Thursday, February 7, 2013

OVERSEAS CITIZEN CARD (OCI) AND PIO CARD ARE LIKELY TO BE MERGED

Breakout news:
OVERSEAS CITIZEN CARD (OCI) AND PIO CARD ARE LIKELY TO BE MERGED


At the inaugural session of GOPIO/PBD, Minister for overseas Indian affairs (MOIA) Vayalar Ravi announced the merger of the Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and People of Indian Origin (PIO) to a single card. The minister made this announcement at the inaugural session of the 11th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), the NRI conclave that began in Kochi on January 7, 2013. In general, PIO cards are issued to Indians who have been staying abroad for couple of generations while OCI cards are given to those who are more recent migrants and have taken citizenships in other countries. The OCI cards are practically visas that enable its holders to enter India for an indefinite period, while PIO card holders have to apply for separate visas.

The merging of these two cards could make PIO card holders also eligible for the benefits that are enjoyed by OCI card holders. Minister Ravi said the proposed amendment to the Emigration Act 1983 had been circulated to other ministries for comments. Once the comments are received, the bill would be sent to the Prime Minister for approval. Subsequently the cabinet has to approve it before it is placed before the Parliament.

Source: http://www.onlinepassportphoto.com/OCI_vs_PIO.htm

No comments:

Post a Comment