You can fill out the affidavit by hand or on a computer or use our app to create the whole affidavit in the format accepted by the Indian embassy.

How to find out if Appearance has Changed?

On the affidavit, you have to mention if

• ‘Appearance has changed’ or
• ‘Appearance has not changed’

If you are applying for renewal after 10 years, our suggestion is to always say ‘Appearance has changed‘ to avoid delays or rejection of your application.

There is no need to worry even if you have to agree to a change in appearance. Usually, when you age, your appearance does change, which you may not realize yourself. There is no need to worry and a passport will be issued to you.

For example, if you are applying for a child’s passport, you will say that his/her appearance has changed as it always does for a growing kid.

Similarly, if you have started keeping a beard or now wear a turban, and vice versa, your appearance will be considered as changed.

Change in Appearance Affidavit Online

Create all affidavits and annexures required for Indian passport renewal in one go with our easy-to-use app.

FAQ

The post Change of Appearance Affidavit for Indian Passport Renewal appeared first on AM22Tech.

Annexure E is simply an affidavit by an Indian-origin person to declare that they are a citizen of India by birth/descent/registration/naturalization and they have neither acquired the citizenship of another country nor have surrendered their citizenship of India.

There are several other declarations that you need to make on this Annexure including but not limited to the security threats, criminal proceedings, and that you were not sent back (deported) from any foreign country at the Indian government’s expense.

Annexure E Online

You can create the Indian Embassy’s Annexure E affidavit easily using AM22Tech’s app.

Create all affidavits and annexures required for Indian passport renewal in one go with our easy-to-use app.

The service offers a full refund if the affidavit is denied by the Indian embassy.

Indian Citizenship type

Annexure E asks for your Indian citizenship type or you can say ‘How you received Indian citizenship’. There are 4 options:

1. Birth – you were born in India and hence became an Indian citizen.
2. Descent – means you were born in an Indian family.
3. Naturalization – means you applied for Indian citizenship through the official citizenship process with the Indian government and they approved it.
4. Registration – means that the Indian government gave you citizenship through a specific registration process.

You should write the correct option as to how you received your citizenship.

Multiple country citizenships

You should declare about holding multiple country citizenships. Your passport renewal may not approved if you declare wrong information or try to hide information.

India does not allow dual citizenship for its citizens.

For example, if you have received citizenship of the USA, Canada, or any other country, then you are required to surrender your Indian passport and its citizenship to the Indian embassy.

For Indian-origin people, you can apply for an OCI card to visit India without an Indian visa. Please note that you will need an Affidavit of an additional particular form to apply OCI card.

FAQ

The post Create Annexure E for Indian Embassy Online appeared first on AM22Tech.

This form is needed if you are applying for:

• Indian visa for travel, work, or any other purpose
• OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card
• PIO (Person of Indian origin) card

The additional particulars form is complex and you need to fill in a lot of information about your background. Indian embassy can reject your application if you hide any critical data points.

The sample form is available on the VFS global website here and you can fill it out yourself. If you would like to use our app to fill and validate everything, you can use it here:

The app validates all the data makes sure that no information is left unchecked and helps avoid denials by the Indian government.

The post Indian Additional Particular Form for Visa, PIO, or OCI card appeared first on AM22Tech.

Annexure D is an affidavit by parents of an Indian-origin child to declare that they are a citizen of India and the child is maintaining his/her Indian citizenship.

Annexure D Online

You can create Annexure D online by using AM22Tech’s app. The app validates and fills the affidavit as per the Indian government format.

Create all affidavits and annexures required for Indian passport renewal in one go with our easy-to-use app.

FAQ

The post Annexure D for Child Indian Passport Renewal – Parent sign required appeared first on AM22Tech.

In the Netherlands, the same Affidavit F is known as Annexure L.

This affidavit declares the details of how the passport was lost or damaged. The format of the affidavit varies a bit by the Indian embassy in the country where you are applying for a passport.

We have an app that you can use to create this Affidavit without worrying about the format. It automatically picks the correct format based on your country.

You will need to declare your last 3 addresses and the page numbers of the entry and exit stamps if you are an NRI (Non-resident Indian).

Annexure F/L Lost Damaged passport online

The app creates a pre-filled PDF file with all the required information for Annexure F. You can then upload it or send it with your passport renewal package.

