OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP OF INDIA
In response to persistent demands for dual citizenship, particularly from the diaspora in North America and other developed countries, the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme was introduced by amending The Citizenship Act, 1955 in August 2005.
The scheme was launched during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention at Hyderabad in 2006.
Overseas Citizenship of India is not an actual citizenship of India and thus, does not amount to dual citizenship or dual nationality.
Moreover, the OCI card is not a substitute for an Indian visa and therefore, the passport which displays the lifetime visa must be carried by OCI holders while travelling to India.
OCI Cards are now being printed without the lifelong “U” Visa Sticker (which is normally pasted on the applicant’s passport).
The proof of lifelong visa will be just the OCI Card which will have “Life Time Visa” printed on it. The OCI Card will be valid with any Valid Passport.
However, other countries may consider the OCI as dual citizenship: for example, the UK government considers that, for purposes of the British Nationality Act 1981, “OCI is considered to be citizenship of another State”.
The Central Indian Government, on application, may register any person as an Overseas Citizen of India if the person:-
- was a citizen of India on 26 January 1950 or at any time thereafter; or
- belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15 August 1947; or
- is the child or grandchild of a person described above; and
- has never been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh; and
- has had no involvement in serious offences like drug trafficking, moral turpitude, terrorist activities or anything leading to imprisonment of more than a year.
Applicant’s country of citizenship allows dual citizenship (even though OCI is not an actual Indian citizenship).
