India Dual Citizenship Mega Thread (Merged)

[mangal969]

I actually got a reply from the Prime Ministers office:


From: "Muthu Kumar" <suggestpmo@pmo.nic.in>
Subject: Re: PMO Web Site Feedback, coming through NIC Web Server
Date: Wed, 7 Dec 2005 13:12:02 +0530

Dear Mr Sanjeev
,
The process for issue of dual citizenship cards has been started and
the first card is to issued by the PM in Jan during the PBD at
Hyderabad.
regards
Director Comm

You ought to reply back to him that only a handful of embassies worldwide accepting forms and putting the information up on a website does not mean you've started the process

 

[basis]

High Commission of London has now updated link on their website for 'Overseas Indian Citizenship'

Finally I can believe that there are some people who actually work there.....

 

[mangal969]

About applying online i really dont think it makes much of a difference because the ref no issued is a dummy no and once you print out the application you cannot go back to it or re-print it.I think it just saves you the trouble of writing in Part A.

 

[mangal969]

High Commission of London has now updated link on their website for 'Overseas Indian Citizenship'

Finally I can believe that there are some people who actually work there.....

They have updated the link but no news from them about their time table to accept OCI applications

What are all these embassies doing ????? In this world of instant communication we still seem to be in the dark ages

 

[PIO1]

Security clearances also take into account if the person has very strong ties to a foreign country, and if the immediate family members live abroad. All I am trying to point out is think about these implications if they apply to you. OCI is in a way Indian green card with no residency requirement and expiration date.

Just the sort of person the CIA is looking for

 

[PIO1]

The process for issue of dual citizenship cards has been started and
the first card is to issued by the PM in Jan during the PBD at
Hyderabad.
regards
Director Comm

They still want to call this thing "Dual Citizenship". I wonder if the PM is being kept in the dark?

 

[basis]

this thread looks like will compete with Eastenders successfully...........we are already on 49 th page..........soon it will be half century....golden jubilee....wow......Long Live the Queen.....................

GOI, MOA, MOIA, MHA and all other ****s should be just made to read this thread from first post to the latest as a sentence for this delay.........

abt damn dual citizzenship.........never will be reality....simple.....well they wont give us voting rights ...very logical...with all this experience who will vote for them.

 

[mangal969]

They still want to call this thing "Dual Citizenship". I wonder if the PM is being kept in the dark?

Kept in the dark ??

 

[PIO1]

Kept in the dark ??

PM: I want dual citizen implemented!
Bureaucrat #1: Yes sir
Bureaucrat #1 to Bureaucrat #2: Now what do we do?

etc

Have you heard the story about the Emperor's new clothes? All the Bureaucrats said how wonderful he looked in them, when in fact he was wearing nothing.

People will call this saga "The PM's dual citizenship"

 

[PIO1]

Congratulations

The truth is finally getting out there. This is the first mainstream media article that I have seen that doesn't use the words "dual citizenship":

http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/08/stories/2005120815551400.htm

I think the word is getting out there, thanks I believe to our letter writting? Let's keep it up!

 

[mangal969]

Any way we can send a letter to the editor of the Hindu, informing him of the reality that only 5-6 embassies worldwide are receiving applications ,and the rest have no clue as to what is going on ?

Also just as a tidbit of information I emailed the Sydney embassy and found out that you do not have to submit additional photographs.The 2 copies of the form should have seperate photographs and thats about it (Does this mean the OIC card does not have your photograph ?).
Also another very important thing is that with the application each document you submit must be self attested i.e you have to sign each xerox certifying it to be a true copy.

 

[PIO1]

Also just as a tidbit of information I emailed the Sydney embassy and found out that you do not have to submit additional photographs.The 2 copies of the form should have seperate photographs and thats about it (Does this mean the OIC card does not have your photograph ?).

Who knows - maybe they want to scan and print the photos onto the card like western passports. It will be a first! We are going to be waiting some time for them to finalise the process. Perhaps this is what they were talking about with the tamper-proof cards problem.

Given that the certificate is life-long, a photo of a two-year-old is not going to have much security value in 50 years.

 

[WannaBringParents]

Still confused - OCI / PIO ?

Thanks Mangal, PIO1 & sg_orl. I really appreciate the efforts you guys put in, to explain the differences.

Still I'm little bit confused about this :

1] Why do some of you say that OCI is a sort of a visa? That it needs visa stamping every time. Even PIO1 has mentioned that in his website/blog. If OCI is sort of a dual citizenship (?!) why would there be any visa stamping or any money involved for the visa stamping every time?

Does that mean even if you pay $200+ for the OCI card, then do you still have to pay the visa stamping fee everytime you visit India with the OCI card?

2] If there's an opportunity for someone (who has an OCI card) in the future to obtain a job in U.S. that only U.S. Citizens can apply, is there a potential problem for that OCI card holder - even though some of your posts clearly state that OCI is NOT dual CZ?

Yay.. We've advanced to the 50th page.. Let's celebrate!!!

 

[sg_orl]

Thanks Mangal, PIO1 & sg_orl. I really appreciate the efforts you guys put in, to explain the differences.

