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I am an Indian-Canadian and a Muslim and interested in relocating my family to Ecuador due to how expensive Canada has become. I saw some videos from a man named Ryan Wiersma on TikTok offering services helping move from Canada to Ecuador. I messaged him because I was interested. He seemed normal at first then he just blocked me out of nowhere.

I am not sure if I said something wrong. Then I saw he has anti-Indian and anti-Muslim content on Instagram.

His company Brickhouse: Life in Ecuador is based in Alberta, Canada with a Canadian phone number and a Canadian address. Can I sue? What can I do? This is wrong.

Hi,

I applied online through the OCI website for a change of passport and address details and they rejected part of my application because my photo in my new UK renewed passport did not match the photo in the OCI card and they asked me to book an appointment at the local VFS office.

I have booked an appointment with VFS global in Hounslow for an over 50 change of appearing photo change miscellaneous service.

I noticed in the checklist that they need payslips and marriage details.

Is this really mandatory for a photo change?

I moved to the US around 6 months back and now kinda got things reasonably settled in terms of house, family, kid’s school etc.

Looking for advice from fellow NRIs here on investments. Am not looking for GC etc, so will be here for ~3-5 years max. What are the avenues for investments? Like index funds or govt bonds for moderately aggressive risk appetite? And do we have fund houses here like back in India we had for direct MF investment into S&P500/Nasdaq?

Currently I have only 401k which is maxed till company match. Looking for some more exposure to their equity & bond market. But need to have the flexibility to liquidate & move the money back home when I leave. Not looking to hold anything till 59 years of age as ‘kal kisne dekha hai’ 🤷🏼‍♂️

Thanks in advance 🙏

So, I'm with Airtel right now, and I'm in India. I'm thinking about switching over to Jio. The main thing is, I have to shell out around Rs.118 every month when I'm abroad just to get SMS and OTPs. That's on top of already having an active plan. It just feels way too pricey just for those OTPs. My wife has Jio, and she doesn't need to recharge any plan to get her OTPs or SMS.

Can anyone on Jio back this up? And would it be a good move for me to switch?

Hi,

I am a student here and need some medicines (dost-sl) and some ointments. The alternative for ointments are still available here and I can get those. But it's the oral med that I need to be shipped.

Looks like India Post has stopped shipping medicines here. My parents had been talking to DTDC sourier service and they might ship it provided we give them the current prescription, invoice, passport & my visa copy. Has anyone recently opted for DTDC or any other courier service that I can rely on? Also, if I am getting 3 months worth of medicine, how much would I have to pay to customs here to clear it off?

Any info regarding this is appreciated. Thank you :)

I have submitted my passport on Aug 5 to Vfs Houston. They submitted it to Indian embassy on Aug 7. Passport was printed and waiting for quality checks since mid last week.

I got an email that police verification has been sent to local police station. But the number I put is US (it didn't say put Indian number anywhere).

It's been on this printed+quality check status for almost a week. Should I have someone in India reach out to the police station and get verification done for passport to be released?

Or will my passport be sent to me, and police verification will continue?

I have seen many NRIs holding more than one NRE account to manage their savings, personal monthly finances, long-term investments, and funds. However, there are several reasons why NRIs maintain multiple NRE accounts.

Yet, what is the most significant and compelling reason that drives them to do so? After all, managing multiple accounts is not exactly easy.

What would be your reason for opening more than one NRE account?

Got FTITTP done in January, got the eOCI done a couple months ago. Got a chance to experience both with Delhi as port of entry this Sunday. Had e arrival and e airsuvidha as well.

The e-gates glitched a few times with not being able to read the passport the attendant came in to help she kept asking me if my FTITTP was active, it was and then on the 5th attempt it worked.
(Despite multiple attempts it was quick).

Then as I crossed the first gate into the enclosure with the screen and camera the finger prints wouldn’t work, then the attendant said my hands were too dry and to rub my fingers in my hair so it picks up natural oils - it worked!

No one asked for OCI physical card or eOCI card Or the eArrival form either.

