Sada-e-Watan Sydney ™
sadaewatan@gmail.com

                                                                  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

1. Where should I submit my application for consular services such as renewal of passport or visa?

Ans: Residents of NSW should apply (except for NICOP) to Consulate General of Pakistan in Sydney and residents of all other states including ACT should apply to High Commission in Canberra.

2. At which address can I post my application?

Ans: The consular service requests can be sent either to physical or postal address of:

High Commission for Pakistan
Physical Address: 4-TimbarraCrescent,O'MalleyACT 2606
Postal Address: PO Box 684, Mawson ACT 2607 (Australia)
or
Consulate General of Pakistan
Physical Address: Level 7, 32 Martin Place, Sydney, NSW 2000
Postal Address: GPO Box 5256 , NSW 2000

3. Besides signatures, is it necessary to put thumb impression on the passport application?

Ans: Yes it is mandatory to sign as well as affix thumb impression on the first page of the application form and relevant declarations on the second page.

4. Is it necessary to attach original CNIC/NICOP with the passport application?

Ans: Yes, production of original CNIC/NICOP and attaching a copy with the application is must. The original CNIC/NICOP is returned with the passport.

5. Why the time taken for issuance of passports in lieu of lost passport is so long?

Ans: Because the case of lost passport has to be referred to the issuing authority for verification/confirmation of the lost passport. A fresh passport is issued only when the confirmation is received.
 

6. Why is it necessary to submit a declaration regarding first loss or second loss of passport?

Ans: It is required due to difference in fee in case of first and second loss of passport. It may please be noted that if the passport is lost for the third time, then instead of new passport, the applicant will be issued a single page emergency travel document to return to Pakistan.

7. Why the Mission demands current visa status for renewal/issuance of passport?

Ans: It is required to confirm the legal status of the applicant and ensure that there is no violation of local laws.

8. What is the requirement concerning photograph for issuance of passport?

Ans: Three (3) recent 2x2 size photographs in matte finish (not more than 6 months old) with name of the applicant on the back.

10. How can I pay the Consular fees?

Ans: Consular fee can be paid in the form POSTAL MONEY ORDER / CERTIFIED BANK CHEQUE / BANK DRAFT in favour of High Commission for Pakistan Canberra.
Payments to Consulate General of Pakistan, Sydney may be made by Money Order, Certified bank Cheque/Bank draft . Payments can also be made through Citilink Finance (phone 02-92221802 which is located on same floor as the Consulate. Citilink accepts Credit Cards, EFTOS and Cash).
To further facilitate payments, the matter is being discussed with Commonwealth bank for accepting eftos for High Commission and Consulate’s fees.

11. In whose name should be the Bank/Postal Chq or Money Order should be made?

Ans: In case of High Commission in Canberra, the POSTAL MONEY ORDER / CERTIFIED BANK CHEQUE / BANK DRAFT should be in the name of “High Commission for Pakistan, Canberra”.

In case of the Consulate, it should be in favour of “Consulate General of Pakistan, Sydney”.

12. Can I get my Power of Attorney (POA) attested without visiting the High Commission or Consulate General?

Ans: For attestation of Power of Attorney, the applicant has to physically turn up at the High Commission in Canberra or the Consulate General in Sydney and sign the POA in front of the Consular staff concerned.

In exceptional cases, where applicant cannot personally visit the High Commission or the Consulate General, the POA must be first attested by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra or by its regional offices in every state capital and the sent to the High Commission or Consulate General to counter attest the DFAT's seal/signature.

13. Can I make my POA on a plain paper instead of stamp/legal paper?

Ans: The applicants living abroad are not required to present their POA on stamp/legal paper and, therefore, can prepare it is on plain paper.

15. How long it takes to get renewal of passport?

Ans: Normally it takes 10 working days for ordinary processing of the passports. Passport application submitted with urgent fee are processed within 24 hours and generally returned on the next working day.

16. Can I get visa earlier by paying urgent fee?

Ans: There is no urgent fee for visa, however all efforts are made to keep the processing time to minimum.

17. Can I get the visa without providing my travel itinerary or confirmed booking?

Ans: Travel itinerary should be attached with the visa application form, to avoid delay in processing or refusal.

