• September 28, 2024

India govt issues clarification on OCI rules, says no new changes made

India govt issues clarification on OCI rules, says no new changes made

NEW DELHI Sept 28: India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday said that there were no changes made to the overseas citizenship of India (OCI) rules.

“We have come across news reports spreading false information that restrictions have been placed on OCI card holders in the recent past,” said the Consulate General of India, New York.

It further said, “Friends in the Indian American community are hereby informed that no new change has been introduced in the recent past for OCI card holders. Provisions of Gazette Notification http://F.No. 26011/CC/05/2018-OCI dated March 4, 2021 regarding rights of OCI cardholders continue to remain in force.”

Many OCI card holders in the past few days had complained about being reclassified as foreigners. The card holders had complained about changes in rules, which required them to take permission to visit protected or restricted areas such as Jammu & Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh.

However, the ministry clarified that the Indian government is only implementing rules that were notified in March 2021 and no new changes have been made.

The Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Scheme was introduced by amending the Citizenship Act, 1955 in August 2005.

The Scheme provides for registration as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) of all Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who were citizens of India on January 26, 1950, or thereafter or were eligible to become citizens of India on January 26.

A registered Overseas Citizen of India is granted multiple entry, multipurpose, life-long visa for visiting India, he/she is exempted from registration with the Foreign Regional Registration Officer or Foreign Registration Officer for any length of stay in India.