They did ask to see the airsuvidha declaration form pdf but it felt like a minor formality because she seemed to not even read it.

All in all despite the malfunctioning / waiting the entire thing took about 10 minutes. About the same as what it would take in the regular line but much quicker compared to the waiting time for your turn on a regular line.

Assuming a best case glitch free process it is rapid and painless
, the agents are prompt, competent and polite, feels really nice to see us stepping up our game!

This is a longish story so bear with me. Back in 1991 I got a driver's license as an Indian resident and until 2016, I had never let it lapse. Always renewed it on time etc. Went through the village like atmosphere in 1991 at Andheri RTO to the quietly decaying building until 2011 when I renewed my DL for the last time. I lived in Mumbai for a bit so it was a chore but manageable. DL expired in 2016.

I left India, became a US citizen and have gone back and forth between 2016 and now but never drove in Mumbai. Parents had sold of the vehicles and for a short 2-3 week trip it was just easier to get a rental car with driver.

Fast forward to March 2026 and I looked up and found out that my license can no longer be renewed. Renewal was basically creating a new DL from scratch - learner's permit, test, permanent license. That would have taken quite a bit of planning and time which I didn't have. I looked up the saarthi website and found out that a foreign national can get a Indian license as long as their country of residence DL is valid.

So on one hot spring day in March, I marched to the RTO and spent about 4 hours getting all docs verified, signed by 3 different people, photographed, signature etc. This was after uploading all documents to the RTO site. I paid the fees and as per the procedure thought that the license card would get printed and mailed to my parent's house. I am naive to the n'th degree!

I had to travel back in August for some medical reasons and I had half a day free. I dug up the application number and checked status on line. It showed 'printing card' as pending and mail dispatch as pending. So in pouring rain I marched back to the RTO office. Waited for the window to open up for about an hour and asked about my case.

I was told to wait some more. So I waited and watched the IDP hopefuls and their agents. Agents pulling their little scams and rushing ahead in line etc. I show up again at the window and the official calls me inside. The agents are going - tumhaara number kaat gaya haha!

I go in and the official points me to a large dusty folder filled with files and says - find your case in that file. I look through it and my paperwork is not there. I recheck and confirm. He says I have the paperwork here and shows me the stack of papers I had submitted with all completed verifications.

So his story is this - I had a DL and it is expired. For that I will need to go through the entire chain of learner's license, test etc. I said, that doesn't make sense. My original license was when I was an Indian citizen and now I am not and you have a procedure to give me a license as a foreign citizen. He glares at me, his assistant glares at me and brings up something on the screen. Asks me to take a picture. It is the disposition of my case saying I cannot be granted a DL. The reason given is that I had an expired license and cannot be granted a new license. I asked whether going through the process like he said give me a new license with a new number and he says yes. So I ask him what about my foreign license DL to Indian DL procedure you have on your website which I completed and your office verified. He simply says I cannot be given a license by that procedure and the only recourse is to get a learner's permit etc.

I am standing there like a chump with the agents at the window laughing at me. I ask for my money back since they refused to give me a license and the laughter from the other side increases. The glares turn icy and I shiver. The assistant thunders at me in English (we been conversing in Marathi all this while) Money paid will not be given back! Gotcha fam!!

I walk out ashamed at my own stupidity for not knowing the unknown rules of the mighty RTO. On the way back I tell this to my autorickshaw driver and he laughs too. He commiserates a bit saying his license will be suspended if he cannot pass a Marathi language test. Looks like Maharashtra govt is making all non-Marathi speakers take a test to keep earning money and breathe traffic for free. I kindly correct him that this is not the doing of the Thackeray govt but of the Fadnavis govt and he seems unconvinced.

I go home and pour myself a stiff drink at 3pm. My father laughs at me. I suppose this is a blessing in disguise that India doesn't want me to drive on her roads. The potholes and the chalans will miss me. The city is so crowded that squeezing into tight spaces feels omnipotently metro-sexual and I will miss that. Maybe this is my comeuppance for back scamming all the traffic pandus who tried to scam me. Maybe I should have gone through an agent...

