Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) On Overseas Citizenship of India
(OCI) Scheme
Who
is eligible to apply?
Any foreign national,
· who was eligible to become citizen of India on 26.01.1950 or was a
citizen of India on or at anytime after 26.01.1950 or belonged to a territory
that became part of India after 15.08.1947, and;
· his/her children and grand children, and;
· provided his/her country of citizenship allows dual
· citizenship in some form or other under the local laws,
·
Minor children of such person are also eligible for OCI.
· However, if the applicant had ever been a
citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh, he/she will not be eligible for OCI.
Who
was eligible to become Citizen of India on 26.01.1950?
Any
person who or either of whose parents or any of whose grand-parents was born in
India as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935 (as originally enacted),
and who was ordinarily residing in any country outside India was eligible to
become citizen of India on 26.01.1950.
Which
territories became part of India after 15.08.1947 and from what date?
The
territories, which became part of India after 15.08.1947 are:
(i) Sikkim from 26.04.1975
(ii) Pondicherry from 16.08.1962
(iii) Dadra & Nagar Haveli from 11.08.1961
(iv) Goa, Daman and Diu from 20.12.1961
Can
the spouse of the eligible person apply for OCI?
Yes, if he/she is eligible in his/her own
Who
is a Minor?
A person
who has not attained the age of 18 years is considered
minor.
Are
minor children whose both parents are Indian citizens eligible for OCI?
No.
Can
children of parents, wherein one of the parents is eligible for OCI?, apply for
OCI?
Yes.
What are
the documents required
for obtaining OCI status?
The following documents shall be
enclosed with each application:
· Two self-attested photocopies of the first and last pages of the
current US/ foreign passport for determining present citizenship of applicant
(s)
·
Two photocopies of the birth certificate of US/foreign born
children. This should be attested by either of the parent.
·
Last Indian Passport held in original
·
Two self-attested photocopies of the first two and last two pages
of the Indian passport.
· In the event, the Indian passport is not available, we require the
following:
o Copy of domicile certificate, or any photo ID issued by the
Government of India or of a State of India such as: Voter ID, or
o Copy of Indian Birth Certificate, and
o Copy of Indian Educational certificates, and
o Copy of Naturalization certificate issued by the country of
current nationality of the applicant, and
o Affidavit
o PIO card in original, if applicable
o Two self attested copies of PIO card, if applicable
o Proof of fee payment US$ 275/- for each applicant (US$
145 for each
PIO card holder)
o Postal fees for US $20 or self paid addressed UPS envelope
How
many copies of application have to be submitted?
Two copies each of the
application and supporting documents have to be submitted.
Whether applicant(s) have to go in person to submit the application (s)?
No. Application (s) are received
by mail. There is no provision for personal appearance.
Do
the applicant (s) have to take oath before the Counsel of the Indian
Mission/Post?
No.
Where
to submit the application?
If under the jurisdiction of Washington, DC, submit your application
to-
OCI Cell, Embassy of India,
2536 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20008
Otherwise, if the applicant is
in India, to the FRRO Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkota or Amritsar or to CHIO, Chennai or
to the Under Secretary, Citizenship section, Foreigners Division, Ministry of
Home Affairs (MHA), Jaisalmer House, 26, Mansingh Road, New Delhi-110011.
What
are the consequences of furnishing wrong information or suppressing material
information?
All the applications are subject to pre or post-enquiry. If after enquiry, an
adverse record is discovered against the applicant or that OCI status was
obtained by providing false information or by suppressing/concealing material
information was suppressed, the registration as OCI already granted shall be
cancelled immediately by an order under section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
In addition, the person/s will be debarred from visiting India in the future.
What
is the fee for application for registration as OCI?
US$ 275/- (two hundred and
seventy five only) by postal money order
For PIO Card holder $ 145 (one forty five) only
What
is the time taken for registration as OCI?
We expect to receive them in
about 45 business days from the time of applications. If any adverse information
is available against the applicant, the decision to grant or otherwise may take
longer.
If
the registration as OCI is not granted, what amount will be refunded?
An amount of $ 250/- shall be
refunded, if registration is refused. $ 25 is the processing fees, which is
non-refundable.
Can
a PIO cardholder apply?
Yes, provided he/she is
otherwise eligible for grant of OCI.
Will
the PIO card be honored till the time they are valid even after acquisition of
OCI?
No. The PIO card will have to be
surrendered to the Consulate concerned for granting OCI registration certificate
and visa.
What
will be issued after registration as OCI?
An OCI card and a multiple
entry, multi-purpose lifelong visa.
Will
a separate OCI passport be issued?
No.
Will
a duplicate certificate of registration as OCI be issued?
Yes. For this purpose, an
application has to be made to the Indian Mission/Post with a police report for
evidence of loss of certificate. In case of mutilated/damaged certificate an
application has to be made enclosing the same. The applications in both the
cases have to be made to the same Indian Mission/ Post which issued the
certificate along with payment of fee of $ 100/-.
Will
a new OCI visa sticker be issued on the new foreign passport after the expiry of
the old passport?
Yes. On payment of requisite
fee, a new visa will be issued. Please follow OCI
Miscellaneous Services instructions. As the OCI Visa is lifelong, the holder
can continue to carry the old passport in which the visa sticker was affixed and
with the new passport for visiting India without seeking a new visa.
Will
the applicant lose his citizenship after registering as OCI?
