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Can OCI Cardholders Apply for Indian Citizenship? Complete Guide
Table of Contents
- Key Takeaways
- What are the Eligibility Criteria to Apply for Indian Citizenship for OCI Cardholders?
- Application Process to Apply for Indian Citizenship
- Real-Life Scenarios
- What are the Benefits of Converting OCI to Indian Citizenship?
- Limitations of Not Converting OCI to Indian Citizenship?
- Important Points to be Remembered by OCI Cardholders Applying for Indian Citizenship
- Final Thoughts
Table of Contents
An OCI cardholder can easily apply for Indian citizenship only under certain legal conditions, which are included in the Citizenship Act, 1955.
An OCI cardholder does not provide full Citizenship. It is a visa that provides a foreign national of Indian origin with a long-term visa status.
The Indian laws allow them to register as Indian residents of the OCI cardholder if they fulfil all the requirements under section 5(1)(g) of the Indian Citizenship Act.
In this blog, we will see how OCI cardholders can apply for an Indian citizenship, along with the eligibility criteria, benefits, and other essential details.
Key Takeaways
- An OCI cardholder can easily apply for Indian citizenship by renouncing their foreign nationality.
- Apply for Indian citizenship from the online Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) portal.
- Having an Indian citizenship provides you with many benefits, such as political rights, opportunities in government jobs, and property rights.
- The processing time for the Indian citizenship application can be up to months or a year, depending on the verification of documents and approval by the government.
What are the Eligibility Criteria to Apply for Indian Citizenship for OCI Cardholders?
If you meet the following conditions given below, then an OCI cardholder can apply for Indian citizenship.
- Age Criteria
- The OCI cardholder must be above 18 years old at the time of applying for Indian citizenship.
- OCI Holding Period
- To apply for Indian citizenship, an OCI cardholder must hold an OCI card for a minimum of 5 years.
- Residency period
- An OCI cardholder should be an ordinarily resident through staying in India for a minimum of 12 months without leaving India.
- An ordinarily resident means that you are physically residing in India, and not going outside India for a limited time period of 12 months.
- OCI Cardholder Character
- If you have a clean background or no offenses, then you can easily apply for Indian citizenship without facing any struggles.
Application Process to Apply for Indian Citizenship
Here are the detailed steps given below to apply for Indian Citizenship for OCI cardholders.
- Meet the eligibility criteria
- One of the most important steps in applying for Indian citizenship is to check the eligibility criteria. It includes :
- You must hold an OCI card for a minimum of 5 years.
- Stay in India continuously for more than 12 months in India.
- One of the most important steps in applying for Indian citizenship is to check the eligibility criteria. It includes :
- Submit all the supporting documents
- You need to submit all the essential documents to get Indian citizenship, such as:
- A copy of the OCI card.
- Your valid foreign passport.
- Provide the proof of residence in India, such as a rent agreement or utility bill.
- Proof of Indian origin.
- Birth certificate of an OCI cardholder.
- Two passport-size photos with a plain white background.
- You need to submit all the essential documents to get Indian citizenship, such as:
- Submission of Application
- Submit the Indian citizenship application to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) online portal, or at the FRRO/FRO offices in India.
- Verification of Documents
- Your Application will be sent further for verification, and the authorities will verify the following details:
- Document verification for an Indian citizenship application.
- Background verification of the applicant.
- Confirmation of stay in India.
- Your Application will be sent further for verification, and the authorities will verify the following details:
- Approval and Renunciation of Foreign Nationality
- Once your application is verified, the authorities will approve the application. You need to surrender your Foreign citizenship.
- After renunciation of foreign citizenship, you will get Indian citizenship.
Real-Life Scenarios
Check out the example given below for understanding OCI to Indian citizenship conversion.
Mayank, a Canadian Citizen who has an OCI card. He has been staying in India continuously for the past 1 year, and has had an OCI status for the last 6 years.
Now, Mayank is eligible to apply for Indian citizenship, so if he wants to apply, he will get Indian citizenship.
If he applies and his application is approved, then he needs to renounce his Canadian citizenship. After that, Mayank will get Indian citizenship securely.
