Immigration Services in India

How to Get Police Clearance Certificate in India

How to Apply for Police Clearance Certificate in India?

May 20, 2020 Manoj Sodhani Comments 1 comment

Police Clearance certificate is to check your background if there is any criminal record or lawsuit associated with the applicant of the passport or visa or employment seeker.

Where to Apply

If you live here in India, obtain it from the Passport Seva Kendra (online) and police station (offline).
If you are abroad, you will be considered as a non-resident of India. Visit Indian embassy to get it from.

Online Process to Apply Police Clearance Certificate in India

This process is a combination of online and offline application to apply for PCC in India. The applicant, first, fills up the digital copy of the PCC form from the given website and then, schedule an appoint to get it verified offline.

Get registered with the Passport Seva Online.
If you’re already registered, log in.
Select “Apply for Police Clearance Certificate”.
If you want to get it online, fill up the form online and upload the supporting documents.

If you want to submit this application offline, you can download this form, fill it up and visit the passport office.

Select the country which you are applying it for like the USA, the UK or France etc..
Now, move to select the purpose to get it for — Citizenship/ Nationality Application, Education/ Research, Employment Visa/ Work Permit, Immigration Purpose other than Citizenship, Long Term Visa Stay, Residence Permit, Tourist Visa and Others.
Fill up your details as an applicant-Name, Surname, Gender, Place of Birth, Date of Birth, Citizenship of India by (Birth/ Naturalisation/ Descent), PAN (if have), Voter ID, Employment Type, Marital Status, Educational Qualification and Aadhaar Card.
Fill up family details –Father Name, Mother Name & Spouse Name (If married).
Fill up Current Address & select the Regional Passport Office to visit later, if intended to submit offline application. Be careful as you cannot re-select the Regional Passport Office.
For online applicants, click “Pay & Schedule Appointment” link given on the “View Saved/ Submitted Application”. This step is mandatory to book an offline appointment. Schedule it by paying the requisite fee online.

For payment option, you have credit card, debit card, internet banking from SBI & associated banks or bank challan.

Offline Process

Upon online application, print through Print Application receipt hyperlink and save Application Reference Number (ARN). This ARN would be used to check the status of the application.
Upload all self attested supporting documents’ scanned copy.
Finally, you can visit the passport office on the date of appointment or within 90 days with the supporting documents.

Documents for PCC

The receipt received from the SMS or text message from the passport office
Original old passport with the self attested photocopy of the first and last two pages of that passport, including ECR and Non-ECR page
Current Address Proof, which can be electricity Bill, Water Bill, telephone Bill, Income Tax Assessment Order, Election Commission Photo ID Card (Voter Id), Proof of Gas Connection,
Certificate of Employment Contract from the Foreign Employer on the letter head,
Spouse & Parents’ Passport Photocopy,
Aadhaar Card and Rent Agreement or Photo Passbook of the Current Bank.

Police Verification Validity

The police verification is mandatory if your current residence is other than what is written in your current valid passport.

Suppose you have got your first passport on 1^st January 2005 and have applied for the PCC in 2011 from the same old address, you won’t require any police verification. If you have an old passport to be renewed with new address, the police verification will take place once again.

In the nutshell, the police authentication will be necessary only if you have changed your address. There is one more case when you need to undergo this verification again. If your passport is 13 years old, you need to get through the procedure for the Police Clearance Certificate.

How long does it take to get the PCC?

However, this certificate is issued on the very day when you get your passport application verified. But if you need to undergo an offline process for employment, it may take 30 days.

FAQs

What is PCC? Who needs it?

It is a certificate issued to the passport holders in case they have applied for residential status, immigration or long-term visa. It verifies the background of the bearer and clearly states the offence type if there is any record found.

NRIs and also those who are going abroad for employment, study and research need it to show up to the immigration authority of foreign countries.

Do tourists also need this certificate?

No, the one who is going abroad for the purpose of touring doesn’t need it.

What type of applicants can apply for PCC?

Who are applying for a private job to show his employer
Who are emigrating from India to another country to comply with Embassy requirements for Visa or an organization for employee recruitment can apply for PCC.

