New Delhi, December 2
The government today launched the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme for Indian diaspora abroad and the first OCI card will be given by the Prime Minister at the Pravasi Bharati Divas on January 7 in Hyderabad.

“In pursuance of the Prime Minister’s statement in Pravasi divas this year, the Citizenship Act, 1955, has been amended to extend the scope of the OCI to Persons of Indian Origin of all nationalities other than Pakistan and Bangladesh that allow dual citizenship under their local laws in some form or the other,” the Joint Secretary (Foreigners Division) in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr D.S. Mishra, told newspersons here.

The scheme becomes effective from today and people in any part of the world can apply “from now on” either online (www.mha.nic.in) or through Indian missions.

Mr Mishra said the entire process from the application for the OCI and issuance of the OCI card would take about a month. In case of people having some cases against them, the process would go through proper scrutinisation and would take four months.

Mr Mishra did not have an estimate about how many members of the Indian diaspora abroad would be benefited. He also parried a question on whether people from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) would be included.

He said the scheme would be applicable to all Indian citizens in countries which allow dual citizenship. The government had made a list of 71 such countries so far and the list would be upgraded.

“The date of January 7 has been chosen for handing over the first OCI card because processing takes a month and anybody who applies today will be given card within a month,” Mr Mishra said.

Clarifying the difference between the OCI scheme and the one for Persons of Indian Origin, Mr Mishra said: “While the Persons of Indian Origin scheme is statutory, the OCI has been launched after amending the Citizenship Act.”

Mr Mishra, however, clarified that such registered OCIs shall not be entitled to the rights conferred on a citizen of India under Article 16 of the Constitution with regard to equality of opportunity in matters of public employment, election to constitutional offices like the President, the Vice-President, the Judges of the Supreme Court or the high courts, the MPs or Legislative Assembly, council or right to vote under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

• The Persons of Indian Origin scheme is for only 15 years, while the OCI is lifelong.
• A person of Indian origin has to get registered with the Foreigners Division if he/she stays in India for more than 180 days, while an OCI card holder is not required to register.
• The OCI card holder gets all rights of an NRI. The fee for an OCI card is $275, while that for a Persons of Indian Origin is $25.
• The OCI scheme will be applicable to all overseas Indians, who have migrated from India after January 26, 1950.
• The OCIs will have multi-purpose, multi-entry and lifelong visas.
• Every registered OCI will be issued a registration certificate that is printed like an Indian passport in different colour and an OCI visa sticker will be pasted in the person’s foreign passport.