to be paid.

7. Once the V&PSCs are operational, the High Commission of India in Canberra, Consulates General of India in Sydney & Melbourne and Honorary Consulates of India in Perth and Brisbane, will not accept applications for issue of visas (except for diplomatic & official passports, for which applications will continue to be received by the High Commission/ Consulates General), passports and OCI/PIO Cards. Applications received after opening of V&PSCs will be processed subject to additional service charge being paid by the applicant.

8. The High Commission and the Consulates General in Sydney & Melbourne will, however, continue to receive applications for other Consular Services as follows:
      Consular Attestations
      Miscellaneous Consular Services like Police Clearance Certificate, Birth
      Certificates, Life Certificates etc.

9. In case of requirement of urgent travel to India on extreme compassionate grounds (death in the family), the High Commission or the Consulates General may be approached directly. Additional charges are applicable for processing such applications outside office hours.

10. The Honorary Consulates in Perth and Brisbane would continue to accept applications for attestation of documents and Life Certificate. They may also be approached in case of requirement of urgent travel to India on extreme compassionate grounds (death in the family).

11. Our commitment to offering efficient visa, passport and OCI services will be reflected in customer friendly and easily accessible Visa, passport and OCI Application Centres. The Centres will also offer prompt and efficient responses to all queries including telephone and e-mail queries relating to these services. In addition, the Centres would accept fees in cash, drafts/ money orders, and later through credit card/ debit card. They would also be open without break for longer consular hours – from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM, on all working days.

12. For further details, please visit the website of the
High Commission of India, Canberra (http://www.hcindia-au.org),
Consulate General of India, Sydney (http://www.indianconsulatesydney.org),
and Consulate General of India, Melbourne (http://www.cgimel.org),
and M/s VFS Australia Pty Ltd (http://www.vfs-in-au.net).

Canberra
14 March, 2008