| *Please click on questions title to read the answer |
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| Q.1 |
Who is PIO or Person of Indian origin? |
| Ans |
"Person of Indian Origin " means a citizen of any country (not being a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh ) if:
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he/she at any time held an Indian passport; or |
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he/she or either of his/her parents or grand parents or great grand parents was born in and was a permanent resident in India as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935, and other territories that became part of India thereafter provided neither was at any time a citizen of any of the specified countries; or |
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he/she is a spouse of a citizen of India or a person of Indian origin. |
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| Q.2 |
Who was eligible to become Citizen of India on 26.01.1950? |
| Ans |
Any person who or either of whose parents or any of whose grand-parents was born in India as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935 (as originally Enacted), and who was ordinarily residing in any country outside India was Eligible to become citizen of India on 26.01.1950.
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| Q.3 |
Which territories became part of India after 15.08.1947 and from what Date? |
| Ans |
The territories which became part of India after 15.08.1947 are:
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Sikkim from 26.04.1975 |
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Pondicherry from 16.08.1962 |
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Dadra & Nagar Haveli from 11.08.1961 |
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Goa, Daman and Diu from 20.12.1961 |
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| Q.4 |
Do applicant(s) have to go in person to submit the application(s)? |
| Ans |
Application can be submitted in person/throughTravel agent/Representative or by Post/Courier.
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| Q.5 |
Do applicant(s) have to take oath before the Counsel of the Indian Mission/Post? |
| Ans |
No. Earlier provision in this regard has been done away with.
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| Q.6 |
Can a person apply in the country where he is ordinarily residing? |
| Ans |
Yes. But person should make sure that he/ she is there to collect the documents upon processing as well. It is not possible to apply in one country and collect the documents in other.
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| Q.7 |
Will the PIO card be honored till the time they are valid even after Acquisition of OCI? |
| Ans |
No. PIO card will have to be surrendered to Indian Mission/Post/MHA for grant of OCI registration certificate and OCI 'U' visa sticker.
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| Q.8 |
Will the applicant loses his/ her current foreign citizenship after registering as PIO? |
| Ans |
No. As only citizen of a country which allows dual citizenship under the local laws in some form or the other iis eligible for applying for registration as PIO, the question of losing current foreign citizenship does not arise.
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| Q.9 |
Can a person holding PIO card travel to protected area/restricted area (PAP/RAP) without permission? |
| Ans |
No. He/she will be required to seek PAP/RAP for such visits.
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| Q.10 |
Is a PIO entitled to voting rights in india? |
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| Q.11 |
Is a PIO entitled to hold constitutional post in India? |
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| Q.12 |
Is a PIO entitled to hold Government posts in India? |
| Ans |
No, except for the posts specified by an order by the Central Government.
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| Q.13 |
If a person is already holding more than one nationality, can he/she apply for PIO? |
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Yes, as long as the local laws of at least one of the countries allow dual Citizenship in some form or other.
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| Q.14 |
What are the advantages of OCI when compared to PIO cardholders? |
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OCI is entitled to life long visa free travel to India whereas for PIO Cardholder, it is for 15 years. |
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PIO cardholder is required to register with local Police authority for Stay exceeding 180 days in India on any single visit whereas OCI is exempted from registration with Police authority for any length of Stay in India. |
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| Q.15 |
Whether nationals of Commonwealth countries are eligible for PIO? |
| Ans |
Yes, if they fulfill the eligibility criteria.
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