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India ends mail-in OCI applications in Canada
Applicants will have to visit BLS centres from April 5 to submit biometrics, as postal filing is discontinued.
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Malvika Choudhary - Thu, 02, Apr 2026
- 16:15 EDT
- 33
Indian OCI card / http://ociservices.gov.in
The High Commission of India in Ottawa has announced that all Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) applications in Canada must be submitted in person at BLS centres starting April 5, ending the postal submission route for applicants across the country.
In a notice dated April 1, the mission said the change is being introduced because applicants will now have to provide biometrics as part of the OCI registration process.
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IMPORTANT NOTICE - OCI Applications in Canada@MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @diaspora_india @BOIndiaOfficial @HMOIndia @cgivancouver @IndiainToronto @PIB_India @MIB_India pic.twitter.com/H36W0uOO2q
— India in Canada (@HCI_Ottawa) April 2, 2026
The move marks a change from the earlier process under which OCI applications in Canada could be submitted by post, even though applicants filing in person were required to present original documents for verification.
Under the revised system, applicants will still have to complete the OCI application online through the Government of India’s OCI portal by uploading their form, photograph, signature and supporting documents before submitting the physical file at a BLS centre.
BLS International, which handles outsourced Indian consular and passport application intake in Canada, offers services through centres in multiple cities, including Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto, Halifax, Winnipeg and Ottawa, depending on jurisdiction. Applicants can continue to track their application status online after submission.
The notice did not specify whether the biometric requirement will apply uniformly to fresh OCI applications, re-issuance cases and OCI miscellaneous services, which currently follow different documentation requirements.
OCI is available to eligible foreign nationals of Indian origin and certain spouses of Indian citizens or OCI cardholders under India’s Citizenship Act. The Government of India states that OCI does not amount to dual citizenship and does not confer political rights or full citizenship rights in India.
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