How can you get it?

You can apply for it with the passport application. The form is available on the PSK website to download from.

Besides, every state and place has a website of the police, where you can raise an enquiry to apply for it. This is an online application method, which involves visiting the police website, getting registered, signing in, form filling, uploading supporting documents, online payment and getting receipt.

There is another way that is to visit the nearby police station for getting it physically.

What is the checklist of documents to be enclosed with the PCC application?

Original old passport with self-attested photocopy of its first two and last two pages including ECR/Non-ECR page and page of observation (if any)
Proof of Present Address (in case of change of address)
Self-attested copy of Employment Contract with foreign employer
Copy of Valid visa (in case visa is already obtained) along with Official English translation if the visa is not in English
Copy of Valid registration certificate issued by the Protectorate of Emigrants, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Govt. of India. (for skilled/semi-skilled workers)
Names of pcensed Recruitment Agents (for skilled/semi-skilled workers)
Sponsorship declaration by the person who is sponsoring the emigration of the PCC applicant

How much do you pay as a fee for PCC?

You can check the updated fee structure on the official website of the police of your state. In Delhi, it’s like this:

For Debit Card Payment

Individual Rs.250 + Rs.1.87 (Bank Charges) = Rs.251.87
Organization Rs. 500/- + Rs.3.75 (Bank Charges) = Rs.503.75

For Credit Card Payment

Individual needs to pay Rs. 250/- + Rs.2.50 (Bank Charges) = Rs.252.50
Organization needs to pay Rs. 500/- + Rs. 5.00 (Bank Charges) = Rs. 505.00

How do you know if your application is confirmed online?

You receive an email and a text message on your registered phone number. Check it.

Besides, you receive a receipt at the end with a reference number, which is used for checking the status of the application later.

Where can you apply for it?

You can apply for it from anywhere, either in India or from foreign, over the internet. You should keep into account that it is issued if you are the resident of that place and have a valid ID proof, which should be minimum six months old.

These proofs can be– Election ID Card, Aadhaar Card, Passport, Driving License, Electricity Bill, Telephone Bill, Bank Passbook & Rent Agreement duly registered in the Hon’ble Court of Law/Registrar/SDM Office (Rent Agreement issued by Notary Public is not applicable) in the name of the applicant at present address

Where should an NRI get PCC from if he has been living in abroad for six plus months?

Some of the foreign immigration authorities require a fresh PCC in every six months. If an NRI is living abroad for more than six months, he should get it from the local police in abroad. Also, he should raise a request here in the place where he comes from in India. In short, you should submit two PCCs.

If you have changed the country and spent six or months there, you have to get it from there also. Let’s say, you have been traveling to UAE from the USA and lived for six months. In this case, you have to get the PCC from UAE, India (for being an NRI) and the USA.

How many days does it take to get delivered?

It hardly takes a fortnight or a month if you have applied with the passport application. You should show the voter id or adhaar card or any other proof of two more witnesses at the time of delivery to the verifying officer.

How Can You Verify Documents in India For Foreign Trip?

February 26, 2020 Manoj Sodhani Comments 0 Comment

If you are still worried about how to verify your police clearance or birth certificate, keep them all aside. You can easily do this and get off all hurdles that cap put your foreign trip or visit on halt.

Here, we are going to share everything about how to get your certificates apostilled in India. Let’s get started with a short brief about it.

Apostille

It is a prominent authority that can sign all papers that you need to get attested for immigration. You can take it as an attestation service. It is available in the Hague Convention countries only. Nobody knew about it before 1961, as it was not convened. When multiple times authentication of visa, passport, birth certificate, transcripts or other immigration papers looked difficult to carry on, the intellects from various countries had set its foundation on 25^th October, 1980. As of now, 101 countries are its member.

The greatness of this service lies in its global acceptance. The legalisation conducted by one member country is accepted by another one, which is a part of this convention.

What kind of certificates does it legalise?

It mainly verifies personal documents, which can be a birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate, educational degree or mark sheet etc..

