NEW DELHI: Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders will now have to get their document re-issued only once at the age of 20 instead of multiple times, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Thursday.
According to the MHA order, a person who has got registration as OCI cardholder prior to attaining the age of 20 “will have to get the card re-issued only once when a new passport is issued after his or her completing 20 years of age, so as to capture his or her facial features on attaining adulthood”.
If a person has obtained registration as OCI cardholder after attaining the age of 20 years, there will be no requirement of re-issue of OCI card, it added. Currently, the OCI card is re-issued each time a new passport is issued up to the age of 20 years of an applicant and once after completing 50 years of age, the MHA said.
“The decision has been taken on the directions of Union Home Minister Amit Shah as part of the Modi government’s desire to simplify the process and it is expected to significantly ease the process for re-issue of OCI cards,” it said.
So far about 37.72 lakh OCI cards have been issued by the government, the MHA said. The OCI card is a life-long visa for entry into and stay in India with a number of other major benefits which are not available to other foreigners.