Contents
- 1 Passport Issuing Authority
- 2 What does the field “Passport – Place of Issue/Issuing Authority” mean?
- 2.1 “Issuing Authority” for Foreign Nationals
- 2.2 Who is authorized to issue the passports? Are there any other places where passports are issued?
- 3 What is an OCI card?
- 3.1 Eligibility Criteria for OCI cards
- 3.2 The process involved in the application of an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card:
- 3.3 Travelling Abroad and VISA’s
- 3.3.1 What does the word VISA mean? What are the various sections of the visa application form?
Passport Issuing Authority
What does the field “Passport – Place of Issue/Issuing Authority” mean?
The “Passport – Place of Issue or the Issuing Authority” in a passport refers to the place where the passport has been issued.
Earlier, there were several different passport centers and passport agencies which used to process the application and issued the passport. The passport issued from these agencies used to have the name of the place or state mentioned in the passport. The term ‘place of issue’ has now been replaced by the term ‘Issuing Authority’ on the passport provided in the United States and printed as the US Department of States imprinted in black colored ink. In most cases, it appears on the photo page of your passport book.
Many people are confused about what to mention in the visa application form when it comes to the field ‘Passport – Place of Issue’ or ‘Passport- Issuing Authority’.
If your passport was issued years back, it may be mentioned as the ‘National Passport Center’, simply mention it in the same way in your visa application.
“Issuing Authority” for Foreign Nationals
In case the passport reads ‘US Department of State’ under the ‘Issuing Authority’, then you have to write that in the visa application form. In case you are a foreign national, and your passport was issued by a Consular or Embassy in the United States, write the name of the Consular or the Embassy that issued the passport.
If your passport was issued by a US Consular or Embassy outside the country, the place of issuance of the passport will be mentioned there. This is pretty much the same with respect to all the countries.
Who is authorized to issue the passports? Are there any other places where passports are issued?
The United States Department of States is the exclusive authorized body that issues passports to individuals in the US.
There are several other legit passport agencies or centers across various parts of the United States that process passport applications. If you want more information about the different passport centers please visit the US Department of State-Bureau of Consular Affairs.
The US Passport Services have also assigned numerous public sector offices as passport acceptance facilities to make it easier for the applicants to approach for the visa application process. The applicants can avail the option of applying for passports from these facilities, some of these organizations include the post offices, state courts, libraries, county offices, and few other offices.
What do different sections of the passport indicate:
When it comes to US passports, the US Department of State has segregated them into different categories based on their purpose. These passports have different colored covers on them for the authorities to differentiate between them: Service (Grey cover), Official (Maroon cover), Diplomatic (Black cover), Refugee passport (blue or green cover), Re-entry permit, Emergency passport, and US passport card.
The passport has several different sections that have their own meanings. There are two main pages in the passport: the ‘biodata page’ and the ‘signature page’.
The biodata page contains all the details of the passport holder and about the passport itself:
- Name of the passport holder, nationality, date of birth, place of birth, gender
- Photograph
- The place of issue or the Issuing Authority
- Type of passport
- Passport Book Number
- Passport issuance Date
- Passport expiry date
- Code of the issuing country
- Endorsements
There is a machine-readable zone (MRZ) at the bottom of the biodata page which enables the Authorities to get all the information about the passport holder and the passport booklet by putting the passport under the scanning machine.
The signature page has the signature of the passport holder. If the passport holder cannot sign for some reason, for example in the case of toddlers or children, it has to be signed by the parents of the child of a person who has the authority to sign on behalf of the passport holder. A passport is considered invalid without the signature of the passport holder.Now that we have covered the ‘Place of Issue/Issuing Authority’ and the various facilities or centers authorized to issue a passport, let’s move on to understand what OCI card refers to.
What is an OCI card?
The Overseas Citizenship of India or the OCI is the permanent residency offered to the people of Indian origin who have moved out of India and settled down in another country and have acquired citizenship of that country. The OCI card is applicable only to those individuals who have the provision of holding dual citizenship in the country they are living in.
