The arrest of a US-based NRI, on his arrival at SVPI Ahmedabad Airport from New Jersey in September 2024, is an eye-opening incident about passport renewal for all Indian expats.
Like many other immigrants, Alpesh Patel, a resident of New Jersey, travels home and visits his parents in Anand district, Gujarat every year. His once-in-a-year trip from Newark to Ahmedabad turned into a nightmare in September 2024 due to his renewed passport which was found to be forged during the immigration clearance process. Unfortunately, he was not aware of his passport being fake.
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After landing at Ahmedabad Airport, he proceeded for immigration clearance without knowing what was awaiting him the next moment and would change his life for worse. The system detected impersonation and fraudulence as the passport that he presented was found to belong to some Mohammed Masrur from Uttar Pradesh. The airport police detained 43-year-old Alpesh until further checks.
The PRIDE system (Passport-Related Information Data Exchange) revealed more shocking details about the passport that he received from his agent after renewal. Actually, the passport was reported as lost by some Mohammed Masrur in 2022. Darshil Shah, an immigration officer at AMD Airport, tracked the FIR report that was filed for the missing passport then. Alpesh was detained further for interrogation on charges of possessing someone else’s passport with a US visa stamp.
The case was handed over to the Special Operations Group of Ahmedabad City’s crime branch for an investigation in compliance with the Passport Act.
Over the past 24 years, Alpesh Patel built a happy nest in New Jersey where he owns a grocery store and lives with his family. But the mistake of having his passport renewed through an agent, whom he trusted, turned his world upside down. When his passport expired in 2022, he contacted an Indian agent in New York anticipating a quick, smooth renewal rather than going through the process himself. After renewal, the agent gave him the passport that originally belonged to someone else.
How to renew your Indian passport in USA
These days, it is easy to get your Indian passport renewed in the US. The entire online process, from filling out the application form and paying the fees, has been streamlined. You can schedule an appointment at a nearby VFS Global Application Center in the US and submit your application in person. Below is the step-by-step process for Indian Passport renewal in USA.
Open the website of Indian Embassy in Washington DC. The next step is to select the region and country based on your citizenship/nationality. Proceed to select the Indian Embassy or Consulate based on your US state of residence. Do register and log in once the consular jurisdiction is selected. Click on the “Apply for Ordinary Passport” button.
The next important step is to fill out the application form correctly. Make sure that the information you enter in the form is correct before clicking on Submit button. Note down the Application Reference Number once the form is submitted successfully.
Now you need to sign up on visa.vfsglobal.com. Fill out the new user registration form with your first name, last name, valid email ID, and active mobile number. Give a password and note down the password so that you can log in back to your account seamlessly.
At this stage of Indian passport renewal in the USA, you are required to pay the fees for renewal of your passport. It includes both VFS fees and the Indian consular fees. Download and print the receipt. If you choose Tatkal service for fast renewal, you have to pay an additional $150. You can download the print the shipping labels too.
Mail a printout of your Indian passport renewal application form submitted online and the other required documents to VFS Global by post. The return postal address should match the address you mention in the application form. Usually, it takes nearly 3 weeks to get your passport renewed in the United States. The Tatkal service takes only 3 to 5 business days.