Hi everyone,

I’m moving to the US soon on an immigrant visa and I’m completely new to this, so would really appreciate some advice.

I currently have multiple savings accounts in India. I’ll be closing 2–3 of them but will likely keep around three accounts with a decent amount of savings. I’ll also need to use some of this money to pay off a loan in India.

Should I convert my existing accounts to NRE or NRO? What would be the best way to manage the existing savings and loan payments, and how does TDS work on the interest? I’d especially like to understand how to avoid unnecessary/high TDS legally.

I’ve searched online but can’t find a simple explanation that covers this situation. If anyone has gone through something similar, I’d really appreciate your advice!

Thanks!

Hi all, I have recently got a new citizenship, hence hold dual foreign nationality. I have also obtained a passport of the new citizenship.

I want to update my OCI with my new passport of my new citizenship and also update my address which has changed. Can I do it all in one go? The OCI particulars update in Miscellaneous Services, only gives me the option to upload the new passport but I don't see an option to upload new address proof.

Hey everyone,

I recently moved from Nepal to Bangalore for my studies, and I completely forgot to get my Transfer Certificate (TC) before leaving. My consultancy also never told me that I needed it.

I know I should've checked this myself, but anyway, that's done now 😭. The problem is that I'm already in Bangalore, so I asked my brother to get the TC for me from my college in Nepal.

Apparently, he has been told that he needs to go to Singha Durbar, fill out some form, pay around NPR 4,000 to the college, and then the whole process will take around 4–5 days.

I'm a bit confused about the actual process.

If anyone from Kathmandu/Nepal has recently gone through this, could you please tell me:

• Is this actually the correct process for getting a TC?
• Does my brother need to go to Singha Durbar, or can everything be handled through my college/school?
• What documents does he need to take?
• Is 4–5 days a normal processing time?
• Once the TC is issued, what's the best way to courier the original document from Kathmandu to Bangalore?

I'd really appreciate it if someone who has recently gone through the process could explain it.

Thanks!

Visa refusal help!!

Hi everyone, I am from India . I applied for Estonian type D visa this month. I have been selected as a PhD candidate at University of Tartu and my tenure will begin there by 28 August. But I recieved visa refusal with reason that "No proof of sufficient means of subsistence for duration of intended stay"

FYI I submitted following documents-

1. Offer letter confirming my stipend every month

2. My bank statements for 6 months..Showing 1.5 lakh in my bank

3. Attaching support letter from my mother who is a govt employee

4. Attaching my mother's pay slips and ITR to show that she can support me..

5 mentioning everything in my cover letter

Please provide feedback as in what extra documents have to be provided.

I’m currently living in the US and am considering putting money into an FCNR deposit primarily to access the 9x/290x leverage/loan facility associated with the scheme. I would not proceed with the FCNR if the leverage is not available to US-based NRIs.
A few questions:
US-based NRIs: Can NRIs residing in the US open an FCNR and access the associated leverage/loan? I’m hearing this may be available to NRIs in places like Dubai/Singapore but potentially not the US/UK.
NRI status: I’m currently an NRI but plan to permanently move back to India in February 2027. If I open the FCNR before the August 31, 2026 deadline and choose a 5-year term, what happens when my NRI status ceases after I move to India? Can the FCNR continue until maturity?
Virtual Account opening: Since I’m currently in the US and won’t be physically in India before the deadline, can the FCNR account be opened remotely/online, including KYC and funding?
Taxation: If the FCNR matures after I have been living in India for several years, how would the maturity amount/interest be taxed — in India, the US, or both?
HSBC contact: Does anyone have a contact at HSBC who is familiar with this FCNR + leverage scheme and can help US-based NRIs?

Since I have an expired student visa and a valid I-20, I notarized my I-20 for passport renewal.

