Good Morning,

My 9 year old son is holding the valid PIO card and we have plan to travel to India in December. My son got new renewed Canadian passport.

I called embassy to stamp the new passport number into PIO card. She informed that there is no more service related to PIO. They are not doing the endorsement of new passport number in PIO card.

She told me that my son may travel with old and new Canadian passport and PIO card. (Not 100% confirmation). I am lucky that I kept the old Canadian passport with me (I didn't submit to Canadian Passport office to destroy when they asked at the time of renewal).

How can I get 100% confirmation that there will not be any issue to travel to India with PIO card and old/new Canadian passport?

I do not want to convert PIO to OCI at this point.

Any recent experience.

Should I apply for visitor VISA for him?

I will appreciate your quick response.

Thanks,

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Success is Never Ending and Failure is Never Final.

Please read carefully and use it to your advantage. There are two more months before you do travel. See if they will renew the same GRATIS. fh
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PIO

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PIO CARDHOLDERS.

This is to inform that all PIO cards issued till 09.01.2015 are deemed to be OCI card. PIO Card scheme has been withdrawn vide Gazette Notification No.25024/9/2014F.I dated 09.01.2015. Henceforth, applicants may apply for OCI card in lieu of their PIO card ONLY, as PIO card scheme is no longer in existence.

Please note that the deadline for conversion from PIO cards to OCI cards is December 31, 2016 and all PIO card holders are requested to submit their application through the PIO conversion link provided at http://www.cgitoronto.ca" rel="nofollow">LINK in order to avoid any inconvenience in their travel plan after 31st December 2016.

Travel Advisory:
The PIO cardholders can travel to India with their valid foreign passport, valid PIO card and Acknowledgement Slip of their OCI card in lieu of PIO card application, as a proof of having applied for an OCI Registration document in lieu of PIO card.

A PIO card holder whose re-issued passport has not been endorsed in the PIO card but has applied for an OCI in lieu of PIO can travel to India along with the receipt of application submitted at the Consulate, original PIO card and the re-issued valid passport.”

Updated information on requirement of registration for OCI in lieu of PIO cards:

Date of submission of applications by the erstwhile PIO cardholders with valid PIO cards as on 09 January 2015 for registration as OCI cardholder in lieu of PIO card has now been further extended till December 31, 2016.

The applicants may submit applications for OCI card in lieu of PIO card to the Embassy/Consulates/FFRO concerned within the Consular jurisdiction of his/her place of residence. This is in modification of the earlier instruction that they should apply only at the location where the PIO card was issued.

In cases of erstwhile PIO cardholders, the new foreign passport number (when they get a new passport) may continue to be endorsed on the existing PIO card till the person concerned is issued an OCI card in lieu of PIO card.

PIO cardholder can travel to India on the basis of their valid PIO card with endorsement of “lifelong visa stamp” and valid foreign passport.

While the grant of OCI card in lieu of PIO card will be on gratis basis, the applicants may have to bear only the postage charges and service fee wherever applicable.

If a foreign national who has obtained an OCI card on the basis of spouse gets remarried to another foreigner, the OCI card will be immediately cancelled. In case of re-marriage to another citizen of India or an OCI cardholder, the person concerned will have to submit fresh application for grant of OCI card.

In cases where the PIO card is reported to be lost, the fee for the replacement card will have to be paid.

Advantages for registration as OCI cardholder in lieu of PIO card

OCI card is a smart card which will facilitate quicker immigration clearance at the Immigration counters in India. Therefore, PIO cardholders are advised:

To apply for OCI card in lieu of PIO card before 31st December 2016 at https://passport.gov.in/oci.

All applications are to be submitted online. No offline applications will be accepted or entertained. Submit the online application form with all the details, to update the system and the database, and upload a copy of the existing PIO card and their current valid passport as well as photograph and signature. The links for uploading documents, photograph and signatures are also provided on the same: https://passport.gov.in/oci/welcome.

