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Government has brought Ghaziabad, Noida under Foreigners Regional Registration Office Delhi for OCI cardholders
Who is the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)?
- 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
- OCI status is not citizenship and does not grant the right to vote in Indian elections or hold public office.
- The Government of India can revoke OCI status in a wide variety of circumstances.
- The OCI was introduced by The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2005 in response to demands for dual citizenship by the Indian diaspora, particularly in developed countries.
Who can apply for an OCI card?
a) The following categories of persons (except Pakistan and Bangladesh) are eligible to apply under OCI scheme:
- Who is a citizen of another country, but was a citizen of India at the time of, or at any time after, the commencement of the constitution; or
- Who is a citizen of another country, but was eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of the commencement of the constitution; or
- Who is a citizen of another country, but belonged to a territory that became part of India after the 15th day of August, 1947; or
- Who is a child or a grand-child or a great grandchild of such a citizen; or
b) A person, who is minor child of a person mentioned in clause (a); or
c) A person, who is a minor child, and whose both parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen of India; or
(d) Spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India or spouse of foreign origin of an Overseas Citizen of india Cardholder registered under section 7A, Citizenship Act 1955 and whose marriage has been registered and subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the presentation of the application under this section:
Provided that no person, who is or had been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other country as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, shall be eligible for the registration as Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder