I just renewed my Indian passport which is renewed for 10yrs & going to apply for XYZ country's passport. I had no idea that dual citizenship was not allowed by our country. Well! now that I already paid to renew my passport...am not sure to again spend for OCI. Is there people who keep both the passport? I know it's illegal but is there anyway for them to check?

I have canada/india dual citizen ship and I do agree with one aspect of senorita's comments. The OCI registartion document issued by Indian Govt doesn't have a life long visa sticker. Don't know why they did this, it makes no sense. The Life Long visa sticker is on the canadian passport and once that expires there's no proof you have it. What's the point of issuing an OCI card, which is a separate document, looks a like passport, if it's not going to have Life long visa written on it. I know they scan it when you go through immigration in India, so shouldn't the Life Long Visa show up in their computers when they scan the OCI card. I mean it's that simple. I agree that it's your own fault for not checking the facts before travelling but still. Why does the indian govt make things so complicated. Why do they have an option for $40 for a transit visa, they should just not allow the person in the country. Obviously, it's a money-making thing. If it was in North America this would all be done with one card not take three different documents.

When I applied for OCI in toronto, I was told that it would take 1 to 2 months, it ended up taking more than 6 months. I'm sure if I bribed them it would have gone faster. I love India as much as the next guy but we do have to admit that the efficiency is not there and the system is corrupt. When I applied for a new canadian passport after it expired, it took less than two weeks and came through the mail, I never had to stand in line. Everything in North America is do-able online and makes things much simpler that's one area india needs to change in. But then again, if they did that then how would they collect the bribes.

The biggest advantage of being in North America is that you're charged a fee for everything and you know that's how much it will cost. In India you pay what the charge is and then ten different fees show up, plus you have to give a bribe if you want things done. It's not just the people in North America who think this. The people of Indian also know it exists, they made a show called "Office Office" with Pankaj Kapoor which deals with the different bodies and how they're corrupt and take bribes. Although it's a comedy, it does show the realities which exist.

You may love India and think it's the best place to be, but don't be so ignorant that you're blind to all that's wrong with the country. People love U.S. and Canada too, but even these countries are not perfect, they have their own problems.

Tell me you disagree and prove you are ignorant freaks.

Hi:
Answer to some of your queries:
Do Indian consulate inform us to collect OR I can go, on any working day between 3-4p.m.? Just me with Cdn PP or Entire family required ?
The Indian Consulate will not inform you. Once it is found that your OCI has reached the consulate (from OCI status enquiry on the internet), you may go to the consulate with your passports, the receipt they had issued to you between 3 and 4 pm to have the visa sticker on your passports.

What if passport of my child expires before I return to Canada? Means where can I apply to renew OCI sticker, Canada OR India ?(I know I can use old passport with sticker on it)
You may apply for your child's new passport at the Canadian embassy in New Delhi, India and OCI sticker transfer to the new passport at Ministry of Home affairs, New Delhi.

I am also aware about getting Indian Citizenship back by staying 1 out of 5 year, but want to keep Canadian Citizenship for some uncertainty / vacation / kids Uni. Education] How long can I continue stay in India based on OCI & maintaining Canadian Citizenship? You may lose some previlages that Canada is giving you when you stay outside for a long time. Please check with Canadian authorities.
As to my knowledge goes, one can stay as long as he/she wishes, in India, based on OCI, without forgoing your Canadian citizenship. Getting back your Indian citizenship as it is now, India does not allow dual citizenship, while Canada allows it. Wait to see if India will change this atitude and allow dual citizenship!!

Dear All,

Firstly we should be happy that India Government has started such a thing like OCI which gives us such a freedom like a 100% Indian can get. What more you want? Think of applying for visa every six month you travel. All time, money and hassles and espcially when you are frequesntly travelling for business.

Lead Time: When we apply for OCI (if all documents are correct) it as ao just rule takes 1 Month. I got within 1 Month. But i understand everytime it is not possible to get within 1 month. So just be little patient. If delays make a complain, it does works.

