Canada Ends Postal OCI Applications For Indians From April 5

Indians in Canada applying for Overseas Citizenship of India cards will now have to plan for an in-person step. Postal OCI applications have been discontinued from April 5, 2026. Applicants must book appointments and visit designated BLS International centres for biometric verification, including fingerprints and photographs. For families, students, older applicants and people living far from major centres, the change can mean extra travel, appointment planning and more paperwork discipline. The OCI card is important because it enables lifelong visa-free travel to India and is widely used by the Indian diaspora. The reason for the shift is biometric capture, which cannot be completed through a purely postal route. That makes the process more secure, but also less convenient. Editors should verify the latest instructions from the Indian mission or BLS before publishing, because application rules and appointment availability can change quickly.