Centre Relaxes Travel Norms for OCI Card-Holders
OCI stands for “Overseas Citizenship of India”. Recently Home Ministry has relaxed travel conditions till June 30, 2020, with respect to this card. Centre said on Friday (27.12.2019) that people with these cardholders, in certain age groups, can travel to India even if they have not re-registered it after the issuance of their new passports.
Now an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder is required to re-register for a new passport after 20 years of age and once after 50 years of age, the ministry spokesperson said on Twitter.
The re-registration is not mandatory in the age group of 21-50 years said by the center.
In order to smooth the progress of OCI cardholders, the requirement has been relaxed till June 30, 2020, according to the union home ministry instructions dated December 17, 2019, but have to carry old and new passports.
The positive side of this OCI card will be that it will give the cardholder lifelong visa to India.
It has also come into the notice of the ministry that immigration authorities and airlines in some countries are not allowing OCI cardholders to travel to India. On investigation, it was found that either the cardholder did not re-registered after attaining 50 years of age or did not get it re-issued on passport renewal (for the age group of below 20 years). This was highlighted in the December 17 order, which is mandatory.
The External Affairs Ministry was asked by the Home Ministry to advise the Indian Missions abroad for temporary relaxation in the conditions for the problems being faced by the cardholders.
In the case of an OCI cardholder under the age of 20 years has not got the OCI card re-issued on change of passport, he/she may travel on the strength of his/her existing OCI card bearing old passport number till June 30, 2020, with subject to the condition to carry the new passport. In the case of an OCI cardholder having the age of 50 years and got his/her passport renewed subsequently but has not got his/her OCI card re-issued on renewal of passport, he/she may travel till June 30, 2020, on the strength of the existing OCI card along with new and old passport.
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