PIO - Right to remain warning

JamesW

If, like me, you are staying in India on a PIO card, you probably know that you have to register with the police within 180 days of arrival in India. I did all this, and got my residency permit. What I didn't do was read it carefully. You do *not* get to stay until the PIO expires. In my case I was granted another six months, which had run out in October. Fortunately the foreigners registration department in Pune dealt with it sympathetically, and my residence permit was extended for five year. So the lesson is: read your residency permit carefully!

Nattusbs

JamesW

Thanks for the heads-up - it's all in the fine print eh. That's why I intend to convert my PIO to OCI on returning to India.

Cheers

Nattusbs

JamesW

The print wasn't particularly fine. The problem was I assumed that you were done after the 180 day registration. That was based on reading lots about 180 days, and nothing about any further registrations. When I got the permit back, the first date mentioned on it was the expiry of the PIO, and since that was what I was expecting, I mentally blanked the following paragraph mentioning the actual residency limits. It was only when I looked at it again on Tuesday, that the date leapt out at me. Thought I'd just let others know just in case. I'm not eligible for OCI, so I'd better just learn to read things a bit better!

stim

Isn’t PIO card valid for 15 years?

Shaktipalooza

WHOA WHOA WHOA

Let me get this straight. Does this mean you have to register every 6 months??? Is it a hassle getting the registration done?

We're putting the house on the market next month so we can move to India. I don't need any surprises.

Thanks

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stim

Don’t understand this, and very confused. As I understand,well, read it by your self: http://www.indianembassy.se/visa/pio.htm
Shaktipaloosa, no you don’t need to register every 6 months. Only once,after 180 days, as i understand.

crvlvr

the rules say that the PIO needs to register if he/she intends to stay more than 180days. No mention of re-registerign every 180 days. so, the question to the OP is, when registering did you give them any indication that your stay was going to be short term which would have caused them to provide an extension for only 180days?

JamesW

Yes, it is. However, it doesn't mean that you are automatically allowed to stay in India for that 15 years after registering with the police.

No, I registered just before the 180 day mark. This gave me a residency permit valid for six months. When I renewed the residency permit I was given a five year extension.

It wasn't too much hassle by Indian standards, a bit of waiting around an office and being bounced between desks until we found who dealt with my specific problem. First to the head guy, he says desk six. Go there, three 'workers' crowded round a monitor ignoring everyone at the desk. When they finally looked up they said desk four. Desk four said desk one. Desk one said it was the right desk but the right guy was on a break. Eventually he came back, but wanted confirmation from his boss that all was OK. Indian bureaucracy at its finest! Someone mentioned that the Mumbai office was more efficient than Pune, but it wasn't too bad really.

Yes, that's what I understood. I was wrong! Like I originally said, everything I have read about the PIO card was similar to the page you linked to. Visa free entry for 180 days, register with the police after that, and no mention of re-registering. All I can say is check your residency permit carefully! This is exactly why I made this post, it is very easy, from reading the available information regarding PIO cards, to assume that you're home and dry after the initial 180 day registration. My experience shows that you're not.

True, no mention of re-registering. But there is also no mention of *not* re-registering! I neither asked for a short nor a long term stay. I had read nothing to indicate any need to do this. My reason for staying was 'living in India', which I would have thought indicated a longer term. When I re-registered the other day, I was given a five year extension, so it is not cast in stone that you must re-register every 180 days.

icetea

Well it's strange, because residency permits are (I guess) valid for the total duration of one's visa, at least it is so in my case (1 year visa -> 1 year R.P.). So if on a PIO card, one would suppose that the residency permit will be valid for 15 years..

I guess the lesson to be learned is that, when registering the first time, you need to really stress the fact that you are here on a PIO card, that you intend to live here and that they should grant you an RP with a longer validity.

It's always good to check when all these permits expire...

JamesW

They know you're here on a PIO card, as you show them it as part of the application process. It would be worth asking for a longer term RP though; the trick is knowing that you have to ask in the first place.

Nick-H

Guys, guys, it is very simple... look for RP Validity on your resident's permit.

True, it doesn't exactly stand out like a flashing light, but it is there, in bold type even.

Bear in mind that you have to be living in India to get a resident's permit: there must be many, many PIO/OCI holders who only ever come for visits but do so often enough to wish to avoid the repeated hassle/cost of tourist visa applications. If they do not stay longer than 180 days they do not need to register.

PIO is not residency.... but, given that it is visa-free entry and confers rights to work, be a student, own property, etc etc etc it would seem very unlikely that a PIO would be thrown out of the country!

But residents' permit has to be kept up to date. I think they are usually 1-year (not six months); but if it is obvious that you are legitimately settled here then you can get 5-year, as James has just done, and I also have.

Yes, Regitration/Resident's Permits have to be renewed on expiry: we're still foreigners

IceTea; I have a hair-picking argument, but I'd guess the answer to your question is that the PIO card is not actually a visa! It allows "visa-free" entry to India. Hair-picking is the name of the game when it comes to Indian law!

I rather expected registration to be an annual process --- It was a nice surprise when they volunteered to give me 5-years

icetea

well yes, you are right, PIO is one thing, and RP something else...and there are different rules applying. As Nick says, few PIOs actually live in India, and that's why I was saying that perhaps when registering you need to really stress again and again the fact that you are living here long term.

Nick, so you got your PIO card?

Shaktipalooza

So uh, we're selling our house next month and buying one way tickets to India. My son and I will have PIO cards, wife will have an OCI card.

Can I safely assume we will be able to settle down without being kicked out of the country?

capt_mahajan

Live, yes. Settle down is upto you.

Welcome to India!

It seems that all you have to do is keep the Resident's Permit valid, which I don't think is that big an issue. I know of two people who have been here for years.

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Nick-H

Shakti... I'm 'safely' assuming the same thing; I don't think there is any reason to do otherwise, particularly not because of this thread which is about simply misunderstanding a bit of bereuocrasy.

So don't panic!