You cannot give duplicates of the aforesaid papers to go abroad for any reason. It is put on the originals. Besides, you should enclose the first and the last page copy of your passport.

One thing that you should always keep into account is that the Ministry of External Affairs has designated a few agencies with this task, which acts as an NRI consultant to get you through the typicality of this process. You should be extra careful from the fraudulent, which makes you a fool by taking money, but does not do anything. So, always ask about their experience and check their authenticity through their ratings on Google Maps & feedbacks, at least. Or, you can counter them with questions about how they do and who have considered them before.

Who does apostille certificate?

The designated signatory can be any of these Class I Gazetted Officers:

Director
Magistrate
Deputy Director
Section Officer
Commissioner
Chief Secretary
Joint Secretary
Assistant Secretary
Deputy Commissioner
Resident Commissioner
Sub Divisional Magistrate

Do you need to go for any other attestation before?

Yes, you may need to get your papers stamped from the state’s HRD. It would verify and check if all your papers for immigration are original. Thereafter, you should go to the notary public with the same request.

As I said, you ‘MAY’ need to go there, it is not compulsory. You can skip going there and catch up with an experienced NRI consultant to directly legalise your papers from the MEA.

About Fee

The verification from the state HRD or the MEA, both, is a paid service. However, both ministries charge minimally, which means you need to pay a nominal fee for it.

Timeline

Since it is about examining your documents if they are not fake, the competent authorities sluggishly do this. The reason might be that the ministries go deep with examination of their legality, which can be time taking.

All in all, the state government may take one or two working days. But, the MEA’s processing could be long. It may complete the whole processing in 3 to 4 weeks.

Types of Attestation in India To Know Before Going Abroad

January 10, 2020 Manoj Sodhani Comments 0 Comment

Any legal paper achieves its value upon getting a signature/stamp on it. Also called certificate attestation, it can be interpreted as the lawful evidence that is credible enough to be trusted by any authority, let’s say PSK (Passport Sewa Kendra) officials or consul.

A stamp or signature of an SDM officer on the marriage certificate, for instance, proves the legitimacy of the copy of the original document. It won’t be accepted or recognized until and unless it ratifies the authenticity by the competent authority.

In short, your birth certificate, marriage or degree certificate or any other one won’t be accepted if it does not have any stamp from the concerned authority or officials. Sometimes, a certificate or document may require a stamp or seal or signature by more than one authority.

Basically, the legalization of documents is classified into these:

Personal documents
Educational documents
Commercial documents

Reasons for Attesting Any Certificate:

Its reasons could be many, as serving a judicial purpose like opening a bank account or obtaining a visa. There may be a commercial proposition, like a business meeting or bringing a business at home, behind it. All in all, one can get a licence of being a genuine degree or certificate holder.

Who has authority to attest?

Well, the purpose defines which authority you are going to concern with for getting a seal of authenticity. Let’s say, you are going to join a multinational company in the USA. To verify your qualification, citizenship and commercial status, it is obligatory to get through attestation service by more than one department.

Mainly, the NRIs or aspiring NRIs require the stamp of legalization through:

Notary attestation– A notary public in the court puts a stamp of verification on various affidavits, degree certificates and other ones in his presence.
SDM attestation-Also called Sub-Divisional Magistrate, the SDM attestation is required in a few rare cases, like obtaining a CENOMAR/ marriage/ birth certificate from the local area. He is not subdued to the state government, as his portfolio is treated as a separate entity.
Chamber of Commerce attestation-As its name suggests, this kind of attestation serves verification of commercial documents, like proof of legitimacy of entrepreneurship and licence.
Home department/mantralaya attestation-It is meant for personal document attestation, like marriage certificate and death certificate.
HRD attestation-Being governed by the central government, the human resource development ministry puts the stamp of originality on the educational certificates, like Mark Sheet, transcript and many other ones.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) attestation- This stamp is the last one required for immigration. The MEA puts a sticker upon verifying all necessary documents sent.
Embassy attestation-The consul of the foreign country (where the candidate aspires to go) conducts a face to face round with the candidate before awarding him/her with the embassy attestation on the immigration documents.
(In few cases)Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) –It is one of the final verifications that are carried out upon passing through the embassy attestation. This is specifically meant to visit Gulf Countries, like UAE.
Apostille attestation-It is no different from the MEA attestation. The applicant can apply for it if he is migrating to the countries in the Hague Convention. Not all countries are part of it.

