Merger of PIO Cards and OCI Cards

The Person of India Origin (PIO) card has been merged with the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card and the PIO category has been withdrawn with immediate effect, according to an announcement by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. All current PIO card holders will now be considered OCI card holders. 

An OCI card is issued to foreign nationals of Indian origin along with a “U” visa, which is a multiple entry, multi-purpose lifelong visa. 

In anticipation of the merger, in October 2014, PIO cards were granted lifetime validity and an exemption from reporting formalities, which are benefits offered under the OCI card. 

Those who were eligible for the PIO card, including foreigners married to Indian nationals and children of Indian nationals born abroad, are eligible for OCI cards if they do not already possess a PIO card. 

The merger came about as a result of differing interpretations of each card’s benefits among foreign nationals of Indian origin. 

What This Means for Foreign Nationals 

Foreign nationals of Indian origin can no longer apply for PIO cards. 

The eligibility and additional benefits of the PIO card have been applied to OCI cards. 

Current PIO card holders do not need to apply for new OCI cards and can utilize their PIO card to travel to India. 

We worked closely with Fragomen Immigration Services India (Pvt.) Limited ("Fragomen-India") to prepare this alert. It is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].