India Dual Citizenship Mega Thread (Merged)

The India Dual Citizenship will be Operational:

  • In 2003

    Votes: 4 20.0%
  • In 2004

    Votes: 11 55.0%
  • Sometime after 2004

    Votes: 4 20.0%
  • I am skeptical if this will happen

    Votes: 1 5.0%

  • Total voters
    20
  • Poll closed .
OK, so by November you will be able to apply for citizenship:

Quoting: http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/oct202004/i12.asp

he secretary for NRI affairs singled out Bangalore where local companies have got together to improve the training of immigration officers.

BY SHYAM BHATIA
DH NEWS SERVICE, LONDON:

Indians living abroad can apply for dual citizenship from Tuesday, the Secretary for Overseas Indian Affairs Krishna Kumar has declared. His statement will delight NRIs and is expected to further boost investment in India from the NRI community.

Mr Kumar, who is visiting UK on the first leg of an extensive overseas tour in advance of next year’s Pravasi Bharati Devas, told a press conference at India House in London: “The position is that, as of now, people can apply for dual citizenship.

“It may still take some time for our embassies, high commissions and consulates to organise the process, but printed application forms should made available by November. Information is also available on the Home Ministry website.” “We want those Indians who apply to be as proud of the countries where they live and work, as of their country of origin. I hope you will be treated as full citizens in both countries.”

The implementation of the dual citizenship act comes four years after it was first mooted and is in response to the constant demand of the NRIs who want a stronger connection with their motherland. The last BJP government had promised to act on the issue and the relevant legislation was approved earlier this year, although Mr kumar said there had been some last minute hitches involving formal notification.

Asked why some NRIs has had bad experiences upon arriving at Indian ports and airports, Mr Kumar said this was a case of what he called “human failure”. But he singled out Bangalore as one airport where locally based multinational and Indian companies have got together to improve the training of immigration officers.

“They are training these people (immigration officers) at Bangalore”, Mr Kumar said. “We will see if the Bangalore experience can be repeated in other parts of the country.”

Mr Kumar was also asked what could be done to facilitate the retirement of those NRIs who want to settled down in India in their old age.

He replied that the government was thinking of planing a “real estate expo” that might be of interest to senior citizens who are looking for land to buy in India in advance of their planned retirement.

Mr Kumar added that the government remained interested in attracting overseas investment from NRIs, but the focus was not just on urban projects.

Investment in the rural sector was also being encouraged with emphasis on technology colleges, roads and small airports.

One specific project currently being examined by the government is the construction of a health or medical city outside New Delhi to facilitate better health care for those living in the national capital.

If this health city concept works for New Delhi, Mr Kumar said, it might be possible to apply it to the state capitals as well.
 
Forms Available but....

Forms can be found at: http://mha.nic.in/citi.htm. Pls do not jump to fill them out because the procedures accompanying the forms is not to be found. Use the information simply as a preview. The fees appears to be $275.

I think the forms are as follows:

Form XIX – Application under Section 7A(1) (a)

Form XIX A – Application under Section 7A (1)(b)

Form XIX B - Application under Section 7A (1) (c)

Form XX – Certification of Registration
 
Its happenned but no info on embassy sites

Its supposed to be happening in the UK but the INDIA Embassy sites in the USA have no info yet.

http://www.indiawest.com/cgi-bin/news/viewNews.cgi?article=1098982963&Department=News

Dual Citizenship Now Open: Indian Official

By RICHARD SPRINGER
India-West Staff Reporter
SAN FRANCISCO - Indians who seek dual citizenship can begin the application process immediately for Indian passports, S. Krishna Kumar, secretary in India's new Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, told a group of about 60 Indian Americans from throughout Northern California Oct. 24.
Kumar was visiting the San Francisco Bay Area to get feedback to help "fine-tune" the program at the upcoming third Pravasi Bharatiya (www.indiaday.org), set for Mumbai, Jan. 7-9. Several speakers in the audience during a meeting at the Gadar Memorial Building in San Francisco asked the secretary about progress regarding dual citizenship applications.

Kumar said Indian consulates in the United Kingdom have received some applications already, and instructions from New Delhi to Indian consulates in the U.S. on how to process forms are expected to be messaged to U.S. consulates by Nov. 1. The forms are available at the Ministry of Home Affairs' Web site, Kumar said.

However, it may be advisable to wait a week to apply locally, as consulate officials in San Francisco confirmed to India-West as of Oct. 26 that they have not yet received instructions from New Delhi on how to process the forms.

Kumar said that since the passport law was passed separately from the dual citizenship legislation, passport-issuing guidelines are still being finalized. He expects that process to go "in stages" and be completed by March.