Eligibility Criteria for OCI cards
There are certain eligibility criteria for applying for an OCI card. You can visit the official website of the Bureau of Immigration- Government of India for more information on who is eligible for OCI under the Indian laws.
There are some perks when it comes to having an OCI card, but there are limitations as well.
Let’s talk about the benefits first:
- Travel to and from India multiple times without any restrictions.
- You will get a visa that is valid for a lifetime and can be used for various legit purposes.
- Work in any private company in India without needing employment authorization.
- Enjoy equality with the NRI and the Indian residents on both international and domestic affairs.
- You do not have to register with the local police authorities no matter how long you stay in India.
- You will be provided equality both in terms of benefits and pay for professions such as doctors, nurses, lawyers, chartered accountants, architects, and dentists.
The various limitations to having an OCI card are:
- You cannot cast your vote in India.
- Restricted from becoming a member of any political or parliamentary bodies.
- You will not be able to hold a position within the government or any other government or public sector companies.
- Cannot run for or hold a constitutional post.
- You are not entitled to get an Indian passport.
- Cannot buy properties related to plantation or agriculture
The process involved in the application of an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card:
There are some important steps involved when applying for an OCI. The step-by-step process is mentioned below:
- Step 1: Identify which category of OCI do you belong to and whether you are eligible for obtaining an OCI or not. You can visit this link to get more details on the categories.
- Step 2: Start filling the OCI application form. There are different application forms for different categories of OCI. Please be careful in choosing which category you belong to.
- Step 3: Complete your registration process and pay your application fees: Once you have completed filling in the online application form, you have to make all the necessary documents ready and send them by post to the VFS Indian Consular Application Centre.Please make sure to choose the correct VFS Indian Consular Application Centre before you send the documents.
- Please note that your online application is valid only for 180 days, therefore you need to send all the necessary documents before this period of time.
- Due to the covid 19 outbreak, VFS is not considering any physical applications. All the documents and applications have to be sent by post only
- Step 4: Create an online profile and register yourself to submit your online application. Once you click on this link, you will be directed to the page as shown below:
- Click on the first option, ‘Overseas Citizenship of India’.
- Fill up the required fields with correct information and follow the next steps to complete the registration process.
- If you already have an account simply click here. You will be directed to the login page where you need to enter your email id and password and sign in.
- Don’t forget to choose the Mode of Submission as ‘postal’.
- Step 5: Send your application hardcopy and other related documents package through the shipping method that you have opted for in the VFS system.
- Step 6: Once VFS has received your application package, they will send a notification to you through email after which they will review your documents to verify them.
Step 7: You can track your application by clicking on this link. You will also receive notifications on various status updates through texts or SMS if you have opted for the same.
Travelling Abroad and VISA’s
Now, when you are traveling abroad, one of the most crucial travel documents that you need is your visa. Therefore, it is very important to fill out the visa application form taking all the precautionary measures to facilitate a smooth visa approval process. Let’s get a quick overview of the importance of visas and the general guidelines to fill out a visa application process.
What does the word VISA mean? What are the various sections of the visa application form?
Well, the full form of VISA is really ambiguous. It can either be defined as ‘Verified International Stay Approval’ or ‘Virtual Important Stamp Authorization’. In any scenario, it is the authorization document issued to a traveler to travel in and out of a country.
There are few general guidelines to follow when filing a visa application form:
- Firstly, make sure to fill all the fields with something and do not leave any field blank. If there is something that is not applicable to you, just mention ‘not applicable’ or ‘NA’.
Make sure to write your details legibly for the authorities to understand.
- The signature must be original and must match your passport and other official documents.
- If there is a criminal record that you are required to mention in the application form please include it with honesty.
- Make sure to provide all the information with utmost honesty and truthfulness.
So to conclude, when it comes to providing information in an application form about your passport, the issuing authority, or any other sections within a passport, it can sometimes be really confusing. Hope this article helped you make the process a little easier.
