Nod needed for missionary, journalistic activities also
The OCI cardholders require permission for missionary, journalistic activities, or visit restricted or protected areas.
The notification on dual citizenship was released by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) last week and was covered by the PRAVASI SAMWAD desk.
The notification clearly explained what it means for the OCIs to renounce Indian citizenship. Here is how it is going to further impact travel and stay in India for OCIs.
Seek permission for travel
As per the MHA notification, the OCI cardholder requires permission for missionary, journalistic activities, or visit restricted or protected areas notified by the government. This section seems like just another clause in the notification. However, the list of protected or restricted areas, according to the Government of India, is long enough to leave an interested OCI tourist worried about the procedure and grant of permission for travel across India.
The List of protected areas as per Government Includes:
The state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Partial Himachal Pradesh.
Some parts of Jammu & Kashmir.
The state of Manipur
The state of Mizoram
The state of Nagaland
Partial Rajasthan
The state of Sikkim (partly prohibited and partly restricted)
Parts of Uttarakhand
The islands of Andaman and Nicobar (declared as the restricted area under the foreigners’ Order 1963)
The Ministry of Home Affairs in its notification said that the permit shall be obtained from the competent authority or Foreign Regional Registration Officer, or the concerned Indian Mission.
Several activities, religious or otherwise, such as mountaineering, Tabligh, Foreign Diplomatic Mission or Foreign Government Organisations in India would require to take special permits beforehand.
Furthermore, the MHA said that the OCIs can pursue professional careers such as Doctors, Nurses, Advocates, Architects, dentists CAs as per the prerequisites contained in the declarations and acts applicable to such cases.
The entry fee for OCIs
As per the new notifications, OCI cardholders will have to pay the entry fee for visiting several places in India like
National parks
Wildlife sanctuaries
National monuments
Historical sites
Museums
The new OCI rules being described as the end of India’s experiment with dual citizenship and classifying OCIs as ‘foreign nationals’ are said to be severing the emotional and legal link to the motherland of the OCIs.