LIFE LONG VISA STAMP: It is very important that other than OCI Book we also need to have LIFE LONG visa in our Passport. You know our personal details can only be screened by our passport and if you do not carry passport with the stamp then how can we confirm whether the OCI is real or fake. Please understand that the system is strict is only for our security. So this is point which is very very & very cruicial and i am amazed that some officer did compromise with fax copy which in reality should not be in India which is in trouble with terrorist and underworld peoples.

VISA STAMP ON EXPIRED PASSPORT: The best thing to avoid this problem is whenever you get a new passport please get the LIFELONG VISA in your new passport with the normal fees. I got it done within few minutes.
Actually as a commonsense we can think why Embassy put this visa in our passport. So you need to think that it is not for show. It means you need to show this during immigeration officer.

WORK & BUSINESS: SURELY WE CAN DO JOBS, BUSINESS, BUY PROPERTY (not agricultural lands & plantations), and many other things same as Indian national. WHAT ELSE YOU WANT huh!!!!!!!!

ENTRY & EXIT: As manytime you want. "JUST KEEP YOU PASSPORT WITH LIFELONG VISA WITH YOU" :-)

I AMENDMENTS BY GOVERNMENT: I accept we need just one amendments and that is an instruction should be given in the OCI book about the knowledge of carrying the passport with LIFELONG VISA stciker and how to hanlde with that passport expires. That's IT!!!!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen for me India and Indian Government are changing a lot. Yes it is slow and will take a lot more time but still we started to change and that is a good sign.

Now the whole world wants to come to India (instead whatever everyone says) as because here there is something for everyone.

I myself not an Indian National and stayed all my life outside India studying and working and yes i do have some problem when i come to India but still I LOVE IT. It is 1000 times better now when compared to 1990 when i was just 10 years old. India was great and now it is getting greatest.

There are many things to be changed in India but let's see what we are doing ourselves and contributing to make those changes.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY A DN TRY TO UNDERSTAND REGULATIONS FOR ALL NEW THINGS WE DO WHETHER IT IS VISA, OCI, BUSINESS or ANYHTING. MORE WE READ THE BETTER FOR US.

CHEERS!!!!!!!!

I'm surprised how one post mentioned that the immigration officer in Kolkotta says deportation is common for this issue. I'm waiting for my OCI, and the least I expect is a notice in the envelope saying U-Visa required (even if passport expires).

Part of this problem stems from the fact that PIO card never required a visa. The card itself was the visa. Now we have a booklet, but also a visa.

I also disagree with the several posts about how everyone will follow the rules when traveling to the US or Canada but will disregard them for India . The airlines will not let you board if you don't have a US visa or advance parole or similar. The immigration officers at these ports of entry have a lot of leeway in granting entry even if the paperwork is lost/missing (they go to the extent of calling friends and relatives and employers to get help and secure the required information).

Just the fact that airlines allowed so many people to board JUST with the OCI booklet goes to show the confusion (and these airline staff are trained to verify all information, especially when they are required to shuttle deported passengers back on their own moolah).

I TOTALLY AGREE THAT INDIA HAS A LONG WAY TO GO.BUT MAKE SURE INDIA IS A COUNTRY MADE WITH INDIANS.IT IS WE WHO CAN HELP THE COUNTRY TO GROW.INDIA IS NOT A JOKE IF YES THEN WE ALL INDIANS ARE A JOKE RESIDING IN FORIEGN CONTRIES.MAKE SURE AND REMEMBER YOU ARE STILL AN INDIAN.

There are several confusions regarding OCI itself and the application process. I wish the Govt of India does something to clean it up.

1. First of all, they call it "dual" in some cases but "not dual" in other cases. They should just do away with the word "dual" entirely and call it the way it is: a lifelong visa with indefinite stay permit.

2. Why in the world do you need two proofs of identity to enter (Card and Visa stamp)? Use only one or the other -- visa stamp is preferred because it reduces the amount of documents to carry.