Still I'm little bit confused about this :

1] Why do some of you say that OCI is a sort of a visa? That it needs visa stamping every time. Even PIO1 has mentioned that in his website/blog. If OCI is sort of a dual citizenship (?!) why would there be any visa stamping or any money involved for the visa stamping every time?

Does that mean even if you pay $200+ for the OCI card, then do you still have to pay the visa stamping fee everytime you visit India with the OCI card?

2] If there's an opportunity for someone (who has an OCI card) in the future to obtain a job in U.S. that only U.S. Citizens can apply, is there a potential problem for that OCI card holder - even though some of your posts clearly state that OCI is NOT dual CZ?

Yay.. We've advanced to the 50th page.. Let's celebrate!!!

1) It's funny people are already calling this an "OCI Card". OCI Card/status is slightly enhanced PIO card status. You get OCI with $275 fee, and they plan to give you an OCI Card or booklet with your picture/other personal details in it, and at the same time they will affix a "U Visa" sticker in your US passport. U Visa is a lifelong visa for multiple visits for any purpose and any length of time. There will not need to pay any additional visa fees in the future.

You get PIO with $310 fee, and they give you a PIO Card or booklet with your picture/other personal details in it. It's valid for 15 yrs and you travel with your PIO Card and US passport. If you stay in India for more than 6 months then you have register. If you already have a PIO Card, then you can convert that to an OCI Card for $25 fee. That way you have visa free status to visit India for life.

2) There will not be any problems to work in positions that require US Citizenship. OCI Card is NOT a citizenship. You will always be a US Citizen. From US standpoint, OCI Card only strengthens your ties to a foreign country. OCI Card may affect getting defence cleances if the job requires it, although at time point of time nobody knows for sure.

 

[PIO1]

Thanks desigal. sg_orl is correct. Just one point, while U-Visa is most probably valid forever, you need to carry the old passport with the U sticker whenever you go to India, after it expires. I think it is a better practice to get your new passport endorsed with the U-Visa - that way it doesn't confuse the state police officer who checks your papers at the airport, and minimises on potential problems.

How much is this re-endorsement/new visa sticker??? Don't know yet.

The OCI card and U-Visa is based on reports we have read in govt information releases and the news, and it may turn out that the implementation will be different.

It would be good if we do not have to carry around the OCI card along with the visa/passport and new passport - for a family of four, thats 12 passport-like documents! A replacement OCI card might be as hard to get as a replacement Indian passport (not very easy for those who have tried)

 

[PIO1]

50 Pages

Yay.. We've advanced to the 50th page.. Let's celebrate!!!

Yes - 50 Pages, 735+ messages. I think this is the best and most comprehensive forum on OCI on the Net that I know of.

Just wanted to reflect on the survey from years back that we see at the top:

Number of people that thought India Dual Citizenship will be Operational

In 2003......................................4 people...20.00%
In 2004.....................................11 people...55.00%
Sometime after 2004.....................4 people...20.00%
I am skeptical if this will happen......1 person.....5.00%

That one person is the closest - "Dual Citizenship" is not going to happen in the medium term - though we continue to live in hope.

Only 4 others were partially right with the compromise OCI after 2004, but how many of them would have guessed they would need to wait to at least 2006? (Yet to be confirmed).

I remember when rumours surfaced 10+ years back about a Rs1,00,000/- Dual citizenship - which turned out to be a $US1,000 PIO card. So it has been a long wait. Good on you all for sticking around. Let's keep the dream alive and for the benefit of prosperity in India, push for the real thing.

 

[mangal969]

The fee for transferring the visa to your new passport has currently been fixed at US$25.

Congrats to all the members for reaching the 50th page but in a way it's not a good thing.We've covered 50 pages and OIC is still not off the ground and dual citizenship is as far away as it was 50 pages ago

The poll shows that only 25 % of all PIO's can read the government correctly

 

[akkcausa]

Senior MOIA officials in SFO - raise OCI issue

From ad:

Senior officers of Ministry for Overseas Indian Affairs will make a presentation at the India Community Center 285 N Wolfe Road Sunnyvale, CA 94085 on December 12, 2005 at 6pm.

All those living in the Bay Area who have a complaint against the OCI and wish to vent their feelings should try and go there to talk to the 'senior' officials and make their point known.

 

[akkcausa]

Addition to previous post

The presentation is on Fourth Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas

 

[PIO1]

All those living in the Bay Area who have a complaint against the OCI and wish to vent their feelings should try and go there to talk to the 'senior' officials and make their point known.

Good thing! I'm not in SF, so if anyone here is going, make sure to ask - in front of the crowd (they may want written questions as the previous govt did in 2003 in DC)

Here are some good ones (type them out and hand them to the organisers):

(a) we have been hearing about Dual citizenship implementation for years, in fact even last year many applied without response, how certain are we this is it?
(b) you keep on using the words Dual Citizenship, but officials tell us this is not citizenship of India - so when will be able to get real Dual citizenship? Will this finally be launched at the PBD?
(c) we are currently unable to purchase farming land to assist in rural development, and even NRIs have many restrictions on investment - will these changes allow NRIs,PIOs and OCIs to trade freely and invest freely in India?