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PIO cardholders will get lifetime visa: PM

New York, September 28
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today told a rapturous crowd of NRIs that Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cardholders will get lifetime Indian visa and that American tourists will be given visa on arrival.

Modi, who arrived at the packed Madison Square Garden to a rousing welcome, said: “PIO cardholders have a lot of visa issues. To combat that, we have decided they will get life-long visas. Further, the PIO and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) schemes will be combined.”

Announcing the merger of the two schemes to facilitate hassle-free travel to the Indian diaspora, he said: “Long-term tourist visas will be introduced for US citizens and American tourists will now be able to avail the facility of visa on arrival scheme. Further, foreign nationals who stay in India for a long period had to previously report to police stations. They will not have to do so now.”

Modi also announced that the upcoming ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas', which is celebrated on January 9 every year, will be held in Ahmedabad in 2015.

“Mahatma Gandhi was an expatriate who returned to India. The year 2015 will mark 100 years of that event. Thus, we have decided that the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held in Ahmedabad,” he said. Modi affirmed that India would move ahead at a rapid pace and lead the 21st century world.

On Saturday, a delegation of Sikh-Americans had requested Modi to remove the hurdles faced by them while applying for visas or renewal of passports, particularly by those who had applied for political asylum in 1980s.

"The NRI Sikh community feels alienated as Indian embassies refuse them visas or do not renew their passports, depriving them of visits to their families in India because they applied for political asylums during the turbulent times in Punjab," a 29-member delegation of the Sikh-American community said in a memorandum to the PM.

Modi also met a group of nearly 10 top Indian-American corporate leaders and invited them to India and teach business and entrepreneurship. — Agencies

Slew of sops for NRIs

American citizens to get visa on arrival

Person of Indian Origin and Overseas Indian citizen categories to be merged to remove discrepancies

No police reporting for those staying for longer period

Faster and hassle-free services for NRIs