3. The application process is a nightmare. First of all, man consulate web pages have broken links to the Indian website for OCI -- can you believe that? Can't they maintain their own web pages properly?

4. The secure online application form does not even have a proper SSL certificate and the browsers properly give a warning. The help pages say to ignore the warning! Come on India, can't you buy a proper SSL certificate? How much does it cost? If necessary they can charge $1 extra for each application to cover for the cost. Don't be so cheap.

5. They are very strict about the photographs sizes but the rules for the photographs are confusing. Some consulate web pages say 2"X2" but the main Indian OCI page and other consulates say 35mmX35mm. Come on, can't you all agree on one standard?

6. Some consulates insist on at least 5 pictures whereas others are happy with just two? Again why the discrepency?

7. Some consulates want certain documents notarized (as if notarization is free) whereas other don't.

8. Finally, what is the love with this self attestation? A photcopy is still a photocopy. If they so wish, they can have one declaration and one signature from the applicant that all photocopies are true to the original. Why make us sign on a dozen pages?

Look I am trying my best to be civil and constructive but if someone gets offended by this then so be it.

Last week, I sent my 7 year old and a 5 year old with a friend of mine to India from US. They had a domestic flight to JFK and an Air India connection from there to Mumbai-Hyderabad.

At the time of obtaining boarding cards at JFK, the agent found that my daughters US passport did not have an U visa. I got a call from the airport, asking of the same. I realized at that time that here passport expired 3 years back and that one had the U visa stamp.
I felt stupid that I did not pay attention to that fact. I told the guys to stop both of my kids and my relatives were at the airport and they would go back there.
But the Manager was called and he said, since she has OCI book with her, it means that she has U visa and let her fly with a caveat, that if the Immgration officers want to deport, it won't be his responsibility, but will fly her back.

We thought well we can manage in Hyderabad.
After that I got on the discussion forums and found this article and started having bad feelings.

I had the expired US passport with U visa scanned and sent to the friend who was accompanying my kids and to friends in Mumbai and Hyderabad.

Some one scared me that in Mumbai when they get off the flight and go to the gate to take flight to go to Hyderabad, the security guys will look at the documentation and start harassing right there.

But no one checked that they proceeded to Hyderabad. On arrival at Hyderabad, the Immigration officer asked where the Visa was, and my friend showed the OCI and he was satisfied with it and stamped her passport and let her go.

This experience made us here and my family back home go through rough 24 hours not knowing if she will be allowed in or not.

This is positive experience and I do not recommend any one travel with out all documentation.

I was confident that she will not be deported as she was a child and there will be no one to accompany her back here.

I have read the comments people written above. It is really sad to read some comments, they are saying Indian are stupid and their systems are stupid. I have the following for you:-

1) Are you enjoying with your foreign citizenaship. Are the country treating you farely. When you go for an interview/govt.Office, or you walk on the street you may be realized your value in foreign country. Most of the time you were humiliated, neglicted and so on. Always there is racist taste in all sphere. In your own country, you are treated as 3rd class citizen. Equality you can see in the records. In practical you are not enjoying the equality. Then what is the use of your foreign citizen.

Do you know the value of India. India is a great country and always holidng its values and moral. You can'nt see these thing to other country.

India got independent in 1947. Within 62 years of independent, we progressed very much. Why all other developed countries looking on India. Because they are jealous on us due the rapid progress.

You do not forget that your life or your root started from India. How you can insult India ?. How you can call your mother as stupid ?. Shame on you. Does your country teach you to call India in this uncivilised way?. Is this the culture of your country.?

So think and dream about India.

Jai Hind

OCI is nothing but a life long visa. Characterizing that as a "citizenship", dual or otherwise is patently wrong. That's where most of the confusion and misunderstanding comes from.

The original poster was perplexed that his OCI registration form was not enough to get him into the country. In this case, that is akin to saying "I showed them my VISA application form". Yes, the registration form is not quite an application form, but still the sticker on your passport is the ultimate "seal of authority". Not the registration form.