What is TR Concession?

The TR concession on Annexure F means ‘transfer of residence’.

Transfer of Residence is an option to save Indian customs duty if you want to move to India after a stay abroad of at least two years. You can take most personal and household items without paying Indian customs duty with some exceptions.

The question on the Affidavit “Have you availed TR concession” can be answered as No if you have not used this transfer of residence option anytime in the past.

FT Allowance Meaning?

FT allowance on Annexure F means ‘Fund Transfer’ allowance.

Normally, when you travel abroad from India, you buy foreign currency for travel needs. This is usually mentioned on the last pages of your passport by the bank or the agent who gave you the money.

If something like this was mentioned on your passport, then please select ‘Yes’ and provide details.

FAQ

The post Annexure F/L for Lost/Damaged Indian Passport Renewal appeared first on AM22Tech.

In USA, VFS instructions are a little different:

1. Paper printed photo size: 2×2 inch
2. Upload Photo size: 35×45 mm

Many applicants face delays or rejections because their photos do not meet Indian gov standards while uploading it on website.

Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to help you get your photos right the first time as per Indian gov photo guidelines for passport or OCI.

Indian Passport Photo Requirements

To avoid delays and rejections, your application photos must strictly follow the official Indian government photo specifications.

• Size: 45 x 35 mm
• Head Position: Head height must be between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (25–35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the hair.
• Background: A plain light gray background is required, with no patterns or shadows.
• Expression: Maintain a neutral facial expression or a natural, subtle smile. Both eyes must be open and visible.
• Eyewear: Glasses are not permitted in the photo, except in rare instances of medical necessity with a signed doctor’s statement.
• Print Quality: Photos must be high-resolution, printed on photo-quality paper (matte or glossy), and free of smudges or creases.
• Quantity: Unless specified otherwise on your form, you must submit two identical photos.

Important: Do not use selfies, casual snapshots, or heavily filtered photos. Ensure the lighting is even and there are no dark shadows on your face or the background.

Where to Get Indian Passport photo Clicked?

You can visit Walmart, CVS or Walgreens to get your photos clicked for Indian passport renewal.

At some locations, even Costco and Sams club also offer reasonably priced passport size photos. They can also edit the photo as per Indian government’s 45×35 size requirements.

They usually charge upwards of $14.99 for two pictures.

The other option is to click the photo yourself using the mobile phone camera or your digital camera. There are softwares and websites available online which can help you edit your photos to exact specifications.

You should remember that editing is complex as the final edited image should print to exact measurements of 2 inch x 2 inch on paper. The image’s DPI (dots per inch) also matter as they control the quality of the final printed output.

Indian government requires the image to be high resolution which can be attained if you click the image by your iPhone and then edit it to at least 300 DPI. AM22Tech’s AI photo editor takes care of checking the photo resolution and edits it to minimum 300 Dots per inch thereby making it extremely easy to satisfy government requirements.

If you would like to click them yourself to save money, here is how to take Indian passport photo at home.

Step 1 of 4

Lighting

How to Take Your Passport or Visa Photo at Home

Save time and money by capturing a professional-quality photo right from home. All you need is a smartphone and a few minutes. Follow these steps for the perfect shot.

1 Right Lighting

Stand against a plain white or off-white wall. Face a window for natural daylight to ensure even lighting and avoid harsh shadows.

2 Set Up Your Camera

Use a tripod or ask a friend. Keep the lens at eye level and about 2 to 4 feet away. Always use the back camera for sharper quality.

3 Strike the Correct Pose

Look directly at the camera with a neutral expression. Keep your head straight, shoulders relaxed, and ensure your full head and shoulders are visible.

4 Capture & Upload

Take the shot and upload it to an AI photo editor. It will adjust background, crop correctly, and produce a high-resolution photo that matches government standards.

Expert Tip

Avoid using a flash. It creates glare on skin and glasses. Natural light is your best friend!

Making Your Photo Indian Gov-Ready

Even with a perfect shot, technical details like resizing, cropping, and cleaning the background can be a headache. Indian government is very strict and will reject photos if the head ratio or dimensions are even slightly off, leading to frustrating delays.