How long does it take to apostille a document in India?

Generally, it takes a month to get your documents apostille or attested in India. There are a few registered agencies that can be contacted to serve the purpose. But, you should deeply research before contacting any agency.

Fee

About fee, only the registered agency or the concerned authority could avail the appropriate information.

Guidelines for Indian Passport Renunciation & Certificate

November 11, 2019 Manoj Sodhani Comments 0 Comment

Renunciation of Indian Passport

What if you have got the citizenship of the USA or any other foreign country?

The Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) cannot retain Indian passport in such condition. They have to surrender it for complying with the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955. The ignorance of this Act is treated as an infringement, as India constitution does not allow ‘Dual Citizenship’.

In the nutshell, the person with an Indian passport can obtain the passport of another country provided that he has surrendered the former passport immediately after getting the nationality of another country.

Therefore, the non-resident of India should be in the know about this provision that necessitates applying for the ‘Surrender’ or ‘Renunciation Certificate’.

Does the passport carrying “cancelled stamp” define renunciation?

It’s noteworthy that your passport may carry only a “cancelled stamp”. It does not define that your citizenship has been surrendered automatically. The stamp must read-“cancelled due to acquiring foreign nationality”. This cancellation text on the stamp determines the surrender.

Any consular service for visa or OCI requires a proof of cancelled Indian passport. In the case of non-availability of that proof, the applicant will have to apply for the renunciation certificate. For it, he ought to follow the defined procedure for the same.

Is it necessary to travel with the ‘Certificate of Renunciation of Indian Citizenship’ in India?

No, the travellers need not come along with this certificate in India. In addition, they should bear the fact in their mind that it is illegal to use the Indian passport after surrendering the Indian citizenship. Such individuals will be considered as defaulters who have to pay penalties against this violation.

What is the renunciation fee for Indian passport?

The fee for renunciation may vary according to the area of jurisdiction and service centers. Therefore, you should inquire about it first.

The fee will depend on the type of services that you select and you as being minor, or major. For example, the renunciation fee for the Indian community welfare fund is $3, whereas the same for CKGS is $17 apart from courier charges.

How long does it take for renunciation of Indian passport?

The procedure to apply for renunciation may be different in various countries. But more or less, the process would be similar segmented under these categories:

Standalone renunciation, wherein you can apply for surrendering the passport only.
Visa + Renunciation, wherein you opt for visa and passport surrendering together.
OCI + Renunciation, wherein you select OCI together with passport renunciation.

Indian passport surrender checklist:

Indian passport surrender form
Original current passport
Notarized affidavit, if the passport is lost
Last Indian passport
Address proof
Current photographs
Citizenship certificate etc.

The aforementioned checklist will be supporting at the time when you apply online for surrendering the passport and applying for OCI or another NRI services. This procedure will mandate filling the form duly and uploading the supporting documents.

However, the applicant can directly visit the immigration office or embassy to carry out this application process. Make sure that you have all necessary documents along with. It will help to get through this processing seamlessly. Otherwise, you may have to spend months for getting through this renunciation process.

How to Fill Indian Visa Application Form?

June 27, 2019 Manoj Sodhani Comments 0 Comment

A visa application is a three-step process in India. You just apply online, filling the Indian visa application form securely; submit documents and collect visa from the visa application center.

But before that, you should know about the type of visa that you want to seek for. These are the types of visas that you can select from:

Indian Business Visa
Indian Business Visa Transfer
Indian Conference Visa
Indian Diplomatic Visa
Indian Employment Visa
Indian Entry Visa
Indian Entry Transfer Visa
Indian Journalist Visa
Indian Medical Attendant Visa
Indian Transit Visa

The criticality surges when it comes to filling its form. The applicants have to fill the requisite details to get rid of its cancellation. Here are a few tips that you ought to keep in your mind while filling its application form:

Select the relevant Indian Consulate while applying
Save the ID for temporary application, given at the top of the page.
The duration of your visa could be in between 6 months and 10 years. Pay its fee together with the citizenship form.
Take the print of your application on two pages and sign them on both.