As regards information for the specification for photograph, please visit the website link: https://passport.gov.in/oci/Photo-Spec-FINAL.pdf

(For more information on OCI, PIO card and FAQs, please visit MHA’s link: http://mha1.nic.in/pdfs/oci-brochure.pdf )

After filling online application please submit a print out of the application along with copy of the existing PIO card and the current valid passport at the BLS Centre.

NEW INFORMATION
Advisory to all the OCI/PIO Card holders: Regarding Visa Sticker
Henceforth there will be No 'U' visa sticker pasted on the passports of OCI cardholders. OCI cardholders are advised to carry the OCI Booklet and the valid passport, which is mentioned in the OCI Booklet to travel to India.

(As regards reissue of OCI card under miscellaneous service, kindly visit the MHA OCI brochure (http://mha1.nic.in/pdfs/oci-brochure.pdf )

The PIO cardholders may, however, carry the valid passport which is endorsed on the PIO card for travel to India or the old passport which endorsed on PIO card along with the new passport."

ALL OCI CARD APPLICANTS WHO HAD APPLIED FOR OCI CARDS ARE ADVISED TO PLEASE CHECK THEIR ONLINE STATUS AND IF STATUS SHOWS "OCI CARDS HAVE ARRIVED IN TORONTO", THE APPLICANT MUST SUBMIT THEIR DOCUMENTS AS PER THE PICK UP INSTRUCTIONS MENTIONED IN THE ACKNOWLEGEMENT SLIP FOR COLLECTION OF THEIR CARDS FROM THE BLS AT THE EARLIEST. IF NOT COLLECTED WITHIN ONE MONTH OF CARD ARRIVAL, IT WOULD BE RETURNED FOR CANCELLATION."

***


FH.

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quote]Originally posted by meitsme

Good Morning,

My 9 year old son is holding the valid PIO card and we have plan to travel to India in December. My son got new renewed Canadian passport.

I called embassy to stamp the new passport number into PIO card. She informed that there is no more service related to PIO. They are not doing the endorsement of new passport number in PIO card.

She told me that my son may travel with old and new Canadian passport and PIO card. (Not 100% confirmation). I am lucky that I kept the old Canadian passport with me (I didn't submit to Canadian Passport office to destroy when they asked at the time of renewal).

How can I get 100% confirmation that there will not be any issue to travel to India with PIO card and old/new Canadian passport?

I do not want to convert PIO to OCI at this point.

Any recent experience.

Should I apply for visitor VISA for him?

I will appreciate your quick response.

Thanks,

Thanks.

Under new Information, I noticed that PIO holder can travel with old/new Canadian passport.

"The PIO cardholders may, however, carry the valid passport which is endorsed on the PIO card for travel to India or the old passport which endorsed on PIO card along with the new passport."

Thank god. I asked for old passport to Canadian passport office and kept with me.



I have also noticed that some people get the life long validity stamp on PIO card when returns from India. Read somewhere in blogs.

I found the following circular at http://www.cgisf.org/page/display/30/231 link

CIRCULAR This is to notify that submission of application for OCI card in lieu of PIO card is voluntary and optional. OCI card in lieu of PIO card can be applied at https://passport.gov.in/oci. All extant PIO cards will continue to be valid until further instructions on the matter are conveyed by MHA.2. Endorsements stating that existing PIO cards are valid for life would be made at the first point with which the card holder comes into contact, be it an Indian Mission, an FRRO or an immigration check-point. These endorsements/ stamps would, however, not be mandatory.

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Success is Never Ending and Failure is Never Final.

Quote:

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Originally posted by meitsme

How can I get 100% confirmation that there will not be any issue to travel to India with PIO card and old/new Canadian passport?

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Thanks puttoo.

Would you mind to tell me when did you travel to India last time with PIO card and old/new Canadian passport?

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Success is Never Ending and Failure is Never Final.

Quote:

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Originally posted by meitsme

Thanks puttoo.

Would you mind to tell me when did you travel to India last time with PIO card and old/new Canadian passport?

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I travelled with the PIO card to India about 2 weeks back and had no issues ...

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