The Final Editing Steps

• Crop and center the head to the exact specifications.
• Ensure precise 45x35 mm dimensions.
• Professionally remove background shadows and ensure a light-gray background.
• Generate print-ready files (JPEG/PNG) for easy printing at home or a store.

FAQ

The post Indian Passport Photo Online in USA – Gov & VFS Guidelines [Avoid Rejection] appeared first on AM22Tech.

They are stuck in extremely long employment-based backlogs due to the 7% limit on each country in US immigration law.

H1B Stays Active?

If you are working in the US on an H1B visa, your US work authorization is not affected by your PR for any other country like Australia or Canada.

Once you are outside the USA, you are not actually using an H1-B visa at all as US immigration law does not apply to you.

If your US employer is ready to pay you a salary in Canada, while you work remotely, you can do it perfectly legally as per Canadian laws. You do not need an H1-B visa for this situation.

How to Keep H1B Active?

If you still want to hold on to your H1B job as your US employer does not have any Canadian or Australian operations, you will need to come back to the US.

Risks

• You can work remotely from Canada or Australia for some amount of time but if you cross 180 days, the tax residency laws will come into play.
• Your H1B extension might be denied if you keep working remotely from outside the US.
• USCIS conducts site visits routinely and you may be in trouble if they do not find you working in the US at the location specified in your H1B petition.

PR Validate, Return to the US

I know many people who have got both Australian and Canadian PR but have still opted to hold on to their H1-B job in the USA.

They have just visited the PR country for initial validation and returned to the US.

Both Australia and Canada give you an initial entry date, which is printed on your PR. You have to enter the country at least once to activate the PR.

Once granted, it is considered valid for the next 5 years. You can migrate anytime in those 5 years.

Renew PR after 5 Years

Both Australia and Canada have residency conditions placed on their PR to motivate people to settle down in the country.

The PR renewal or extension is nothing but a ‘resident return visa‘ (RRV) that you should apply for if you want to enter Australia or Canada after the 5 year PR term ends.

Resident Return Visa Conditions

• Spend two or more years in Australia in the last five years.
• Spend two or more years in Canada in the last five years.

If you have spent less than two years, then you have to explain why immigration should issue you RRV since you have not made Australia or Canada your usual place of residence.

If your RRV is not approved and you are outside Australia or Canada, and your PR visa is also expired, then your PR status is gone as well.

Citizenship Criteria

You will have to live and work in Australia for at least 4 years before you can apply for citizenship.

Similarly, Canada wants you to stay there for at least 3 years in the last 5 years before you can apply for a passport.

Use TN, E3 Visa to Work in the USA

If you have migrated to either country, you can come back to work in the US using either E3 or TN visa if you do not want to use H1B.

• The US has a special work visa for Canadians and is known as a TN visa.
• Similarly, Australian passport holders can come to the US on E3 visas to work.

Note that TN and E3 visa does not allow ‘dual intent’ meaning that you should not aim to file a US green card application.

On the other hand, the H1B visa allows dual intent.

Hence, even if you migrate and want to return to the US later, you should use your H1B visa to come back to the US.

The post Get Australia, Canada PR and Still Work on H1B Visa appeared first on AM22Tech.

The application process opened on July 16, 2023, and was closed on 17 July 2023. They received 10k applications within 1 day.

Any H1B visa holder, the majority of whom are Indians, will be able to work from Canada thereby paying income taxes in Canada instead of the US.

Many start-ups have spawned recently to cater to this specific remote job culture where a person is physically located in Canada but the job is in the US. This essentially means that at some point in time, the job will be moved to Canada by the employer.

Work Permit Details

A person should hold a valid USA #H1B visa to be eligible to apply.

The Canadian work permit will be given for 3 years validity.

• No Canadian job offer is needed.
• No LMIA is needed (LMIA is equivalent to USA LCA).

It’s always good to have a flexible, progressive system that changes easily for economic needs than a 30-year-old patchy US-style system.

The spouse will get a work permit too in addition to the primary applicant.

H1B work Permit Extension

The Canadian work permit for H1B can only be given for maximum 3 years. Once the 3 year expires, you should find other visa type or apply for PR to continue staying and working in Canada.

For people, who got their initial work permit for less than 3 years, you can apply for this work permit extension to get full 3 year term.

