The Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, has announced that Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards will be cancelled if holders are convicted or charged with serious criminal offences.
The OCI card allows foreign nationals of Indian-origin to visit India without a visa.
In a gazette notification, the ministry stated that OCI registration will be liable for cancellation if the cardholder is sentenced to imprisonment for at least two years or is named in a charge sheet for an offence carrying a potential punishment of seven years or more.
This provision has been introduced under clause (da) of Section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by the clause (da) of section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 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 term of not less than two years or has been charge-sheeted for an offence entailing punishment of imprisonment for seven years or more,” the notification said.
Introduced in August 2005, the OCI scheme allows persons of Indian origin who were citizens of India on or after January 26, 1950, or were eligible for citizenship on that date, to register for an OCI card and travel to India without a visa. However, it excludes individuals who are or have been citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, or any other country notified by the central government.