India PIO OCI
The Person of Indian Origin card, (PIO) and the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) schemes are both long term Indian immigration services which give people with Indian birth, parentage or ancestry the right to settle in India on a permanent basis. Both schemes offer long term Indian residency and remove the necessity for successful applicants to obtain other specific visas such as Indian work permits and Indian study visas.
As specialists in Indian immigration and visas, Global Visas are able to assist with applications for both a PIO card and the OCI programme. To find out how we can help you obtain long term permanent residency in India, visit the online assessment area today.
The Indian PIO Card (Person of Indian Origin)
The Person of Indian Origin scheme, commonly known as a PIO card has been in use since 1999 and provides the opportunity for people of Indian birth or ancestry to settle in India. The PIO card applies to anyone who was either born in India or has ever held an Indian passport. The scheme also applies to anyone who has a grandparent or great grandparent alive or deceased who was born in India. The PIO card is in effect a grant of permanent residency in India, which allows its holder to travel in and out of India as often as they choose and grants many of the same rights enjoyed by Indian citizens. A PIO card applies to both the applicant and their spouse, and although it is not granted for life its duration is very long at 15 years. Under the PIO scheme a person may progress, if they choose, to Indian citizenship after seven years of residing in India.
The Benefits of a PIO Card
The key advantage of a PIO card over the Overseas Citizenship of India programme is that it applies not only to the main applicant but to their spouse. Provided that the main applicant qualifies, their spouse will also receive the same benefits of permanent residency in India. The PIO card is also usually much quicker to process than the OCI scheme, however, applicants should be aware that for both schemes, the processing times will vary according to the applicant’s country of residence. Under the PIO scheme, a candidate may settle in India, entering and departing the country unhindered with no further need to apply for specific visas. In addition, although under some circumstances a PIO holder must register his or her presence in India with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer or Foreigners Registration Officer (FRRO/FRO), this is only necessary where a single visit to India will last 180 days or more.
The OCI Scheme - Overseas Citizenship of India
The Overseas Citizenship of India scheme (OCI) is designed for people who can claim to be persons of Indian origin who are currently living overseas with citizenship of their current country of residence. OCI is available to anyone who was born in India or who was either an Indian citizen or eligible to become one after January 26th 1950. Candidates who have a parent or a grandparent who meet these requirements will also qualify for the OCI. However, India will not accept applications from candidates who are, or have ever been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh.
The Benefits of OCI
The main benefit of the OCI scheme is that it is granted for life, unlike the PIO card which is granted for a period of 15 years. Like the PIO card, OCI offers many, though not all of the benefits afforded to Indian citizens and like the PIO, a candidate may apply for full citizenship after the minimum residency requirement which in this case is 5, rather than 7 years. However it is important to note that although OCI is often termed “dual citizenship” it does not in fact allow a candidate to hold Indian citizenship as well as that of another country. OCI itself is not the same as full Indian citizenship; like the PIO card, OCI does not permit a holder to vote, nor does it allow them to take up employment in the Indian government. An OCI holder may apply to become an Indian citizen, however to do so they must renounce any other citizenship status. For dual citizenship to be obtained, both countries must support the practice, since India does not support dual citizenship, OCI should not be seen as such.
Visit the Global Visas online assessment are now to take the first step towards your Indian permanent residency application. Simply fill in one of our assessment forms and a specialist Indian immigration lawyer will contact you.
