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In my opinion, the primary differences between PIO and OCI cardholders are the duration of their stay in India and the rights and privileges they receive based on their status. Neither of them can vote in the Indian election, nor do they hold any government job positions in India, such as participating in Indian elections as a leader.
The PIO card is merged with the OCI card, so there is no need to discuss their differences. With this merger, a PIO cardholders get all the benefits like OCI cardholders after the conversion. For instance, they can stay in the country for more than 180 days without registering themselves with FRRO, have parity with NRIs in fields like economic, financial, and education. Also, they can invest in Indian properties and do not need to renew their card, as OCI cards are valid for a lifetime.
A PIO card provides visa-free travel to and from India; however, it is valid for only 15 years. Also, if a PIO cardholder wants to stay in India for more than 180 days on a single visit, he/she need to register themselves with FRRO within 30 days before the expiry of 180 days. Unlike PIO, OCI cards offer lifelong visa-free travel to and from India to the cardholders and do not require any registration with the FRRO, regardless of the duration of stay in India. Apart from this, OCI cardholders get parity with NRIs in the fields of education, finance, and economics. Additionally, OCI cardholders pay the same fares as local Indian residents when visiting national parks, historical sites, and taking domestic flights.
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If your OCI is damaged or lost, then you need to apply for a new OCI card from the official OCI services government website, and then select the miscellaneous services...
Yes, OCI cardholders living in India must have a valid foreign passport to travel to India. An OCI card is a travel document and a lifetime visa for foreign national...
Yes, a foreign national of Indian origin can apply for an OCI card and is eligible to register for an OCI even after the death of their parents. For the...
No, foreign military and police personnel are not eligible for registration for the OCI card, whether they are serving in the army or police, or they retired. Only Israeli citizens'...
Given below are some of the points that you should remember while filing an OCI card application: Make sure you have uploaded a high-quality photo and signature for your OCI...
To convert the PIO to OCI online, follow the steps below: You need to visit the official website of the OCI services. Register in the OCI services and log in...
No, a stateless/refugee person of any country cannot apply for an OCI card or register for an OCI card on the spouse's basis. If a person has an OCI card...
Yes, OCI cardholders can change their genders, but there is one condition: for the gender change, you must have a new passport that shows the gender change before applying for...
Yes, citizens of some countries can register for the OCI card beyond the 4th generation, which are given below: Suriname - up to 6th generation Guyana - up to 6th...
No, A foreign national holding a diplomatic passport will not be registered as an OCI cardholder. However, the foreign diplomats and official passport holders not appointed in India can only...
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A PIO is a person born in India before 1947 and after 1947 or born to an Indian citizen at any time. PIO denotes ethnicity. Also, a PIO can be a citizen of India or any other country except Pakistan and Bangladesh. An OCI is a person who previously had Indian citizenship but now holds citizenship of another country. Also, a person whose parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were citizens of India is considered an OCI. Apart from this, the foreign spouse and child of an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder are also considered OCI and can apply for the card.