OVERSEAS INDIANS ELIGIBLE FOR OCI
All Overseas Indians will be now eligible for Overseas Citizenship of India(OCI) commonly known as Dual Citizenship in India. Delivering the
inaugural address at the opening of the third Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2005
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said: "The government has decided to offer dual
citizenship to all overseas Indians who migrated from the country after January
26, 1950, as long as their home countries allow dual citizenship under their
law." Around 2,500 overseas Indians arrived for the three-day event, which is
being held in the backdrop of the tsunami devastation in southern Indian coasts
and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Mr. Singh said the government had received
several representations against the original approach of notifying some
selected countries for OCI.
Announcing extension of the facility to all overseas Indians, he said: "A day
will come when every single overseas Indian who wishes to secure Indian
citizenship will actually be able to do so." He pledged himself to work in that
direction.
Mr. Singh said the "government will also simplify the application forms for
citizenship for overseas Indians". A new user-friendly form combining the three
forms prescribed earlier had also been evolved and would be notified soon, he
said.
Under the OCI, the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) are granted the
Indian citizenship and get all benefits, but they cannot vote in Indian
elections.
In fact, the process of granting OCI to Indian expatriates has
already begun. Manju R Jehu, a resident of Australia, became the first PIO to
be listed for OCI on November 1, when the Indian Embassy in
Australia registered her in the presence of Mr Tytler. Parliament amended the
Citizenship Act for the purpose last year.
Due to security reasons, the OCI facility was extended to PIOs of
16 countries only - Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Sweden, Switzerland,
United Kingdom, and United States of America. Now it will be available to all
PIOs across the world. There has been a demand from overseas Indians to grant
voting rights as well but this has been specifically denied under the provision
of OCI.
According to officials of the newly set up Ministry of Overseas Indians Affairs:
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An expatriate holding OCI does not require visa for travel to
India. That person will however need to present passports of both the countries
while traveling to and from India.
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Once a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) gets OCI, he is issued a
registration certificate and an overseas citizen passport. This passport along
with the passport of the country of which he is resident and a citizen, is
necessary for travel to India.
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There is no need of going through registration formalities for staying in the
country, which a foreigner is required to undergo.
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A dual citizen does not need separate documentation for admission in
colleges/institutions or for taking employment.
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The dual citizens have been granted parity with non-resident Indian in respect
of facilities available to the latter in the economic, financial and
educational field.
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The children of dual citizens can avail of the facilities for obtaining
admission to educational institutions, including medical colleges, engineering
colleges, Its, Items, etc. under the general category.
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The dual citizen can also avail facilities under the various housing schemes of
the LIC, state government and other government agencies.
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The OCI seeks to remove the obstacle in travel to and from India
and permit investment in business ventures and foster a greater sense of
belonging. It also seeks to facilitate easy technology transfer.
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