Rules for extension of primary and dependent work permits:

1. Deadline to apply for an extension: December 15, 2024.
2. You currently hold a valid H-1B open work permit issued under the H-1B public policy.
3. Your current H-1B open work permit is valid for less than 3 years from the date it was issued.
4. You apply for an extension before December 16, 2024.
5. You’re inside Canada when you apply for your extension.

Canada does not issue a visas for longer than the validity of your passport.

Hence, your open work permit will be issued for up to the remainder of the maximum 3-year validity period or to expiry date listed on your passport, whichever comes first.

You can read more about the process on how to apply for work permit extension on official Canada government website here.

Documents Required

1. H1B Approved i797
   • You need to upload a copy of the approved H1B i797.
2. Valid H1B visa stamp in Passport
   • You will be asked to upload it. I am not sure but they should accept the expired visa stamp from the passport in conjunction with the valid H1B i797.
3. Valid H1B i94 for Primary, H1B/H4 i94 for Spouse
   • You can get i94 from the CBP website
   • Or find one attached to your approved H1B/H4 i94
4. Marriage Certificate (In English)
5. Passport
   • Valid passport
   • The work permit will only be given until the passport expires or 3 years.
   • H1 B-based Canada work permit cannot be extended at this time. So, if your passport expiry restricts your work permit term to less than 3 years, you may not be able to use the full 3 years.
6. Proof of funds
   • The last 4 month’s Bank statements show enough funds to survive in Canada.
   • There is no fixed amount. But, I suggest CAD 1000 per person per month.
     • Example: for a family of 3 (2 adults and 1 kid), I suggest showing at least 3k per month for 6 months as a bank balance.
     • If you do not have the whole amount in one bank, merge the statements from all banks into one. You can also add the Robinhood, Fidelity, 401K, etc. stock statements to show that you have enough money.
7. USA Utility bill
   • It is suggested to upload the most recent utility bill like gas, electricity, etc. in the primary applicant’s additional document section.
   • This is to prove that you are currently living in the US.

Child Additional Documents (If applying for Child)

1. Child passport-size Scanned photo
   • If you are also applying for a work permit for your child (you can apply for a work permit for children under 18 years kid also), you will need to upload their image.
   • You can click the picture on your phone and then upload the scanned copy. Paper copies are not required. Canada is more advanced than US immigration!
2. Birth Certificate in English

Fee

The Canada work permit filing fee is CAD 155 per person which is equivalent to about USD 117 at this time.

An additional CAD 85 is charged for the biometric fingerprints and photo per person. The good thing is that the biometric fee is capped at CAD 170 for a family of 2 or more persons.

If you have given your biometrics for any Canada visa in the past 10 years, you do not need to pay the biometric fee again. The biometrics are valid for 10 years once given.

You can check if your earlier Canadian biometrics are still valid or not here.

How to Apply for an H1B-based Canada Work Permit?

1. You have to apply online through the IRCC Portal.
   • Make a new account if it’s your first time using the IRCC Portal.
2. Once you enter your email address, you will get a code to sign up.
3. After you log in,
   • Click Apply to visit, study, or work in Canada as a temporary resident.
   • On the next page, check the box at the bottom that says I’m ready to start my application.
4. If you’re applying to bring eligible family with you
   • Answer Yes when asked Do you want to apply for more than 1 person at the same time.
   • Select “Family” as the type of group that applies to your situation.
   • On the Manage group page, click Add member for each member of your family.

You must complete an application for each family member, but you can submit them all at once when you’re done.

When you’re asked what you want to apply for, choose an open work permit for an H-1B visa holder.

Continue answering the remaining questions to complete your application.

Processing Time

There is no official time frame available but I believe that it will be within 4-8 weeks.

Benefits

The most significant benefit will be the chance to get Canadian work experience and then claim extra points for PR later.

Many Indian H1B visa holders who have waited patiently for the US green card queue to move have aged out of Canadian PR.

These are people above 40 years of age. They can now apply for this work permit and can get PR points for working in Canada.

It seems Canada is keeping a close watch on the USCIS visa bulletin!

USA EB1 Manager GC Queque Eligibility

Many people stuck in the US EB2/EB3 queues would welcome this step as it has the potential to make you eligible for the USA EB1C category.

