Is OCI Card Mandatory For India Travel?

[crackerjack]

Hi,

 

My kid is US citizen having valid PIO card and travelling to India on this month end. I came to know that the PIO card scheme is not in existence. I would like to know if she could still travel with PIO card or we must apply for OCI card. Please let me know the options to follow and avoid any issues with the travel plans?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

~ Crackerjack

[ashuneel]

from embassy website: This is to inform that vide Gazette Notification No.26011/01/2014IC.I dated 09.01.2015, all PIO cards issued till 09.01.2015 are deemed to be OCI card.

you can continue using PIO card.

[GcLLC]

Hi,

 

My kid is US citizen having valid PIO card and travelling to India on this month end. I came to know that the PIO card scheme is not in existence. I would like to know if she could still travel with PIO card or we must apply for OCI card. Please let me know the options to follow and avoid any issues with the travel plans?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

~ Crackerjack

 

From what I understood from the Indian Embassy website and the GOI notice, PIO cards will be treated as OCI cards. However no new PIO cards will be issued. Alsp, they have done away with the requirement that at least one parent has to be a non-Indian citizen for the child to be OCI. 

[GcLLC]

Modifying my earlier reply. GOI in its infinite wisdom has now mandated a 3 month grace period (from when?) for PIO/OCI interchange. After that all PIO cards have to be converted to OCI. Mohammed Bin Tuglaq is well and alive in New Delhi.

[GcLLC]

Some more info: By *************** website, until June 16th the conversion is voluntary. After that it is mandatory. Not sure what that means.

 

E-mailed Indian Embassy in DC. Got an e-mail asking to convert to OCI as soon as possible. No further answers about validity for travel etc.

 

To add further confusion, embassy asked me to apply for OCI in lieu of PIO at San Francisco (since original PIO was issued there). CKGS asked me to apply at Houston (current jurisdiction). 

 

From what I have been reading, month end travel should be fine since you are well within the mid-June deadline. Please do keep us advised of what you hear and your experience at the Indian POE.

 

- GcLLC