This fact is clearly explained in the website of the US consulate at New Delhi.
http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/acsdualnation.html

Citizenship means that country would be your last resort if no other country would take you in. More importantly, they would use their diplomatic power to get you out of difficult situations in other countries. You can rest assured that India will do neither of the above just because you paid $275 for your OCI sticker. That should give you a clue that you don't become a "citizen" of India by getting this OCI.

I agree with the last poster that many of us fail to READ, UNDERSTAND and IMPLY in its entirety. Most of it is by hearsay rather than getting complete knowledge of the system. It is unfortunate that our security officials allow the breach in security by using FAX copies or email. I am not an Indian official nor any authority to speak for them. But I have understood by reading the materials provided at the websites and Indian Ministry website about them.

Many fail to understand the reasoning behind 2 documents(Lifelong U visa stamp on passport and OCI booklet). My understanding is - the passport Visa stamp serves as an entry for immigration officials to look at and also on request/demand to show the OCI booklet. But in many countries when the passport expires and applied for renewal, the old passport is not returned(unless requested) and there by the Visa stamp is not available on renewed passport unless Re-Stamped by Indian consulate/Embassy for a nominal charge($25). Hence it is a traveler's responsibility to check the passport is current(6 months before expiry), and all their Visas are current. Given the alterations and systems we have with photocopies/photoshops etc. it is very difficult for the Govt to re-issue a stamped Visa without complete verifications. To ease this pain, they are providing the OCI booklet which makes it easier for the Indian Govt to reissue the U Visa on new passports. I hope I have tried to make a justification on 2 docs reasoning.

As usual, every rule is made to be broken and this is not common even in case of Indian Govt. The implementation and standardizing of these rules are different within India itself. One airport is different than the other, same with immigration as well. My personal experience with in a year has provided me different scenarios at each airport and each time I have asked question, I am given different answers by the officials. So it is not the fault of the Indian Govt, but it is the fault on its implementation and make it a standard across all airports. I have traveled to India 3 times during the last 12months. Every time it is a different - each time they have seen my passport alone and let me in and out of the country and even between cities travel they have at times checked my Visa stamp and never asked me OCI card document. Yesterday I returned from my 3rd trip and surprisingly while leaving Bangalore I was asked to present the OCI card even though the official had my passport with U Visa. Prior to this I was in and out of the same airport to visit far east countries and no questions were asked about the OCI doc. But within 30 days changes have been put in place asking for OCI document as well and this time the official wanted to see all the family members OCI docs, Passports, Entry and Exit stamps. LOL!!! We also had a friend's family traveling with us - they were never asked for OCI docs who went through the same officials. But in any case, that incident was the talk in the early morning hours before we all boarded the flight.

My suggestion specially for a family traveling is to have separate it by individual as they can easily miss stamping security stamp, entry and exit stamp. It has happened and the officials will harass you if anything is missed. Hence each time I go through the immigration, I carefully check the Entry and Exit stamps and while in India - it is important that you also have the security stamps on all carry on baggage.

Bottom line - unfortunately one needs to realize the security checks and bounds are in place for our own security and they are thousands of holes despite many steps taken by the Govt. Hence the implementation is not fool proof and more than likely every traveler has to go through this. It is big inconvenience but I am willing to pay for this rather be killed by a terrorist. So rather than complaining, just read them well and ask questions - I bet you get different answers for the same question and that is how it is in India. Make up your judgment and remember these rules are needed post 9/11.

Stop the hearsay comments even if it comes from officials(at airports). Many times one is never harassed, but sometimes they do and that is part and parcel of Indian Officials.

Hello

I am confused as to whether the OCI booklet is still issued or if it has been replaced by a card. Or whether one has a choice between the two.

I would have preferred a booklet but am not sure if only a card is issued now and the local consulate is not reachable for clarification.

Also - does the consulate hold on to the original documents (current passport) while OCI is being processed ?

Thanks for any clarification.