Are you eligible for an OCI Visa?
Let’s explore:
- You can be granted Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status if you have migrated from India.
- If your Parents or Grandparents were from India – even if you were not born in India yourself. Example, you were born in the UK – but your parents came from India originally.
- If you have married an Indian.
So, your parents are eligible as they came from India? Or perhaps you yourself are an elder that moved out of India, many years ago.
To confirm that you (or your parents) were Citizens of India previously and are eligible for an OCI Visa – were you / they:
- A Citizen of India at the time, or at any time after, the commencement of the Constitution (January 26, 1950)
OR
- You were eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of the commencement of the Constitution (January 26, 1950)
And that you:
- Belonged to any of the following territories that became part of India after August 15, 1947
- Sikkim from April 26, 1975
- Pondicherry from August 16, 1962
- Dadra & Nagar Haveli from August 11, 1961
- Goa, Daman and Diu from December 20, 1961
Then great you are eligible for an OCI Visa.
OCI Eligibility for Children under 5 years old
The OCI eligibility rules are a little different for Children. The OCI card may be granted to young children of foreign nationality if they meet one of the following criteria:
- The Parents or Grandparents either have Indian citizenship or are OCI Visa cardholders.
And they are also:
- They were a citizen of India at the time, or at any time after, the commencement of the Constitution (January 26, 1950
OR
- Were eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of the commencement of the Constitution (January 26, 1950)
And that the parents of the Child
- Belonged to any of the following territories that became part of India after August 15, 1947
- Sikkim from April 26, 1975
- Pondicherry from August 16, 1962
- Dadra & Nagar Haveli from August 11, 1961
- Goa, Daman and Diu from December 20, 1961
Then great the child is eligible for an OCI Visa.
The rules are becoming more and more complicated daily. We recommend moving forward asap and applying as it since 2015, it has become so complicated to get an OCI, What was once simple has now become so complex, and within the next 5 years will only get harder.
If you are eligible for an OCI Visa use our OCI help service:
We will complete all the formalities for you. Visit us in Paddington now. Click below to find out more.
Under what circumstances will an OCI Visa not be granted?
We do not make the rules, we only report it, but these are the circumstances that an OCI Visa not be granted:
- A person who is/was and/or if their parents, grandparents or great grandparents are/were citizens of Pakistan (after the partition) or Bangladesh.
- A person who has served or is serving in foreign armed forces.
- Civil servants working in the Ministry of Defence of another country as IT engineers or civil contractors.