Through the Citizen (Amendment) Act 2015, the Indian government established the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card systems.
PIO card holders will now be treated as OCI card holders under the new system, giving them access to perks, including a lifetime visa and a waiver from police registration.
All PIO cardholders must immediately apply for an OCI card in place of their current PIO cards, under the government's requirement.
Key Attributes
The Indian embassy or foreigner’s regional registration office (FRRO) where the applicant's PIO card was initially issued must receive the application for an OCI card instead of the PIO card.
If the PIO card was still valid on January 9, 2015, the OCI card will be issued in its place.
An OCI Card will be provided without charge for all current PIO cards.
It is a positive move that more information has been made available on how to convert a PIO card to an OCI card, which has clarified the steps PIO card holders must follow to receive their OCI cards.
Important Information For OCI-Registration (Instead of PIO-Card)
Before starting the registration procedure, please read the instructions.
Begin your registration as a New OCI-Registration and provide all necessary information.
The place where OCI-Applications (Instead of PIO-Card) are submitted should be the same as where PIO-Cards are issued.
At the place previously mentioned, provide valid PIO-Card information. PIO-Card must still be valid as of January 9, 2015.
Part B of the registration procedure should be finished.
The list of supporting documents is provided at the end of Part B.
Applications must be completed and submitted to the relevant office.
Such applications won't be subject to a registration cost. However, the applicant will be responsible for any relevant SMS, Fax, or Agent fees.
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