People of Indian origin living across the world, the Government of India has two definitions entitled for them- Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and Person of Indian Origin (PIO). in 2015, the Indian Government merged both the PIO and OCI schemes to form one streamlined option that serves as the Government’s outreach to Indian origin people with foreign citizenship.
What is a PIO Card & why was is it discontinued?
Essentially, a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card is an identity document that identifies the owner as a foreign-based citizen of Indian origin.
Salient Features of PIO Cards- Allows PIO cardholders to stay in India for a duration of 15 years without any Visa requirements, no need to register with Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) through the first 180 days stay in India- post that registration must be completed in 30 days, provision of all educational, financial and economic benefits that are commonly bestowed upon NRIs.
Why Discontinued?- Technically, the PIO card hasn’t been terminated but merged with the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) scheme, a plan similar to PIO that came into existence in 2006. The Indian Government is a fan of the terminology Overseas Citizen of India’ as compared to Person of Indian Origin’ that sounds overtly foreign.
What is an OCI Card?
As mentioned above, the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card is bestowed upon people of Indian origin who also own a foreign citizenship. To qualify for an OCI status, the applicant must satisfy the following criteria:
- Foreign nationals who earned the eligibility for Indian citizenship as of 26th January 1950.
- Foreign nationals who were designated as Indian citizens at any point after 26th January 1950.
- Foreigners of Indian origin who previously were residing in a territory that seceded to the Indian sovereign Government after India’s independence on 15th August 1947.
- Minor children with parents/guardians who qualify per any of the conditions listed above.
- However, OCI Application forms can never be processed for foreign nationals from Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The OCI card can be considered as a vital identity document if you are a foreigner of Indian origin. The OCI card application process is a simple procedure that has been sufficiently explained in the section below.
Eligibility for OCI Card
Before you can fill up the OCI application form, consider the following criteria that must be satisfied for your application to be successful. You must either be a,
Foreign national,
- Who was a citizen of India at any point since the Indian constitution was formed (26 Jan, 1950)
- Who held eligibility for Indian citizenship when the constitution of India was conceived
- Who was a citizen of territories that joined India after her independence on 15th Aug, 1947
Children,
- Children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren of people who were citizens of India at any point since the Indian constitution came into being on 26th January 1950.
- At least one of the parents in an Indian citizen.
Spouses,
- Wife/husband of an OCI/PIO cardholder or Indian citizen. Provided the marriage was legally registered and subsisted for at least 2 continuous years before application.
Exceptions,
- Citizens of Bangladesh and Pakistan cannot apply for the new OCI cards. The restriction also extends to the parents, grandparents or great-grandparents of such citizens.
- OCI cardholders below 21 years and above the age of 50 must apply for the new OCI card along with any new passport.
OCI Card Application Process
The Indian Government has simplified the entire OCI card application process, rendering it quick, timely and minus too much red-tape. The actual OCI application form can be segregated into two parts:
Part A- The applicant must fill out and submit this form online.
Part B- This OCI card application must be submitted in-person, alongside 4 recent photographs of the applicant.
These photos must be of the dimensions of 35mm x 35mm in the light non-white background.
Alongside the actual OCI application form, the following documents must also be submitted:
- Previous Indian passport. If unavailable, India-issued documents such as nativity certificate, birth certificate etc. can be submitted.
- Birth Certificate
- Valid foreign and current passport
- Proof of relationship is applicant applies on the basis of parents’ Indian citizenship
- Fee of US$275 to be paid in cash
Photocopies of the above documents need be submitted. However, at the time of submission of the OCI Application form, the originals must be presented for verification.
Advantages of OCI Card over POI Card
| Subject | PIO card | OCI Card |
| Exclusions | Citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Nepal, Pakistan or Sri Lanka at any point of time | Citizens of Pakistan and Bangladesh at any time |
| Visa Validity | 15 years from date of issue | Lifelong |
| FFRO/FFO registration | After 180 days of stay | Not required |
| Indian Citizenship application | Minimum 7 years of regular stay in India | Minimum 1 year of residence in India after completion of 5 years of OCI card holding |
| Restricted locations | Permissions required to visit | No permissions required |
| Fee | US$ 388 (US $180 for minors) |
|
| Application process | Offline only and single step | Online for Part A and offline for Part B, multiple steps |
| Processing times | 2-4 weeks | 3-4 months |
| Education | Under NRI quota | Under NRI quota |
| Plantation or agriculture properties (inheritance only) | Yes | Yes |
| Adoption | Similar to foreign nationals | Similar to NRIs |
| Domestic airfares | Similar to foreign nationals | Similar to NRIs |