Is ‘place of issue’ different from ‘issuing authority’ in a passport?
The place of issue and the issuing authority is one and the same. Please refer to the first section of this article which will give you more information about the different scenarios where it is called the place of issue or the issuing authority.
Are there different rules in different countries for locating the ‘passport place of issue’?
Well, it is pretty much the same for most of the countries. It appears on the biodata page of the passport.
What are the fees involved in an OCI card?
The fee for a new OCI card is around $295 USD. reissue of the OCI in case of loss or damage will cost around $120 USD.
FAQs
What is the place of issue of my passport? ›
Passport – Place of issue: The City where the issuing authority is located. simply write that. For foreign nationals whose passports were issued in the United States, list the city where the consulate or embassy that issued your passport is located.
What should we write in place of issue? ›Place of issue is the Regional Passport Office's city name where your passport was issued. It can also be the place of an Indian Embassy or a Consulate if your passport was renewed abroad, as it happens with students and people working on an employment visa.
What does it mean place of issue? ›US Passports used to state where a passport was issued (generally where the application was processed).
Where is UK Passport place of issue? ›There is no specific "Place of Issue" on the British passport, although there is "Authority", which says IPS or Passport Agency depending on when your passport has been issued. IPS was the name used for the issuing agency before it was changed to HM Passport Office (HMPO)..
Is place of issue same as country of issue? ›So in your case, Country A issued/renewed the passport while you were in country B, so your country of issue is Country A, and place of issue is Country B/whatever the city.
Is issuing country and place of issue same for passport? ›Place of issue is different from Country of issue. If it is a UK passport then the issuing country is the UK. Place of issue refers to the place of issue shown on your passport. As an example, my passport's Country of issue, or Issuing authority is Canada.
What is issue give example? ›An issue is something that has at least two sides, an idea that can be debated, for example: government spending, pollution from fossil fuels, bias in news coverage.
What does it mean to be at issue? ›1. In question, under discussion; also, to be decided. For example, Who will pay for the refreshments was the point at issue. [ Early 1800s] 2.
WHAT TO FILL IN Have you ever applied for passport but not issued? ›<Column 7.3: Have you ever applied for passport, but not issued?> Put a cross against Yes if you have ever applied for a passport prior to the present application and the same was not issued. If yes, write the file number, month and year of applying, name of the passport office where you had applied in the given boxes.
What does it mean if something is in place? ›phrase. If something such as a law, a policy, or an administrative structure is in place, it is working or able to be used. Similar legislation is already in place in Utah. Synonyms: set up, established, ready, in order More Synonyms of in place.
What is an issuing location? ›
Issuing Office means such office as Issuing Lender shall designate as its Issuing Office. State Location means any physical location where the State performs work. State Location may include state-owned, leased, or rented space.
What does it mean to put something in its place? ›In the appropriate or usual position or order. For example, With everything in place, she started the slide show. [Mid-1500s] Also see put someone in his or her place. 2.
How do I change the place of issue on my passport? ›- Original old Passport.
- Copy of your online application.
- Copy of payment receipt or challan receipt.
- Self-attested copy of the first two and last two pages.
- Self-attested copy of the Emigration Check Required (ECR)/Non-ECR page.
You need to put down the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as your country of birth is, in the popular acronym, simply the UK. Wales is a country, it's also a principality, but it's also part of the UK and that's what will be written on the front of your standard EU pinkish purple passport.
Is place of birth an issue on passport? ›The passport application instructs the applicant to provide both the city and the state of birth. However, it is not necessary to annotate the city of birth if the applicant only provided the state.
Who is the issuer of passport? ›The issue of passport is a central subject under the Indian Constitution and allotted to the Ministry of External Affairs. It was in 1954 that the first 5 Regional Passport Offices at Bombay,Calcutta, Delhi, Madras and Nagpur were set up.
How do I find my passport issuing authority? ›The Passport Seva (Passport Service) unit of the Consular, Passport & Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs functions as the issuing authority and is responsible for issuing Indian passports on application to all eligible Indian citizens.
