WHILE answering a question in
the Lok Sabha yesterday, the Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Mr Vayalar
Ravi, informed the House that the Govt has received 648977 applications for
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards as on 30.6.2010. The number of OCI cards
issued till June 30, 2010 is 619603.
Normally OCI cards are issued with in the stipulated period of one month.
In some cases complaints regarding delay are received which primarily includes
applicants who had registered online but had not submitted the hard copies of
their applications at concerned Indian Mission/ Post abroad/MHA,
incomplete/ineligible applications, which may have been returned without
processing and applications which are at various stages of processing etc. In
some Indian Missions and Posts there is from time to time an accumulation of
pendency of OCI applications. To ensure timely disposal the Ministry authorise
such Missions/ Posts concerned to engage local staff for a temporary period and
ensure timely disposal.
Details and Salient
Features of the OCI card Scheme are as follows:
++ The Scheme
provides for registration of Persons of Indian Origin PIOs who were citizens of
India on or after 26 th January, 1950 or were eligible to become citizens of
India on 26 th January, 1950 and who are citizens of other countries, except
Pakistan and Bangladesh.
++ The Scheme
was introduced by an amendment of the Citizenship Act, 1955 in August 2005 and
was made operational from January, 2006
++ Registered
OCIs are issued an OCI registration certificate and a life-long multiple entry,
multi purpose visa for visiting India.
++ Registered
OCIs are exempted from registration with Foreigners Regional Registration Office
for any length of stay in India.
++ Registered
OCIs are granted conceptual parity with Non-Resident Indians in respect of all
facilities available to them in economic, financial and educational fields
except in matters relating to the acquisition of agricultural or plantation
properties'. However, specific benefits have to be notified under section 7B( 1)
of the Act.
++ OCI is not
to be construed as ‘dual citizenship'. It does not confer political rights.
Cuntry-wise break-up of OCI Cards
|
S.NO
|
NAME OF COUNTRY
|
OCI CARDS ISSUED
|
|
1
|
ANGOLA
|
2
|
|
2
|
ARGENTINA
|
5
|
|
3
|
AUSTRALIA
|
55320
|
|
4
|
AUSTRIA
|
2116
|
|
5
|
AZERBEIJAN
|
38
|
|
6
|
BAHRAIN
|
901
|
|
7
|
BANGLADESH
|
15
|
|
8
|
BELGIUM
|
3140
|
|
9
|
BOTSWANA
|
277
|
|
10
|
BRAZIL
|
153
|
|
11
|
CAMBODIA
|
18
|
|
12
|
CANADA
|
58182
|
|
13
|
CHILE
|
48
|
|
14
|
CHINA
|
2025
|
|
15
|
COLOMBIA
|
13
|
|
16
|
CROATIA
|
6
|
|
17
|
CYPRUS
|
31
|
|
18
|
CZECH
|
14
|
|
19
|
DAR-US-SALAM
|
31
|
|
20
|
DENMARK
|
191
|
|
21
|
EGYPT
|
37
|
|
22
|
ETHIOPIA
|
4
|
|
23
|
FINLAND
|
370
|
|
24
|
FRANCE
|
13202
|
|
25
|
GERMANY
|
8118
|
|
26
|
GHANA
|
100
|
|
27
|
GREECE
|
69
|
|
28
|
HUNGARY
|
9
|
|
29
|
ICELAND
|
19
|
|
30
|
INDIA
|
35448
|
|
31
|
INDONESIA
|
250
|
|
32
|
IRELAND
|
1767
|
|
33
|
ISRAEL
|
590
|
|
34
|
ITALY
|
1894
|
|
35
|
IVORY COAST
|
6
|
|
36
|
JAMAIKA
|
321
|
|
37
|
JAPAN
|
120
|
|
38
|
KAZAKSTAN
|
14
|
|
39
|
KENYA
|
13820
|
|
40
|
KOREA (NORTH)
|
1
|
|
41
|
KOREA (SOUTH)
|
58
|
|
42
|
KUWAIT
|
329
|
|
43
|
LAOS
|
14
|
|
44
|
MADAGASCAR
|
374
|
|
45
|
MALDIVES
|
7
|
|
46
|
MAURITIUS
|
322
|
|
47
|
MEXICO
|
266
|
|
48
|
MONGOLIA
|
1
|
|
49
|
MOROCCO
|
3
|
|
50
|
NAMIBIA
|
8
|
|
51
|
NEPAL
|
6
|
|
52
|
NETHERLANDS
|
1377
|
|
53
|
NEW ZEALAND
|
14950
|
|
54
|
NIGERIA
|
31
|
|
55
|
OMAN
|
116
|
|
56
|
PAKISTAN
|
1
|
|
57
|
PANAMA
|
246
|
|
58
|
PERU
|
21
|
|
59
|
PHILIPINES
|
280
|
|
60
|
POLAND
|
129
|
|
61
|
PORTUGAL
|
1449
|
|
62
|
QATAR
|
224
|
|
63
|
REUNION ISLAND
|
555
|
|
64
|
ROMANIA
|
24
|
|
65
|
RUSSIA
|
94
|
|
66
|
SAUDI ARABIA
|
521
|
|
67
|
SENEGAL
|
30
|
|
68
|
SERBIA AND MONTEGRO
|
1
|
|
69
|
SEYCHELLES
|
710
|
|
70
|
SINGAPORE
|
8063
|
|
71
|
SLOVAKIA
|
7
|
|
72
|
SOUTH AFRICA
|
5022
|
|
73
|
SPAIN
|
1767
|
|
74
|
SRILANKA
|
15380
|
|
75
|
SUDAN
|
59
|
|
76
|
SURINAM
|
246
|
|
77
|
SWEDEN
|
1468
|
|
78
|
SWITZERLAND
|
3809
|
|
79
|
TAIWAN
|
11
|
|
80
|
TAJIKISTAN
|
2
|
|
81
|
TANZANIA
|
446
|
|
82
|
THAILAND
|
2621
|
|
83
|
TRINIDAD &
TOBAGO
|
143
|
|
84
|
UAE
|
2290
|
|
85
|
UGANDA
|
74
|
|
86
|
UK
|
96390
|
|
87
|
USA
|
260176
|
|
88
|
VENEZUELA
|
715
|
|
89
|
YEMEN
|
6
|
|
90
|
ZAMBIA
|
57
|
|
91
|
ZIMBABWE
|
19
|
| |
|
619603
|
|