18. Should I send NICOP/POC to Consulate in Sydney or High Commission in Canberra?

Ans: The NICOP/POC applications should be sent to High Commission in Canberra only. Remaining all consular service requests by residents of NSW should be made to Consulate General in Sydney and residents of all other states/territories should be sent to the High Commission in Canberra.

19. How does the Mission process NICOP/POC applications?

Ans: NICOP/POC applications are received in the High Commission, on behalf of NADRA. These applications are complied and then forwarded to NADRA Headquarters in Islamabad on weekly basis by diplomatic pouch. The applications are processed by NADRA in Islamabad for production of NICOP/POC, which, depending on the fee paid, are sent by the NADRA either to the High Commission or to the applicant directly. The High Commission forwards the NICOP/CNIC to the applicant as and when received from NADRA.

20. When the Mission will start issuance of Machine Readable Passport (MPR) in Australia?

Ans: All technical arrangements for issuance of MRP have already been made and service will start as soon as the data operators from Directorate General, Immigration and Passport join the missions in Australia. Hopefully the MRP service would be available in Australia by the end of this year.

21. What is the time limit for registration of Pakistani children born outside Pakistan?

Ans: Under the Pakistan Citizenship Act of 1952, all Pakistani Citizens are required to register their children, who are born abroad, with the nearest Pakistani Embassy / High Commission / Consulate General, within six months of their birth. The Birth Registration Cases (BRC) for more than six months only children must be accompanied by a statement of reasons for delay in submitting their case to the Mission.
Beyond one year, the child can be registered by the Mission only after obtaining NOC from the Ministry of Interior, Islamabad.

22. Why the issuance of character certificate takes so long?

Ans: Since the character certificate can be issued by the relevant police authorities only, the cases are sent to respective DPO by the Mission, who forwards it to the concerned police station.

The relevant police authorities issue these certificates after consulting their years only records and on ground physical checks.

The character certificate is sent to the applicant, as and when received by the Mission from Pakistan.

23. Why the verification letter for driving licence takes so long?

Ans: It does not take long if all the documents (including the NOC issued by the issuing authority and attestation by MOFA, Pakistan) are in order. It takes more time, only when a verification of driving licence and MOFA attestation is required.

24. Do applicants have to personally come to High Commission or Consulate?

Ans: No except in case of attestation of signature, example for Power of Attorney and for MRP passport once initiated. For all other consular services, applicants may send their case by post/courier .In case delivery is desired by mail, it is advised not to use ordinary plain envelops with stamp for return mail as they cannot be tracked and also not safe. Therefore for the safety of your documents always use registered or express platinum envelops { High Commission/Consulate accepts no responsibility for any documents so dispatched by it nor obviously, it assumes any responsibity for documents sent by post. Applicants sending their documents by post, may please include a self addressed& stamped envelope, in addition to the registered/express envelopes, if they wish to get acknowledgment and receipt , which will also indicate due delivery date.)

25. Why I should register online within High Commission or Consulate?

Ans: registration can be done by mail also. Registration online has been made to facilitate the Community. Whereas every Pakistani in Australia and Fiji is required to register with HC/CG, it is in their own interest to register so that they can be better served and in case of any emergency , their next of kin can be contacted.

26. What should I do if I am not satisfied with HIGH Commission or Consulate’s service or I have a complaint against them?

Ans: Complaint boxes are available in HC/CG. If personally visiting, if not satisfied with response/service at counter, ask to see Deputy High Commissioner in Canberra and Consul in Sydney. Email them at their direct emails also at enquiry@pakistan.org.au (in case of CG Sydney) and dhcpahiccanberra@internode.on.net( in case of HC Canberra). Please be rest assured actions will be taken on your genuine complaint and you will be responded to.

27. What is the best way to get information in addition to information already available in HC/CG website?

Ans: While all endeavours have been made to post all relevant information in the website ( www.pakistan.org.au),

applicants may still have some specific equerries. In such cases, it is requested to send email at dhcpahiccanberra@internode.on.net (Canberra) and enquiry@pakistan.org.aufor Sydney. Due to limited manpower, phone for Consular services is attended only during specified hours as in the website. However, the Consulate assures that email queries would be responded to by next working day.