COVID19: Indian Embassy and Consulates in USA Suspend OCI and Passport Services Temporarily

In another bad news related to events triggered by the impact of COVID19 pandemic, the Embassy of India in DC, and the Consulate General of India in the US announced temporary suspension of all OCI and passport services this morning. In a statement issued earlier this day, the Indian Embassy in Washington DC stated that as India’s lockdown amid the COVID19 fears is extended for 21 days from 12:00 GMT March 25, the passport and OCI services in the USA are put on hold for an indefinite period of time.

The Consulate General of India in New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Houston has issued the same statement announcing that OCI and passport applications, including postal mails, will not be accepted until further notice. The lockdown of several US states and interstate travel restrictions over the Novel Coronavius threats have triggered the suspension of these services by the Consulate General of India.

In its advisory on the temporary suspension of OCI and Passport services, the Indian Embassy in USA has made a provision for emergency requirements. Those who require a passport in case of emergency can write to the consulate general, of which jurisdiction they fall in. If they are under the jurisdiction of New York or Houston’s Consulate General of India, they can send an email to passport.newyork@mea.gov.in, or enquiriescgi@swbell.net (Houston).

Mail-in application for other consular services in the miscellaneous category continues to be accepted. However, it is stated that the process may be delayed longer than usual in view of the current volatile landscape across the country. The consulate also recommends the use of the PRAMIT portal on its website for queries out of confusion or related to any emergency.