To be eligible for the EB1 manager category, you must work outside the USA in an executive manager role for at least 365 days in the last 3 years.

We will add and update more details as they are made available by Canadian immigration CIC/IRCC.

FAQ

More Questions?

Do you have more questions? Ask them in comments and we will try to answer to the best of our knowledge.

The post Canada Open Work Permit for US H1B visa holders appeared first on AM22Tech.

If yes, then you can create a ‘One and Same Person Affidavit‘ and get it notarized to prove that all names belong to the same person.

This affidavit is also known as the ‘same name affidavit form’ and can be submitted for legal purposes such as immigration, Green card application, or PR for Australia, Canada, the UK, and other such countries.

You can either write this affidavit yourself or use an app to fill it out for you.

Affidavit for Multiple Names on Different Documents

#1 Enter your Details

Enter your Primary name as per your current passport and then birth details.

You are also required to enter your current residential address. This address can be anywhere in the world irrespective of your birthplace or home country.

#2 Enter Other Names

You can enter different versions of your name for yourself. This is the same as entering your alias name.

Make sure that you do not make any mistakes in the name spelling as they will be written on the affidavit PDF.

Should I consider Social media names as ‘Other Names’?

A lot of people get confused with respect to choosing which names are considered other names especially when we use different alias names on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and others.

The rules for what is considered ‘other names’ vary by country and purpose. We suggest writing all the names that you think people (your friend circle and family) know you along with your social media names.

Examples:

• In the USA, it is expected and required by law that you consider all names like maiden name, social media names that people know you with, and names on all legal documents like passport, birth certificate, education documents, and others mentioned on this same name affidavit form.
• Other countries may have different requirements and may or may not require you to mention your name that you are not on any legal document.

Our suggestion is to use all names if you are not sure about the actual requirement to make the document universally acceptable.

#3 Enter Father’s Name

The last step in data entry is to fill in your father’s name. Once you are done, you can click the ‘validate and save’ button to check all your data.

If there are any errors, the app will automatically ask you to fix them.

If there are no errors, you can purchase (if applicable) the document and your affidavit will be sent to your registered email address within minutes.

Email with Affidavit

Notary

The notary will be required from your local notary to make it a legally valid document. You must sign this affidavit in front of the notary.

The notary service may be known by a different name in your place of residence like ‘Justice of peace’ in Australia, ‘Commissioner of Oaths’ in England / Wales, etc.

There are options for online notaries as well in the USA where they connect and see you sign via video call. Not all states in the US accept online notaries though.

Example:

The state of Texas in the USA allows online notaries while some counties in California accept documents notarized by online communication.

Please check with your local state/county law before getting online notary services:

• DocVerify
• Notarize
• NotaryCam
• Pavaso
• Safedocs
• SIGNiX

Photo on Multiple Name Affidavit

The photo is not required but highly recommended to avoid forging documents.

We recommend pasting a passport-size photo (according to the passport photo rules) of your country of residence and then signing across the photo so that half of the signature appears on the affidavit.

Sample Same Name Affidavit

This is a sample affidavit that arrives by email.

The app automatically adds the most recent tried and tested legal language based on your country and state of residence. All such country and state-specific formats have not been shown here due to limited space.

Example:

• The same name affidavit in New York, US may have a slightly different language than the one created for a person living in Edinburg, UK.
• Similarly, the language of the same name affidavit may be edited by the app based on the purpose of use like immigration or real estate purchase, or a civil/criminal court case proceeding.
• The address on the final affidavit is also printed based on the residence address, and the address format requirements along with country-specific date formats.
• The self-help app will always provide you with the most recent and updated PDF document that’s currently being accepted by your local government and the purpose.
• The app provides LIVE text chat support in case you have questions and a full refund policy.

Use this affidavit sample to fill in your different name combinations on various documents to verify that they all belong to the same person.

FAQ

The post One and Same Person Affidavit for Multiple Names (Immigration/Other) appeared first on AM22Tech.

OCI means the Overseas Citizen of India and allows visa-free travel for Indians who have got citizenship in other countries like the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and others.

Benefits of OCI:

• Get you multiple entries, and a multi-purpose lifelong visa to visit India.
• Allows exemption from reporting to local Indian Police authorities for any length of stay in India; and
• Equality with NRIs in financial, economic, and educational fields except in the acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties.
• OCI is also issued to kids of Indian citizens who do not hold Indian passports.

