Quote:
Originally Posted by aadya I am an Indian citizen. My wife is a Nepali citizen,apply for Indian citizenship. |
An update on the process: The application process is reasonably defined. Please visit the website quoted in this post. Only the filling of application and fee payment is online. We need to visit relevant office for the submission in person.
Quote:
Originally Posted by .sushilkumar |
The major documents required for citizenship by marriage are:
Application
Scanned copy of the foreign passport
Scanned copy of the spouse's Indian passport
Visa/Work permit
Marriage certificate.
Note: Passport and visa/work permit are not mandatory for Nepalese, but should be presented if available (not to hide the passport). All documents should be scanned and kept in a PDF format with multiple pages in the same PDF for each document. Each PDF should not exceed 1 MB. A scanned copy of a passport size photo is needed - the specifications are mentioned before we upload.
The applicant should have lived in India for 9 years after their marriage, including compulsorily one year preceding the application and a sum total of 6 years in the preceding 8 years. We should fill up the details of the addresses in which the applicant had stayed during those 9 years.
The fee is Rs. 500, and the payment page has some glitches, although most payment methods are accepted. It is not a straightforward and easy payment process. I would advise saving the application at each step. Note down the application number. Once the payment is completed after filling in the details, a new file number is automatically created, which will be the reference number for future communication.
A link directs us to the Ministry of Home Affairs where we need to upload the documents. Once the documents are uploaded, we receive an acknowledgement email and the document is ready to be printed. The official directions state that we need to print three(actually four) copies and submit them to the District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner/Collector of our place of residence. For Bangalore, the point of contact/submission is the District Magistrate on Kempegowda Road.
There are some additional requirements to be noted. Although the instructions say we need 3 copies, we actually need to submit four copies of the application along with copies of the relevant documents. We also need to submit an official letter addressed to the district magistrate requesting the processing of the application. The letter should include a summary of the application, our contact information, address, mobile number, and email ID.
We need to obtain the signature on the application from an Indian citizen by birth who is not the spouse or an advocate for the applicant. The person providing the signature should be a friend or neighbour with good standing in society. We were told that a police inquiry would be conducted with this person about our whereabouts and details, so they should be reasonably literate to avoid being perturbed by the questioning. The longer we know the person, the better it is, by the look of it.
Regarding submission of the application, it is a typical modern government office with cubicles for various functions. One Mr. Ravi, who appears to be the representative of the District Magistrate, receives and processes the application. The office was visited by my wife, not me. But based on the description she gave, he seems to be knowledgeable, polite, and approachable. No money was demanded or accepted. They have conveyed that the process might take anywhere between one to three years, depending on the backlog and documentation.
By the sound of it, it appears the application would be vetted by the District Magistrates office, then sent to Police commissioner or SP of the zone for verification, then sent to the state Home ministry clearance, then sent to the Union Home ministry for clearance.
"Here are some minor points to consider, though they are not mentioned anywhere:
1.They prefer using a black Pilot pen with waterproof ink for signing.
2.Do not pin or staple the forms together, but separate each set with a transparent sleeve or a slide folder. They tie them with a corner thread in the office.
3.Use good thick bond sheets. We used JK Cedar White 100gsm, as the process takes more than a year and the documents traverse multiple offices. Good quality paper would keep the application neat and pleasing.
4.Dress respectfully (though we may debate this). I feel we are answered better when we are in the right attire.Keep a couple of extra copies handy, just in case.
5.Keep the date beside the signature vacant for them to fill once the application is vetted. The original date of application is default printed.
6.Strike away non-relevant portions in the declaration part. We were told that many applications were returned for correction of these portions alone (for example, it reads like this: "I have/do not have a criminal record" - by default printed, we need to strike the first 'have').
I hope I have covered most of it. Now, our wait has started. We are keeping our fingers crossed and believing the Indian bureaucracy to deliver.