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The deadline to apply for the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Card in lieu of the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) Card is June 30, 2017. In the absence of clear guidelines from the Ministry of Home Affairs about the immigration status of PIO Card holders past the current deadline, current PIO Card holders must apply for OCI Card to be able to be able to travel to India without restrictions.
What This Means for Foreign Nationals
Airport immigration authorities will continue to recognize the PIO Card as a valid document and permit PIO Card holders to travel to India without restrictions until June 30, 2017.
Current PIO Card holders should apply for the OCI Card in lieu of PIO Card by June 30, 2017 as further extensions to the deadline are not anticipated, and PIO Cards may no longer remain valid for travel. The application process remains the same, and applicants awaiting the approval of their OCI in lieu of PIO Card applications can continue to travel under their PIO Card.
Fragomen India is working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to determine whether this policy will become mandatory. Further advice will be published when it becomes available.
We worked closely with Fragomen Immigration Services India (Pvt.) Limited ("Fragomen-India") to prepare this alert. It is provided for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
Fragomen in India is Fragomen Immigration Services India (Pvt) Ltd., operating exclusively as an immigration consultancy and not as a law firm in India.
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