Details to Fill in the Indian Visa Application Form:

Surname: It refers to your family name. Avoid typo error. Check twice upon providing with it. It should be similar to what your passport reads.
First Name: Write your name together with the middle name in this field. Drill into your head that the name should be identical to what is mentioned in your passport. In the case the name was being changed, you have to write your complete name (including first, middle and last name).
Country of Birth: Fill up this field with the name of the country where you are born in. It should match with the country you have input in the passport.
Email Address: Put your email address here, as it is mandatory.
National/Citizenship Identity Number: If you have it, provide in this field. Otherwise, you should put N/A here.
Religion: Tick on the religion that you belong to. In case you do not belong to any of the given ones, tick on ‘Others’, while naming your religion clearly.
Identification Mark: If there is any visible tattoo or birthmark, you can mention here as an identification mark. If there is none, mark as ‘NONE’.
Educational Qualification: Correctly select the education level as given below that you have attained:

Illiterate, if you’re uneducated
Below matriculation or just 10^th pass
Higher secondary, if you have passed 12^thclass
Graduate, if you have a university degree
Post Graduate, if you have done masters
Professional, if you have any technical qualification/certification

Previous Nationality: You ought to reveal you are an Indian citizen by birth or by naturalization (shed off the previous nationality).

Passport Details: This section is dedicated to the information filled in your passport.
Residential Address (Present): It is the local place where you have gotten the passport from.
Date of Expiry: Clarify when (date) your passport is going to expire.
Pakistani Residents: If you are a citizen of Pakistan, provide with essential details, including booklet number, tracking number and a lot more.
Green Card Holders: If you are a foreigner by citizenship, mention here to save and continue to the next level.

Address Details: This section requires you to input your current and former residential address:

Present Address: It mandates filling the present or current address where you live. The space limit is 35 letters. Attach the proof, such as driving licence, utility bill or rent agreement.
Permanent Address: It may be possible that your permanent address differs from the current place. Provide its details here under the title ‘Permanent Address’. If you do not have any permanent one, you can mention your relative’s address.

Family Details:

Mother/Father/Spouse Name: Prefer the spouse name, if you are married. Alternatively, you can put here your father’s or mother’s name.
Immigrant from Pakistan (If): If your roots are in Pakistan or if your parents or grandparents (maternal and paternal) belong to Pakistan, mention the details. If not, tick ‘No’.

Occupational Details: This section allows you to enter profession’s details.

Name of Profession: Among many professions, select yours from the list.
Dependents: If you are dependent, such as minor/ student/ homemaker, write the profession’s details of your spouse or father.
Employer Name: Enter the name of the company where you are currently working with.
Address of the Company: Here, you need to input the complete address, together with the phone number of your current company.
Address and Contact Number of Previous Company: This space should be filled with the former company’s address & phone number where you worked with.
IAF or Security Officers: Possibly, you are a part of military, security, semi-military or police organisation, tick this field while entering the name of the organisation, rank and designation.

Visa Details: This information pertains to the visa which you want to apply for.

Duration: Place the number of days or months that you want to stay abroad. It could be between 6 months and 120 months
Number of Entries: It refers to the number of how many times you want to travel, i.e. single, double, triple or multiple entries.
Purpose of Visit: Provide here the reason of being traveled.
Name of City to Depart to: Name the city where you land first in abroad.

Details of Previous Visa:

Visited or Not Visited: If you have applied for visa before, tick on ‘Yes’. Then, fill the places where you have applied to travel on visa previously.
Visa Refusal: If your visa to travel abroad or an application for extension was refused, provide the necessary information.

Additional Information: If you have visited abroad in the last 10 years, write the name of all those countries. Also, provide name, phone and address of your reference in India or abroad.