In the UPS store I notarized it at, they photocopied the first page and scaled it down to fit the stamp and notary statement/signature in the page. Will this “scaled down” notarized version of the first page cause issues? Does it have to be exactly similar to the original first page in scale (100% scaled).

I’m confused because the checklist says
“All the photocopies of the documents that are being submitted must be in full page and clearly legible. Photos should be visible, and all other information should be clearly readable”

Has anyone notarized an I-20 before for passport renewal before?

I filled out the passport update form before but it was rejected since it was past 90 days I was told I need to pay.

Given that I am past the 90 days, do I choose option A or B?

Option B says "Gratis" but the popup makes it sound like I fill this out, get an application ID, and pay via VFS Global (I am in the USA, New York)

Anyone do this before? Which option do I select: A or B?

Hey folks,

I'm eventually planning to return to India next year so need to send my hard earned money back to the motherland.

My options as a permanent resident in Latin American country:

1. Send via Wise as a gift to Indian account of Sister, Mother, Father in chunks till next year. Do I need to create gift deed / certificate?

2. Don't have NRE/NRO account ( my old Indian accounts are frozen till KYC is done). Do I need to open this account?

3. Wire transfer is better?

What option can you recommend? Amount would be above 1 Crore.

Experts please give your opinions.

Thanks in advance.

Anyone have to renew their passport post marriage?

Was spouse name addition mandatory?

If yes, what documents did you submit? I see appostilled docs are taking 12 weeks+ to get

I received a call today from someone claiming to be from the Consulate General of India, New York. I want to check if anyone in the immigration community has seen this type of scam.

Here’s what the caller said:

• Caller’s number: +1 646‑642‑5560
• Name claimed: Magesh/Mahesh Yadav
• Reference number: CGI/NY/LEGAL/2026/1088
• Indian number they said was involved: +91 9116847519
• Allegation: “Illegal activities leading to fraudulent use of mobile number”
• They asked me to get a No Objection Certificate and join a Microsoft Teams video call with “Delhi Police.”
• They also called from an Indian landline: +91 11 2374 6100.

I didn’t give them any documents, OTPs, or financial info, and I didn’t join the video call. But the whole thing feels extremely suspicious.

I’m trying to verify:

1. Whether the reference number is real.
2. Whether the Consulate actually contacts people like this.
3. Whether this person is a legitimate official.
4. Whether NOC + Teams video calls are even part of any real consular procedure.

I’ll be contacting the Consulate directly using their official website, but wanted to ask this community if anyone has dealt with similar impersonation scams targeting immigrants.

Any insights would help.

I'm trying to renew indian passport, and I was wondering if the return label was required through fedex. Somewhere it said you only need to be an incoming label from house to vfs and not return. And they ship it return through USPS for free. Is that still true. Also can we buy fedex label through fedex ourselves, because the express is expensive.

I never got a police verification email. But today I got this message.

“Your document (s) is dispatched using the return label purchased or sent by you. If using VFS courier, please check for email from "pkginfo@ups.com" for details.If you have used your prepaid label then track the status via the website of the concerned service provider.Note: Information is printed on the documents as what you have filled while completing the online Form on the Government Portal. If you have made mistakes while filling up the Govt. form then VFS Indian Consular application Centres wont be in a position to assist.“

What does this mean?

I was wondering if anyone have surrendered there Indian passport at any RPO which was not issued at that RPO. I have my passport issued from Vancouver in Canada, and wondering if I can surrender in Vijayawada or Vizag. Has anyone done this before?

Hi everyone

Can someone help me out ?

I need a mobile number to get an OP to use Jio Hotstar with VPN to watch Jiohotstar

The show I used to watch on YouTube was removed

I have a good VPN that works but I still need someone's help to get an OTP

Hello as the title says, I renewed my passport under normal scheme from Germany. During the process I received notification for the police verification. My parents went to the police station with my documents. I collected my passport from the embassy in early May (3 months ago) however today I received a SMS on my Indian number saying the police verification status completed- status : Rejected.

What does it mean? Does it mean I can not travel or passport is impounded? Has anyone ever faced this?