No. As only citizens of those
countries that allow dual citizenship under the local laws in some form or the
other are eligible for applying for registration as OCI, losing of foreign
citizenship does not arise.
Can
a person holding OCI travel to protected area/restricted area without
permission?
No. He/she will be required to
seek Protected Area Permit (PAP)/ Restricted Area Permit (RAP) for such visits.
Would
the Indian civil/criminal laws be applicable to persons registered as OCI?
Yes. For the period, the OCI
status holder is living in India.
Can
a person registered as OCI be granted Indian citizenship?
Yes. As per the provisions of
section 5(1) (g) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, a person who is registered as OCI,
remains an OCI for 5 years and is residing in India for 1 year out of the above
5 years, is eligible to apply for Indian Citizenship.
Will
OCI be granted gratis to certain categories of people?
No.
Can
OCI be granted to foreign nationals who are not eligible for OCI, but married to
persons who are eligible for OCI?
No.
Will
foreign-born children of PIOs be eligible to become OCI?
Yes, provided one of the parents
is eligible to become OCI.
What
are the benefits of OCI?
Following benefits will be
allowed to OCI
(a) Multi-purpose, multiple
entry, lifelong visa for visiting India.
(b) Exemption from registration with local police authority for any
length of stay in India.
(c) Parity with NRIs in respect of economic, financial and education
fields, except in matters relating to the acquisition of agricultural/plantation
properties.
Will
any other benefit be granted to OCI?
Any other benefits to OCI will be notified by the Ministry of Overseas Indian
Affairs (MOIA) under Section 7B(1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
Whether
the OCI is entitled to voting rights?
No.
Whether
the OCI is entitled to hold a constitutional post in India?
No.
Whether
the OCI is entitled to hold Government posts in India?
No, except for the posts
specified by an order by the Central Government.
If
a person is already holding more than one nationality, can he / she apply for
OCI?
Yes, as long as the local laws
of at least one of the countries allow dual citizenship in some form or other.
What
are the advantages of OCI when compared to PIO cardholders?
(i) OCI is entitled to a life long visa for visiting India, while for
a PIO cardholder, it is for 15 years.
(ii) PIO cardholder is required to register with local Police authority
for stay exceeding 180 days in India on any single visit whereas OCI is exempted
from registration with Police authority for any length of stay in India.
Whether
nationals of Commonwealth countries are eligible for OCI?
Yes, if they fulfill the
eligibility criteria.
Can
a person renounce OCI?
Yes.
He/she has to declare intention of renunciation to the Indian Mission/Post where
OCI registration was granted. After receipt of the declaration, the Indian
Mission/Post shall issue an acknowledgement.
Can OCI
cardholders seek employment?
OCI
card holders can seek employment in all spheres except - mountaineering,
missionary and research work and other work requiring PAP / RAP.
OCI
card holders are allowed to work in the private sector.
However,
as far as practice in professions, i.e. working as doctors, dentist, nurses,
pharmacists, chartered accountant, architects, advocates, etc. are concerned; it
is permissible only as per provision contained in relevant Acts. For the
present, MCI and DCI Acts do not allow foreign nationals to practice in India.
The other Acts prescribes reciprocal facility..
Does
OCI Cardholder need to get an employment visa, registration with FRRO
The
OCI card does away completely with the need for an employment visa, registration
with FRRO, etc. applicable to other foreign nationals.
Does an
OCI cardholder need to leave India, in case of change of employer or in case he
chooses to leave the job, for which he initially came to India?
An
OCI cardholder need not leave India, in case of change of employer or in case he
chooses to leave the job, for which he initially came to India.
In
order to find out your file number, please follow the steps mentioned below:
Step 1:On the Enquiry
block (see below), enter your online registration number. This number begins
with USAWI… [it is alphabetical I and not numeric 1 (one)].
Step 2: Press the “Go” button.
Step 3:Your file number and other
details will automatically show.
Step 4:Send the US/ foreign passport
for affixing of U visa once “Documents Received at- Washington DC” shows the
Date.
(You
will find this number only after your application is acknowledged,
this will take around 15 working days after you mail your
application. For postal delivery confirmation kindly contact your service courier.
Please do not call/e-mail us for this purpose.)
Online Registration No
(Enter
your ONLINE REGISTRATION NO.
Please note number starts
with USAWI
not with USAW1,
many applicants do this mistake)
Applicant's Name
“ Your
Name”will appear here, this will take around 15 working days after you send
your application
Date Of Acknowledgment
27-AUG-2006
Application Status
Registration Status
Granted
( Once it shows Granted means, there
is no problem in your application and forwarded to Delhi for printing )
On
28-AUG-2006
Photo/Signature
Scanned
On
28-AUG-2006
Documents Printing Status
PRINTED
Documents Printed On
29-AUG-2006
(This means your OCI card was printed at Delhi on this date)
Documents Dispatched From Delhi On
9-AUG-2006 (This is the date that Delhi to EOI WASHINGTON DC)
Documents Received at
EOI
WASHINGTON DC
September 10, 2006
( Mail your US passport)
Ordinarily,
OCI Registration Certificate and Visa are available for delivery within 30
days from the date of acknowledgment. If there are any objections
regarding Photographs/Signature/Thumb impression etc, the same should be
cleared by the applicant by sending another copy of the document(s) to the
concerned Mission/Office
