The Indian government has extended the June 30, 2017 deadline for applying for conversion of Person of Indian origin (PIO) cards to Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards until December 31, 2017. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in 2014 that the PIO and OCI cards will be merged with the objective to grant optimum benefits to the Indian diaspora. Since January 2015, the deadline for converting PIO to OCI has been extended a few times.
PIO card holders should submit their ‘OCI in lieu of PIO’ applications at their local Foreigners Regional Registration Office in India or at the overseas Indian mission or consulate of jurisdiction; procedures and requirements at different jurisdictions may vary. Meanwhile, PIO card holders can continue to use their valid PIO cards.
(Resource: www.hindu.com at:
Zeenat Phophalia, Esq., Senior Associate
