Announcing the decision, the External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson tweeted, "And some good news for Diaspora on PIO/OCI Merger: The last date for applying for conversion of PIO Cards to OCI Cards is now 30 June, 2016."
The Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card was first implemented in 2002 as a benefit to foreign nationals who could establish at least a third generation tie to Indian origin. The PIO card is valid for travel, work, and residence in India for a period of 15 years.
However, in 2014, the government decided to merge the two schemes for the benefit of NRIs.
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