Govt advisory on application for OCI cards

All persons having a valid PIO card and who have not applied for registration as OCI card holder have been advised by the government to submit their applications online by September 30.
The Home Ministry advisory came in the wake of merger of Persons of Indian Origin and Overseas Citizen of India schemes, by which PIOs will also get life-long Indian visa and besides being exempted from appearing before the local police station on every visit to India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in the US and Australia that PIO and OCI cards would be merged and the Indian diaspora will be given maximum possible benefits.

All persons having valid PIO cards as on January 9 are advised to apply for registration as OCI card holder in view of the advantages in possessing an OCI card that include OCI card being a smart card, possession of an OCI card will facilitate quicker immigration clearance at the immigration check posts, it will help in obtaining various consular services from the Indian missions and those who are resident in India, it will facilitate in availing various services in India, the advisory said.
Grant of OCI card instead of PIO card is on gratis basis. The applicants will have to bear only the postage charges and service fee wherever applicable, the advisory said.

A separate online application form for submission of application for registration as OCI card holder instead of PIO card has been rolled out.

All persons who have a valid PIO card and who have not submitted applications for registration as OCI card holder in lieu of the PIO card are advised to submit the applications online by September 30, 2015, it said.
The applicants may submit the applications for OCI card in lieu of PIO card to the Indian Mission/ FRRO concerned within the jurisdiction of his/her place of residence.
In the meantime, all the immigration check posts and the airlines (through the Civil Aviation/ DGCA) are being informed that the erstwhile PIO cardholders are allowed to travel either on the PIO card or on the OCI card and that they should honour both.