lax2010

The Cox & Kings Global Services (CKGS) will open its doors to service India Visa applications and other services for residents in the USA starting 5/21/2014. Please share your experience with regarding to length and quality of their visa service as time moves along. Hopefully there will be no longer lost passports or delayed processing issue with this new contracting company.

Keyser

cox & kings definitely have a better image than the other 2 previous companies....hopefully they can make the process easier & quicker....

Sahils0786

I have applied for visa with BLS long time ago and it was accepted on April 30th, 2014. I have tried calling them but nothing worked. Neither emailing them worked. I still haven't got back my passport with visa yet. Don't know what to do and now this new contract thing. I am going to go to India in a week from now and I need it. someone help me please. Need a solution. I can't even track on BLS website anymore and on cox & kings (CKGS) website it shows some different type of tracking but I think that it isn't up to date yet. So someone please help me. This is URGENT!

lax2010

CKGS USA website is now open. You may want to start your inquiry from there:
http://www.in.ckgs.us

Please do come back and let us know your experience with the new CKGS USA.

lax2010

I am afraid it is not good news for you if your travel day is in a week. CKGS USA does have an important notice for people in situation like yours! Here is what they said:

Important Notice
Dear Applicants,

We are happy to announce that we have started operations effective today i..e, 21st May 2014. We wish to state that all applicants who have applied with BLS will have to wait for the tracking of application online as we are yet to receive any handover from BLS.

The only BLS office which has submitted the handover is Houston. We are in the process of reconciling all documents. You will shortly be able to track Houston applications online if all goes well with the reconciliation.

We request you to kindly bear with us until then. We are trying our best to service you in this regard.

Regards,

Customer Service Team
CKGS

dministrator

The service charge is US$17 - is this considered normal or excessive?

Also, what is the ICWF fee? I couldn't find what ICWF stands for.

lax2010

ICWF=Indian Community Welfare Fund

emcampbe

This change can't have happened soon enough. BLS was beyond awful.

Not sure what one poster's beef with Travisa, who did it before BLS, was. They were awesome....I got my Visa back a week and a half after I first Fedex'd it out to them. Call centers sometimes required a bit of a hold, but definitely not bad and they were always very helpful.

Unfortunately, not that surprised that BLS hasn't handed over docs...though their website says they have. BLS couldn't even be bothered to even mention who the new service provider is, much less provide a link.

Raj Dasani

I had applied for reissue of OCI .....back in April....BLS returned the entire application back without the money order .......

THEY TOOK THE ENTIRE MONEY (consular fees too) AWAY....

lax2010

Not familiar with the money order business, I am hoping that you can go to where it was originally issued to cancel/void it! Please let us know if you will have better or worst experience dealing with CKGS.

pvmishra

I'm in similar situation. Any luck? if yes then please let me know what did you do?
Parma

Ajacob1

I applied for an OCI re-issue for my kids back on Feb 12, 2014 with BLS. Fedex delivered the package the very next day. Ever since my Night mare started. eventhough the status states that they received the package, was never submitted to the consulate. I never got though one phone call with them. Eventually after 3 escalation e-mails, they submitted to the consulate on March 18th. I was requested to send the original US passport in on April 20th. The last status that ever received was that it was submited to the consulate and will take 5-7 days and this was on April 24th 2014. Never heard from them since. I have been calling and e-mailing like crazy. Now with the provider change it has been in limbo. I was able to get through to CKGS twice but all they say is that they have not received any data from BLS. Will have to wait but howlong? NOBODY seems to know. I have purchased the tickets for June 3rd and pretty positive that i wont get the oci by then. I am really hoping and praying that they did not loose my original US passport, Old US passport and OCI cards. If they did then I am not sure where to start.. Still Waiting.......

pedmd

I am hving the same exact problem but my travel is in a month.I cant seem to find any updates either on this. My application is in NY center BLS Any advice or updates

pedmd

same thing with us BLS sent the entire application we put in the missing documetns for re process, money was all taken. But I hope the money is taken with idea to process and we haven't lost it and wud be processed by Kings and Cox. Or else that's not legit

krtc1980

I am having a similar experience to yours. I submitted my passport and renunciation application in april to travel next month. BLS has cashed my checks but have not sent my passports. When I go to cox and kings website to track my application, it says no records found.. I cant see to contact the new agency on the phone either. I don't know if they are any better than BLS. My husband had applied for a tourist visa in may through BLS and they cashed the check but sent the passport back without any visa. It looks like the indian govt does not want any tourists.