What does passport issued mean? ›Created: Your application is ready for printing and lodging. Passport issued: We've printed your passport.
Can we issue passport from a different city? ›As per an official press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), you can now apply for passport from anywhere in India.
Do you mean by issue? ›something that is sent out or put forth in any form. a quantity of something that is officially offered for sale or put into circulation at one time: a new issue of commemorative stamps; a new bond issue. a point in question or a matter that is in dispute, as between contending parties in an action at law.
What's your issue meaning? ›
used for asking someone in a threatening way why they are behaving in a way that you do not like or approve of. Synonyms and related words.
What is your take on this issue meaning? ›Meaning: This idiom is way of asking someone for their opinion and ideas.
On what basis can a passport be rejected? ›This can happen if you fail to provide your current address correctly. It can also happen if you are no longer available at the address you have provided. If you apply for a passport and shift before the verification, without informing the police or the passport department, you might end up with a rejected application.
Why would they reject a passport application? ›The principal law enforcement reasons for passport denial are a valid unsealed federal warrant of arrest, a federal or state criminal court order, a condition of parole or probation forbidding departure from the United States (or the jurisdiction of the court), or a request for extradition.
What can be used in place of? ›- rather.
- alternately.
- alternative.
- as a substitute.
- in lieu.
- in preference.
- on behalf of.
- on second thought.
Broadly defined, place is a location. The word is used to describe a specific location, such as the place on a shelf, a physical environment, a building or locality of special significance, or a particular region or location.
What is the meaning of at my place? ›(at) my place: (at) my house or apartment, (at) the place where I live. idiom. We're meeting at my place at 8 PM.
What does select issuing country mean? ›The name of the country that issued an exchange visitor's or spouse/dependent's passport. This will almost always be the same as the person's country of citizenship. See also. Passport Expiration Date.
What is the difference between place and put? ›The word 'put' is used in the sense of 'deposit' and the word 'place' is used in the sense of 'leave'. This is the main and subtle difference between the two words.
What is place of issue passport Philippines? ›Valid issuing authorities for Philippine passports include the main office of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, branch offices of the DFA located in certain cities around the Philippines, and Philippine embassies and consulates.
What is place of issue for Australian passport? ›
The Australian Passport Office, part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, issues Australian passports. You can complete your application online and lodge it at a participating Australia Post outlet, or at an Australian embassy or consulate overseas.
What is passport place of issue in Pakistan? ›Regional Passport Office, 13-C, Al-Hussain Plaza, G-10 Markaz, Islamabad.
Where can I find the issuing authority on my passport? ›The Passport Seva (Passport Service) unit of the Consular, Passport & Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs functions as the issuing authority and is responsible for issuing Indian passports on application to all eligible Indian citizens.
Who is the issuer of a passport? ›The Department of State issues U.S. passports to traveling U.S. citizens. We protect the integrity of the U.S. passport as proof of U.S. citizenship at home and around the world.
What does Dia Syd mean on a passport? ›DIA Sydney means Australia Department of Immigration Australia.
What is the answer for passport issued by? ›The Passport Offices function as subordinate offices of Ministry of External Affairs under the supervision of Central Passport Organization. The issue of passport is a central subject under the Indian Constitution and allotted to the Ministry of External Affairs.
What does issuing city mean on passport? ›The issuing city (ISS.) is a document feature listed on a passport. It indicates the location where an entrant obtained their passport in their respective country.
What does it mean by issuing authority? ›The issuing authority is the specific entity that issued the document or receipt, including state agency and enter the state as part of the issuing authority.
What is issuing authority in a passport What should I write in it? ›The passport issuing authority in the country is the concerned Regional Passport Office(RPO) where all the important decisions with regards to the passport are taken.
What is an example of an issuing authority? ›Issuing authority refers to any government agency or office that has the power to issue a specific official document. For example, in the United States, birth certificates are issued by the office of vital records from the state in which the individual was born.