Overseas Citizenship of India
Category of Indian nationality law / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) is a form of permanent residency available to people of Indian origin and their spouses which allows them to live and work in India indefinitely. It allows the cardholders a lifetime entry to the country along with benefits such as being able to own land and make other investments in the country.[2]
Overseas Citizenship of India | |
---|---|
First issued | 9 January 2006; 18 years ago (9 January 2006) (first version) 9 January 2015 (second version) 15 April 2021 (current version) |
Purpose | Visa, Identification, permanent residency |
Eligibility | see eligibility |
Cost | ₹15000 (In India) US $275 (abroad) Renewal ₹1400 (In India) Renewal US $25 (abroad) |
Despite its name, OCI is not recognized as citizenship by the Republic of India or by the majority of nations worldwide and it does not grant the right to vote in Indian elections or hold public office.[3][4] The Indian government can revoke OCI status in a wide variety of circumstances. In addition, the OCI card is only valid with a valid foreign passport. As of 2022, there are 4 million holders of OCI cards among the Indian Overseas diaspora.[5]
The OCI scheme was introduced by The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2005 in response to demands for dual citizenship by the Indian diaspora. It provides overseas citizens many of the rights available to resident citizens.
OCI status is not available to anyone who has ever been a Pakistani or Bangladeshi citizen, or who is a child, grandchild, or great-grandchild of such a person.