What are the Benefits of Converting OCI to Indian Citizenship?
Converting your foreign citizenship to an OCI cardholder to Indian citizenship allows you the following benefits.
- Voting rights
- Indian citizens can participate in the election, contest the election, and they also choose their leader through voting in elections.
- Unlock various opportunities for work
- After getting the Indian citizenship, you can easily apply for government jobs or work in the public sector, which is only eligible for Indian citizens.
- Property Rights in India
- You are allowed to buy agricultural land and plantation lands in India.
- Indian passport
- You will get an Indian passport once you get the citizenship of India, which is used for international travel.
Limitations of Not Converting OCI to Indian Citizenship?
If you do not convert your OCI status to a foreign resident, then you will face these limitations:
- No political Rights
- OCI cardholders are not eligible to vote or contest elections in India.
- No Government opportunities
- You are also not eligible for public sectors, constitutional offices, or any government jobs.
- Restricted Property Rights
- As a foreign national, OCI cardholders are not allowed to purchase any plantation or agricultural land in India.
- No Indian Passport
- You cannot use an Indian passport for travelling, identification purposes, or any other purposes.
Also Want to Know About OCI Card for Widowed Foreign Spouse? Check Now!Important Points to be Remembered by OCI Cardholders Applying for Indian Citizenship
Here are some of the points that you need to remember before applying for an Indian citizenship.
OCI is not considered dual citizenship
- India does not allow dual citizenship. So, even if you have an OCI card with an indefinite period to stay, live or work in India, it will not be considered as dual citizenship.
Renunciation is important
- If you converted OCI to Indian citizenship, then you need to surrender your foreign nationality, which is essential. Once you renounce foreign citizenship, you will get Indian citizenship.
No Automatic conversion
- There is no automatic conversion for OCI to Indian citizenship. You need to apply for it separately to get Indian citizenship.
Government Decision
- The Indian authorities can reject or accept your application as they hold the full power.
- The approval also depends on the verification of documents, background, and information provided by the applicant.
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Chat NowFinal Thoughts
An OCI card provides many benefits to a foreign national of Indian origin. However, it does not provide the same rights as Indian citizens. By applying for Indian citizenship, you can unlock additional benefits, such as political rights, government opportunities, and the ability to purchase agricultural or plantation land.
You can also take assistance from the Visament website, which provides you with a simple and easy application process to get your Indian citizenship. We help you in every step of the application process, along with the documentation for OCI to Indian citizenship conversion.
To get more information or clear your doubts or issues, you can freely contact the Visament website support team, who are ready 24*7 to provide you instant solutions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, an OCI cardholder is allowed to apply for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Act of 1955. If you meet all the eligibility criteria, such as the time you held an OCI card or the residency period.
To apply for Indian citizenship, you must hold an OCI card for a minimum of 5 years before applying.
Yes, to apply for Indian citizenship, you must live in India for a minimum of 12 months continuously as an ordinarily resident.
No, an OCI cardholder cannot get an automatic Indian Citizenship. They need to apply separately for the Indian citizenship application.
No, India does not permit dual citizenship in India. To apply for citizenship in India, you need to renounce your foreign citizenship.
The minimum age to apply for Indian citizenship is 18 years old.
Under section 5(1)(g) of the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955, an OCI cardholder is eligible to apply for applying Indian citizenship.
The processing of the Indian citizenship application can take months to years. The processing time also depends on the verification of documents and the approval by the Indian government.
Yes, the OCI cardholders need to submit their foreign nationality after getting approval for the Indian citizenship. Once they renounce foreign citizenship, they will get Indian citizenship.
No, an OCI cardholder is not allowed to vote in India or contest in an election. Once they have acquired Indian citizenship by renouncing foreign nationality, they can vote and participate in the Indian election process.
No, to apply for Indian citizenship, you must stay in India for a 12-month period continuously. If you failed to do so, you will not be eligible to apply for the Indian citizenship application.
Yes, for applying for an Indian citizenship, the Indian government has made it mandatory to check the background of the applicant through the police verification process.