OCI Reissue is not Required

1. Minor child up to 20 years – OCI renewal is not required for minor children on a change of
   passport. Only upload the latest passport copy and photos on the OCI website.
2. Adult OCI Issued after 20 years of age – OCI renewal is not required for any OCI issued after 20
   years of the applicant’s age.
3. Adult Older than 50 years – OCI renewal is not required after 50 years. However, you should
   upload latest passport and photos ONCE after completing 20 years using the below process.
4. Change of address/contact details – Renewal of OCI is not required for change of address.
   Upload the latest details using the below process.

OCI Reissue is Required

• ONCE after the passport renewal and 20 years of age
• Change of name, father’s name
• Change of nationality

If you are an existing OCI cardholder and require uploading the latest Passport copy and photo, please follow the following steps.

This process needs to be done within 3 months of Passport renewal. Ministry of Home Affairs has granted extensions to use existing OCI without re-issue till Dec 31st, 2021, and anyone planning to travel to India after Dec 31st, 2021 should upload a Passport copy and photo as soon as possible.

Since it takes 2 weeks to 4 weeks to update the system it is better to complete it ASAP.

Documents Required

1. Photo: Non-white background, Square (equal width and Height), Picture size should be less than
   500kb in size. You can use Google Photoscan app.
2. Scanned signature – Sign on plain white paper. Then, use an app like Adobe Scan to scan or click a picture.
3. A PDF copy of the Passport picture page in color – Use Adobe Scan.

New Passport Upload Process

#Step 1

Access the Indian government’s OCI website. Select OCI Miscellaneous Services.

#Step 2

Click Proceed button.

#Step 3

Read the instructions and select ‘I have read the instructions at the bottom of the page’. Then, click the ‘Accept’ button.

#Step 4

Select “Fill New Miscellaneous application”. In case you exit in the middle, you can come back and complete the application by selecting “complete partially filled Miscellaneous Application”. 

#Step 5

A new pop window opens with the application. Please save the Temporary application number so you can use it to come back in case you lost a web connection or to complete a partially filled miscellaneous application.

Enter the Passport number from the last page of OCI.

We recommend entering File No# from the last page of the OCI card. We tried using U-Visa No# and OCI number# but page errors prevented us from going forward.

#Step 6

Select the “Submit” button after filling in all the required information. This will complete Part-A of the application. If you are ready with the picture, signature scan, and passport scan you can select the “Yes I am ready with the image” button. 

If scans are not yet ready, you can select the “Exit Now” button and come back by selecting the “complete partially filled Miscellaneous Application”.

Resizing the image to 500Kb size. If you used the Google Photoscan app, you may already have got a smaller size image. If not, then you can use any photo edit app or the windows photo edit to resize the image to 2×2 inches.

#Step 7

When you select “Yes I am ready from step 11”, the screen will update with an option to upload the image and signature.

Select “Choose File” and upload the picture. Once the picture is uploaded you will see the crop button and you can adjust the picture by clicking the crop button. 

• Picture file size should be less than 500kb and
• The signature scan file size should be more than 10kb – A signature needs to be a 3:1 ratio (width: height) so once the signature is uploaded you can select the crop button and resize it to a 3:1 ratio.

After selecting the upload button and you want to upload again you can select “I want to upload again”. If not select “I have uploaded successfully”.

#Step 8

You will now have the option to proceed to Part B and upload the Passport picture page scan.

#Step 9

Answer the following questions.

The first question is tricky. Select “no” for the following question if the family has only one person with an OCI card.

Have you/any member of your family applied for Overseas Citizen of India registration earlier? * 

#Step 10

The next step is to upload the Passport scan (Only pdf is allowed) and you can upload it by selecting the “Upload Documents” button.

OCI Upload/Reupload

In case you exited before uploading the documents you can also upload by selecting the OCI document upload/Re-upload button on the main page here:

OCI Status Enquiry

You can check the status by selecting the “Status Enquiry” button and selecting proceed button.

Enter the passport number and File the reference number to check the status. It will take 2 to 4 weeks to get updated in the system. 

The post Is Indian OCI Renewal Required? How to Update New Passport? appeared first on AM22Tech.