According to the guidelines that have been
made in recent times, the OCI card holders
below the age of 21 years and above the
age of 50 years need to have their OCI cards
renewed after the renewal of their passports.
While this rule has been there for long, it
is not known to a majority of people in the
Indian diaspora due to lack of awareness. It
has caused discomfort to a large number of
Indian-Americans in recent times as the Indian
Government sought to strictly enforce this rule.
Several Indian-Americans were asked to
return mid-way from places like Dubai and
several airlines have refused to board the
passengers on a flight to India whose OCI card
numbers were not matched with the numbers
on their passports.
However the government has relaxed the
guidelines viewing the difficulties being faced
by some Overseas Citizens of India(OCI) card
holders while traveling to their home country.
The Government has decided to relax the
norms till June 30th 2020.
It is said that, in case an OCI card holder is
below the age of 20 years and has not got
their OCI card re-issued on the renewal of their
passport, he or she may travel to the country
on the strength of the existing OCI card with the
number of the old passport with a condition that
the cardholder carries the old passport bearing
the number that is on the OCI card along with
the new passport.
In case an OCI card holder who has attained
the age of 50 years and has got their passport
renewed but not the OCI card, he or she may
travel on the strength of the existing OCI card
along with the old as well as the new passports.
Though the OCI guidelines have been existing
since 2005 stating that the OCI card needs
to be re-issued each time a passport is being
renewed by the card holder up to the age of
20 years. The guidelines also include that,
after completing 50 years of age the OCI card
ought to be re-issued once on acquiring new
passport.
A message has been issued by the government
of India’s Foreigners Division of the Home
Ministry on December 17 directing the airlines
and the related government that the Overseas
Citizens of India (OCI) card holders below the
age of 20 years or after the age of 50 years of
age and who have renewed their passports can
continue their travel to India as the the date ha
seen extended up to June 30, 2020.
JANUARY 2020 | WWW.WISHESH.NET