NEW DELHI: The Indian Consulate in New York has issued a warning to the Indian community about unscrupulous agents who have been overcharging for consular services and engaging in fraudulent activities.
Consul General Binaya Pradhan said that these agents have been misusing people’s trust and charging exorbitant fees for services such as obtaining Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, visas, passports, and emergency certificates.In some cases, agents have charged as much as USD 450 for an emergency certificate, which actually costs only USD 17.
The Consulate also discovered instances where agents have submitted fake documents, such as identity proof, residential address, and utility bills, on behalf of applicants without their knowledge. This not only causes unnecessary delays but also puts the applicants on the wrong side of the law in the US, the consulate added.
Pradhan highlighted that there is no need for community members to go through agents and that they can directly approach the Consulate for the services they require.
The Consulate also warned about fake E-visa websites that claim to provide such services and have created images and home page templates mimicking the Government of India’s websites to mislead applicants. The Consulate urged members of the community to apply for E-visa services only on the correct website.
The New York Consulate serves the northeastern states of the US, which are home to approximately 2.5 million or 40-45 percent of the total Indian diaspora in the country. Over 113,000 Indian students out of the 354,000 in the whole country study in universities in these 10 northeastern states.
The Consulate has now started several initiatives including digital initiatives for ease of availing services and digital assistance tools like ‘Pramit’, ‘Bharti Chatbot’, and a mobile app. It also organises an open house twice a month when applicants can walk in without prior appointment and meet the Consular Officers for any query they may have regarding the consular services.
The Consulate has also developed a platform for students to find internship opportunities at companies in the US and provide access to attorney and medical information.
Pradhan also noted that under the Consulate’s jurisdiction, there are about 1.5 million Indian-origin people who are American passport holders, and of these, only about 600,000 have OCI cards.
The Consulate has been encouraging Indian community members to obtain OCI cards, which serve as a permanent visa and a better connection to the motherland.
Consul General Binaya Pradhan said that these agents have been misusing people’s trust and charging exorbitant fees for services such as obtaining Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, visas, passports, and emergency certificates.In some cases, agents have charged as much as USD 450 for an emergency certificate, which actually costs only USD 17.
The Consulate also discovered instances where agents have submitted fake documents, such as identity proof, residential address, and utility bills, on behalf of applicants without their knowledge. This not only causes unnecessary delays but also puts the applicants on the wrong side of the law in the US, the consulate added.
Pradhan highlighted that there is no need for community members to go through agents and that they can directly approach the Consulate for the services they require.
The Consulate also warned about fake E-visa websites that claim to provide such services and have created images and home page templates mimicking the Government of India’s websites to mislead applicants. The Consulate urged members of the community to apply for E-visa services only on the correct website.
The New York Consulate serves the northeastern states of the US, which are home to approximately 2.5 million or 40-45 percent of the total Indian diaspora in the country. Over 113,000 Indian students out of the 354,000 in the whole country study in universities in these 10 northeastern states.
The Consulate has now started several initiatives including digital initiatives for ease of availing services and digital assistance tools like ‘Pramit’, ‘Bharti Chatbot’, and a mobile app. It also organises an open house twice a month when applicants can walk in without prior appointment and meet the Consular Officers for any query they may have regarding the consular services.
The Consulate has also developed a platform for students to find internship opportunities at companies in the US and provide access to attorney and medical information.
Pradhan also noted that under the Consulate’s jurisdiction, there are about 1.5 million Indian-origin people who are American passport holders, and of these, only about 600,000 have OCI cards.
The Consulate has been encouraging Indian community members to obtain OCI cards, which serve as a permanent visa and a better connection to the motherland.