Q about PIO applications in UK

abfab

Hi,

I wonder if anyone who has experience of the PIO applications could answer a few questions for me?

I am travelling to India in 7 weeks, and I am concidering obtaining a PIO card rather than a tourist Visa. I was born in England and have a UK passport, but my father was born in India and had an Indian passport.

Does the High commission require the originals of my fathers birth certificate and passport? In some places on the form/website they mention photocopies, other places they say originals! As my father has died, I can only imagine how difficult it would be to get replacements if the originals got lost!

My mother in non-Indian, do they need her birth certificate etc too? Again its not 100% clear!

How quickly do they process the application typically? Birmingham says 4 weeks, but London says 1-8 weeks. As Im travelling in 7 weeks I'm worried I won't have enough time.

Do they keep your British passport during the processing?

Many thanks for your help.

Nick-H

With an Indian-born father I'd be going for OIC....

But I'm not sure that you have time? Check out the details on the HCI London website

With your father's passport and birth certificate (and yours, I suppose, to prove you are his son!) your case should be clear cut. I hear they are fairly quick, unless they have to refer to MHA in Delhi, in which case the delay can be interminable .

You should not have to give details of any family member other than the one you are claiming entitlement because of.

Why not fill in the forms, get everything ready, go to HCI and tell your situation. They should give a good idea of the timeing, and whether or not you can get it in time. The safety-net tourist visa is immediate, so you don't have anything to loose as long as you get to keep your passport. Tell them you need it for something else!

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abfab

This does sound like a better option. Maybe I should just go for a tourist visa for now, and then get an OIC when i get back.

I had originally thought having a PIO/OIC might prove useful for my trip. I had hoped it might enable me to pay in INR for 5* hotels and air tickets and stuff, but from what I can make out, because I look 100% western, they will insist on payment in $.

Has anyone found much advantage in being a PIO/OIC as a tourist?

Nick-H

Well, flashing the card might well work wonders!

I think, though, that the magic word is 'resident' and the magic piece of paper is the residents permit. But OIC's (thinking as I type) are exempt from registration so...

But that OIC will give you a lifetime visa-free, so, even if not this time, go for it when you can!

When I was last at HCI I was talking to a guy in the queue who said that PIO applications had plummeted: everyone was going for OIC. I can't remember why he was going for PIO, but that was how he explained there being only two of us in the PIO enquiries queue.

I strongly suspect they'll merge the two one day. But there is one big difference: OIC is only available to those of Indian descent or previously Indian citizens, whereas PIO is available to spouses-of as well.

abfab

The only reason I was going to go for a PIO was because its much quicker to obtain as its processed locally.

Is there a separate queue at HCI for PIO applicants then? I did think about going along with an application to ask questions but I didn't relish spending hours in the queue outside in the cold with the people applying for Tourist visas and then find they can't process it in time!

Nick-H

Yes.

You still have to queue for the outside ticket window. I asked for a PIO ticket and an entry visa ticket.

You have to wait outside a door for the PIO enquiries: the woman told me I hadn't been married long enough --- so I took my other ticket to the visa counter and got sorted there.

PIO is processed locally for clear-cut cases. Note the 'refer MHA' (or something like that) box on the form.

Compared to a friend who got his on the basis that his white grandmother was born and lived in pre-independence India (refferred to Delhi for several months) --- your case sounds very clear cut.

There is a cut-price upgrade from PIO to OIC

NonIndianResident

When I got my PIO card in 2003 (at my home consulate) it took only 4 days. I was amazed!

ddevadatta

I might have been one of the first ever to get a PIO Card. This would have been when they first introduced in the mid 1990's, if memory serves me right. The reason I say so is that the bloks at Bombay airport passed it around like a novelty item since most of the officers hadn't yet seen one.

Anyways the PIO card has dropped in price; I paid $1000 when it first came out. I have found it easy to get and has worked well with my travels.

Yours might take a bit longer because you yourself weren't bron. Never mess with tight timing with all Indian things. Get a regular visa for now and when you have the luxury of time then apply for a PIO card.

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Nick-H

Rs.15,000 now, and I think that, at 15 years, its validity is longer than the 'Mark One'.

There's a low-cost upgrade to OIC --- might suit you, DDevadutta?

Jasmin

Sorry to sound somewhat ignorant, but what does PIO stand for?

Also does anyone have any advice on how to gain one's Indian citizenship back? I had to give mine up years ago, because at the time India did not accept duel citizenship. From what I understand that rule has recently been changed. I was born in India, but left as a young child. I still have my old Indian passport (cancelled now though). Any idea on how long it takes to get one's citizenship back and how complicated it is?

Also would I have any particular benefits to travelling to India on my Indian passport (if I manage to get it that is), apart from the obvious ofcourse, that being no visa to apply for Is it true that the duel pricing would not apply to me? And would this also include air flights withinIndia itself? Thanks in advance for any info at all.

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Nick-H

PIO: Person of Indian Origin as in PIO Card

India still does not permit dual citizenship, but has introduced a watered-down form of it called OIC (Overseas Indian Citizenship).

Check out OIC on the MHA site here. it will also give you comparison with PIO.

A recent comment from another member was that they would not revert to Indian citizenship, as their US passport gave them trouble-free travel in so many other countries. You present Canadian (?) passport probably does the same.

If you want to be able to do most things in India, and travel there visa free, for life go for OIC...

Jasmin

Nick, thanks for the information. I will be looking into both of those options. OIC sounds like a good idea. I had a while ago written to my local Indian consulate, but so far have recieved no reply. So I will try phoning them instread.

Yes, I am a Canadian citizen, but I am also a British citizen (having grown up in the U.K.).

Nick-H

You can apply for OIC online, i think, or at least you can get the info and the forms online, fill them in and go for it!

kevlar

just looking through the posts - you should not apply for an oic if your current country of nationality - e.g UK does not allow for dual citizenships - which is why many people apply for a pio as this is not the case for the pio.

Nick-H

UK does allow dual citizenship, India doesn't.

India only makes it available in countries where it is acceptable to the state, and it is a very watered-down "dual citizenship", in fact, not one at all, so as to tread on as few diplomatic toes as possible.