OCI for Minors & Newborns in USA
OCI for Minors & Newborns · New Jersey
OCI for your US-born child, starting with the apostille.
Since December 2024, a US-born child’s OCI application needs an apostilled US birth certificate — a plain or notarized copy gets rejected. We apostille the birth certificate, notarize the parental consent, and submit the whole packet to VFS. Statewide across New Jersey.
The apostille comes first — and it’s now mandatory
As of 30 December 2024, a US-born child’s birth certificate must be apostilled for OCI. Apostilles take weeks, so we start yours on day one.
Who this is for
US-born children of Indian-origin parents
A child born in the US to an Indian-origin parent qualifies for OCI through the parent. Many families apply soon after the child’s US passport and apostilled birth certificate are ready — a newborn can be registered early.
What you’ll need
The minor OCI document checklist
Parents’ details must match across every document. We review all of it before submission.
The process
How your child’s OCI gets done
Parents complete and sign the online application. We handle the apostille, the notarization, and the VFS submission around it.
Apostille first
We start the US birth-certificate apostille on day one — it takes weeks, and nothing else can be submitted without it.
Notarize consent
We notarize the parental authorization and check that both parents’ documents and details line up.
Prepare & submit
Parents complete the online form; we assemble the packet — child’s photo, thumb impression in the signature box — and submit to VFS.
Track to e-OCI
We track it through the consulate and the Ministry of Home Affairs and return your child’s digital e-OCI to you.
Why minor applications get rejected
The traps we catch — before you pay
The OCI fee doesn’t come back if you’re rejected. Minor applications have their own specific pitfalls.
Plain instead of apostilled
A notarized or plain birth certificate no longer passes — the apostille is mandatory. This is the #1 minor-OCI rejection.
Parent signing the child’s box
Parents must not sign in the child’s signature box. A young child uses a left thumb impression; the parent signs the separate minor section.
Photo specification
Wrong size, background, or a covered face stalls the application. We prep to the exact 2×2 white-background spec.
Detail mismatches
Parents’ names or spellings differing across documents cause delays. We check consistency across the whole packet.
What it costs
Minor OCI fees, in plain terms
The government and VFS charges below are set by the authorities and passed through at cost — not our fee. The birth-certificate apostille has its own separate state fee. Our service fee for apostille handling, notarization, and logistics is quoted up front.
Important: the OCI government / VFS charges are non-refundable even if the application is rejected, and amounts change. Always confirm the current minor fee on the VFS payment screen before paying. Apostille fees are set by the state that issued the birth certificate.
Start with the apostille — today
Because the apostille takes weeks, the sooner we start, the sooner your child’s OCI is done. Tell us your situation and we’ll map it out.
Questions
