Yossarian
Test Debutant
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- Jan 15, 2007
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A friend has been trying to get advice from the Pakistani Consulate, but he's not having much success getting through, and when he does manage to do, he doesn't get a sensible clear answer.
So any advice/clarification would be helpful.
He was born in Pakistan and came to the UK at a very young age, initially on his mothers passport. In his early teens he obtained a Pakistani passport in his own name in order to visit Pakistan to see his grandparents.
His Pakistani passport expired 20+ years ago and he has never renewed it. He has been a UK citizen for over 25 years.
His parents, who never obtained NICOP cards although they had both UK and Pakistani passports, died (in the UK) over 10 years ago.
His siblings were born in the UK, have never been to Pakistan and have never held Pakistani passports or ID cards. And a NICOP application requires a close blood relative (mother, father, brother or sister only) with a NICOP card to attest that he is eligible for a NICOP.
He now needs to go and visit Pakistan, partly to sort out some land and property his father owned (and currently managed by his cousins)
Getting a NICOP card apparently is going to be a very cumbersome, timeconsuming and complicated process. But he's been told it can be done.
He's been told that the Consulate will send copies of all the documents he has (including his parents old Pakistani passports, pre-NICOP ID cards, old UK passports, death certificates, as well as his own old expired Pakistani passport, Pakistani birth certificate, and current UK passport) to Islamabad, who will do an investigation and then decide whether or not to grant him an NICOP
Alternatively, he could try and get a POC (Pakistan Origin Card) instead. Although the NADRA website appears to indicate that it's meant for non-Pakistanis married to Pakistanis etc.... or Pakistanis who have previously renounced their Pakistani nationality.
Can someone advise whether a POC would be sufficient for his needs, ie what the disadvantage of only having a POC.
Also, as he never officially renounced his Pakistani nationality, even though he hasn't been there in decades and his old Pakistani passport expired over 20 years ago, could he still obtain a COP? Or will he be denied a COP?
He appears to be caught in between the COP requirements and the NICOP requirements.
Can anyone help/clarify as to the best course of action?
So any advice/clarification would be helpful.
He was born in Pakistan and came to the UK at a very young age, initially on his mothers passport. In his early teens he obtained a Pakistani passport in his own name in order to visit Pakistan to see his grandparents.
His Pakistani passport expired 20+ years ago and he has never renewed it. He has been a UK citizen for over 25 years.
His parents, who never obtained NICOP cards although they had both UK and Pakistani passports, died (in the UK) over 10 years ago.
His siblings were born in the UK, have never been to Pakistan and have never held Pakistani passports or ID cards. And a NICOP application requires a close blood relative (mother, father, brother or sister only) with a NICOP card to attest that he is eligible for a NICOP.
He now needs to go and visit Pakistan, partly to sort out some land and property his father owned (and currently managed by his cousins)
Getting a NICOP card apparently is going to be a very cumbersome, timeconsuming and complicated process. But he's been told it can be done.
He's been told that the Consulate will send copies of all the documents he has (including his parents old Pakistani passports, pre-NICOP ID cards, old UK passports, death certificates, as well as his own old expired Pakistani passport, Pakistani birth certificate, and current UK passport) to Islamabad, who will do an investigation and then decide whether or not to grant him an NICOP
Alternatively, he could try and get a POC (Pakistan Origin Card) instead. Although the NADRA website appears to indicate that it's meant for non-Pakistanis married to Pakistanis etc.... or Pakistanis who have previously renounced their Pakistani nationality.
Can someone advise whether a POC would be sufficient for his needs, ie what the disadvantage of only having a POC.
Also, as he never officially renounced his Pakistani nationality, even though he hasn't been there in decades and his old Pakistani passport expired over 20 years ago, could he still obtain a COP? Or will he be denied a COP?
He appears to be caught in between the COP requirements and the NICOP requirements.
Can anyone help/clarify as to the best course of action?
