Location: Western Hemisphere
Posted on: 09-01-11 16:01:59
I am not sure I grasp why this merger is a drawback. Streamlining two documents that have almost common traits is good. If one does not wish to hold a lifelong visa, they are more than welcome to apply for visitor visa.
OCI provides almost all of the characteristics of a Permanent Residency status without the need to live in India to maintain the visa. OCI for all its worth is a misnomer, but that's what it's called and so be it.
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Dimple2001
All this talk about harassment of PIO's or OCI's by authorities is unfounded and hypothetical.
I agree with dimple2001 that it is a good thing that they are streamlining the two documents to create one.
In my opinion, the only thing of concern here is how efficiently they will handle the planned merger.
Location: Western Hemisphere
Posted on: 09-01-11 20:04:05
Quote:
Originally posted by kulb
All this talk about harassment of PIO's or OCI's by authorities is unfounded and hypothetical.
I agree with dimple2001 that it is a good thing that they are streamlining the two documents to create one.
In my opinion, the only thing of concern here is how efficiently they will handle the planned merger.
I agree. It's the consular folks on the ground that will find a way to mess this all up. Customs and immigration used to be a nightmare in early 90s. At least in Mumbai and Delhi, it's a breeze and not something to be overly paranoid about.
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Dimple2001
Quote:
Originally posted by Gapodi
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Do you know what India's position on consular acccess to OCI's in India if they are some trouble?
....
OCI is not equal to Indian citizenship and you are still a foreign citizen. So it should not affect consular access in any way but better check with the consulate, whichever country's citizen you are. I do not think consulate access is going to offer you any extra protection if you visit unsafe countries.
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Here's a good OCI vs. PIO chart. You can see there's some ambiguity on consular access, the Indian govt. says "No", however the US govt. says "yes".
http://www.immihelp.com/nri/pio-vs-oci.html
Quote:
Originally posted by rajcanada
Quote:
Originally posted by Gapodi
....
Do you know what India's position on consular acccess to OCI's in India if they are some trouble?
....
OCI is not equal to Indian citizenship and you are still a foreign citizen. So it should not affect consular access in any way but better check with the consulate, whichever country's citizen you are. I do not think consulate access is going to offer you any extra protection if you visit unsafe countries.
Not sure if this is true. Consular access can be very valuable if you're stuck in a dicey situation in a foreign country. Consular intervention won't get you out right away, but will definitely impact how the foreign govt. handles your case and how they treat you. Most folks will never need this, however for the very few that do, it would be a big downside to lose this.
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Are you there?
Location: Western Hemisphere
Posted on: 10-01-11 10:11:05
I agree consular access can be valuable, especially for those who enjoy hiking along the Iraqi border with Iran or Chinese border with North Korea 
Anyway, kidding aside, I don't believe OCI entitles one to Indian consular access as it is not an Indian citizenship.
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Dimple2001
Quote:
Originally posted by Gapodi
Quote:
Originally posted by kulb
Although it is a commendable step in the right direction, I wonder what this will mean for existing PIO card holders. Will it be a simple process to convert them to OCI Cards? Will existing PIO cards continue to be valid until their expiry? There are going to be a lot of questions as they finalize the details.
This is ridiculous. Many US citizens don't want the OCI card because of the dual citizenship issue and problems that might arise for security clearance jobs and that's why they opted for the PIO card in the first place.
OCI is not a dual citizenship. It is just a lifelong visa with some added benefits. I don't think it will have any effect on US citizenship or consular services.