Once you are done with every section, click ‘save and continue/exit’ to save your data. If you need to edit in some entries, select ‘modify/edit’.

At the end, check all answers before hitting ‘verified and continue’ tab. Now, submit the form to get a confirmation number, including a ‘File’ and ‘Applicant Number’.

L-1 Visa: Types, Requirement, Duration & Green Card Eligibility

June 12, 2019 Manoj Sodhani Comments 0 Comment

Appointment with the US-based company may be your dream. You would walk in the air if your dream comes true. But, there are certain immigration formalities that you should be aware of. Every country prefers natives over foreigners first when it comes to appointing on a designation.

But, there are some exceptional designations that require a highly skilled workforce. And if not even a single native qualifies to meet the requirement, there emerges a void. To fill that vacuum, the government allows recruitment of the foreigner who fulfills the job requirements perfectly.

This is where the non-native candidates a silver lining to work with the US-based employer. Here, they should know that they can apply for the temporary and permanent US visa. However, the latter visa to work there is hard to get approval on. But, they can apply for the L-1 Visa, which is a temporary work visa.

L-1 Visa:

If you consider the temporary work visa in particular, the L-1 visa is the most pervasive choice. It is an intra-country transfer to the US for working. Simply say, the US employer calls a non-native employee to temporarily discharge his duties in the interest of the American company. To do so, the employer transfers him from one office to another office in the USA.

Types of L-1 Visa:

L-1 A Visa: This temporary visa is issued to managers and executives, who are migrating to the US office. Or, the reason of transiting can be setting up an office in the US.
L-1 B Visa: This visa is meant for the specialist skilled non-native US workforce.

L-1 Visa Duration:

The employer can apply for the transfer on behalf of the employee. Also, the employee should have worked with the US employer for a 12-month continuously in the previous 36-month tenure.

To mention the tenure specifically, the L-1A visa can be applied for up to 7 years. On the flip side, the tenure of the L-1B visa is up to 5 years only. Both tenures are non-extendable. In other words, the employee cannot seek extensions once his tenure is over.
It is worth mentioning if the employee has previously worked under the H-1B visa, his tenure will be deducted from the allowed stay.

L-1 Visa Requirements:

The companies comprising a corporation, a charity (non-government) organisation and a religious entity, but not limited to, may file visa application.
The petitioning employer should have a corporate relationship with a foreign company, for instance, as a parent company, subsidiary, branch or affiliate.
The employer must own a company in the US as well as in the non-US nation. It proves that he runs a multinational business, delivering goods or services actively and frequently.
The employee must be associated with the employer for at least one year (i.e. 12 months) in the last 3 years prior to visa application. If he has tenure in the US before, that will not be counted.
The employee must be willing to leave America at the end of his tenure.

About Wages and Payroll:

Being a foreign entity, the L-1 visa holder is going to work on behalf of a foreign qualifying employee. So, there is no need to show prevailing wages. However, they are generally recruited on the lower wages as compared to the native worker.

As far as the payroll is concerned, the employee can or cannot be on the payroll of the US employer. Therefore, he will have a right to get only the allowance there.

About EAD (Employment Authorization Document) Card for the Spouse:

The EAD card is a work permit, provided by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It is delivered to the noncitizens as an authority to work there. The temporary workers can seek it for their spouse to be authorized for working there. This authority can be obtained through filling a Form I-766.

L1 Visa to Green Card:

The employee can apply for the green card in the EB 1C category. This category exempts the L1 visa holders from filling for the PERM Labour Certification. Therefore, they can apply for the green card in less than a year. But, the employer must have the PERM Labour Certification, which approves them to get the green card.

L1 Visa Application Requirement:

As an applicant for the L1-A visa, you have to provide the proof of being appointed to the role of an executive or a manager.
For L1-B visa, you should have all supporting documents, proving that you possess the requisite skills, knowledge and experience. It should be underscored as “specialized knowledge”, which determines that the possessed knowledge is not a commonplace within the organisation or within the industry. This knowledge can be associated with technology, services or company processes.

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