Convictions of two years or more, or serious charges, will now lead to cancellation of OCI cards.
Indian-origin foreign nationals holding an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card may now lose their status if they face serious criminal charges or are convicted of major offences, the Ministry of Home Affairs has announced in a new gazette notification, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
The notification states: “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (da) of section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955, the central government hereby states that an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) registration shall be liable to get cancelled when a person has been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years or has been charge-sheeted for an offence entailing punishment of imprisonment for seven years or more.”
OCI registration to be cancelled for jail terms of two years or more, or charges carrying punishment of seven years and above.
The rule significantly tightens the eligibility and retention of OCI cards, which have so far allowed foreign nationals of Indian origin to visit India visa-free.
The OCI scheme, introduced in August 2005, permits persons of Indian origin to register as OCI if they were citizens of India on or after January 26, 1950, or eligible to become citizens on that date. However, citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, or any other country specified by the government remain excluded from eligibility.
This move marks one of the strictest crackdowns on OCI misuse, underscoring the government’s emphasis on safeguarding national security while tightening immigration-linked privileges.