The full story appears in the print edition of India-West. To subscribe, click on the Subscribe link on the India-West Web site or email info@indiawest.com
 
Does South Africa support Dual Citizenship with USA?


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Life is Great, Bush is back.
 
Registration for dual citizenship begins

Its weird, the news texbelow states that they have begun accepting applications. However, the INDIA Embassy sites in the USA still do not provide the forms or the procedure.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5967_1101349,001600060001.htm
Registration for dual citizenship begins

Saurabh Azad
New Delhi, November 11, 2004

The wait is over, finally. Indian embassies have begun the process of granting dual citizenship to Indian expatriates.

On November 1, the Indian Embassy in Australia registered Manu R Jehu, the first PIO to be listed for dual citizenship, in the presence of Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Jagdish Tytler.

"The registration forms are available at Indian embassies of the 16 selected countries. We are getting lot of applications and queries," says Tytler.

Announcing the programme for the third Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, Tytler said that there would be plenary sessions with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, and Finance Minister P Chidambaram among other senior cabinet ministers.

The diaspora meet will start on January 7 at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Mumbai.

There are parallel sessions planned on issues like NRIs in Gulf, diaspora youth, ethnic media, education, healthcare etc. The ministry also plans an internship programme for the diaspora youth.
 
Confusion Amass

It looks like it will be a while before the Consulates in the US adopt the procedure. I am dissappointed in the delay in working things out by the Indian administration wrt to the US consulates.

I do wish to comment that those who have the PIO card such as myself have been shafted. I say this because we paid $310 to obtain the PIO card and now if we want the OC we would have to shell out another $275. In my case I am not going to do it. I say this because I dont see major diferences between the two.

Another consideration between PIO and OC is for those who are interested in US govt security clearance jobs. If you have OC I am assuming it will be harder to get security clearance as compared to a PIO.

Your thoughts?
 
You will not get a security clearance with a dual CZ. ITs a pre-req for any sensitive job. I remember reading it on the FBI's job site... :cool:


Also I dont find any significant difference between PIO and OIC... Cant vote , Cant hold a govt Job in Desh..... in either
 
columbiaman said:
It looks like it will be a while before the Consulates in the US adopt the procedure. I am dissappointed in the delay in working things out by the Indian administration wrt to the US consulates.

I do wish to comment that those who have the PIO card such as myself have been shafted. I say this because we paid $310 to obtain the PIO card and now if we want the OC we would have to shell out another $275. In my case I am not going to do it. I say this because I dont see major diferences between the two.

Another consideration between PIO and OC is for those who are interested in US govt security clearance jobs. If you have OC I am assuming it will be harder to get security clearance as compared to a PIO.

Your thoughts?

One of the differences is that the OC can invest in agricultural and plantation properties, which is not available for PIO card holders. I myself got a PIO and do not plan to apply for OC.
 
Dual Citizen Questions

I really didnt understand the difference between 7.1(A) and B.

If you get US citizenship before July 2004 u need to be apply with form A ?
and after that with form B ?

Also for those you asked.
The difference between OC and PIO is this
o With OC you can purchase planatation and agriculture properties,
o Also they will be investment schemes in future applicable for OC.

-cp-gc
 
OC & Time it takes?

>>
I really didnt understand the difference between 7.1(A) and B.
>>

Yes, same here. Not sure which ones need to be filled out.

Also, the site says it takes 6 months to get this - so, in case I need to travel to India before this, how do I do that??
 
goodguy09 said:
>>
I really didnt understand the difference between 7.1(A) and B.
>>

Yes, same here. Not sure which ones need to be filled out.

Also, the site says it takes 6 months to get this - so, in case I need to travel to India before this, how do I do that??

U need to get a visa if you are planning to visit India while waiting for your OIC approval.
 
OC forms

Hello,

Can someone please clarify which forms are to be filled out of the 4 forms available on this forum? Thanks
 
hi,

has anyone considered pros and cons between PIO card and OC (overseas citizenship) certificate?

I was planning to apply for PIO initially, as I didn't want dual nationality (or dual citizenship). But as details are emerging about the new OC, I am tending towards OC because -

1) It looks like OC is nothing but a little improved PIO card.
2) As OC has no voting rights, can't contest elections, can't hold public office, it is like a US green card only.

In short, having OC, won't dilute/affect/influence the US citizenship in any shape or form.

Am I right?

Opinions welcome...
 
OC is a glorified PIO. Period.

Will OC dilute/jeopardize US Citizenship ? I dont think so, but its good to read the
Ts&Cs of the OC (run it by an immig attorney) before you sign up.

Remember to lose your US Citizenship you must have INTENT for such, merely taking OC wont... But check the fine print..
 
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