Blogs Frequently Asked Questions

You don't have to make any monetary payment to get an Aadhar card. Enrolling for an Aadhar card is free of cost for every Indian citizen.

Yes, you can apply for an Aadhar card online. You can apply online on the UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority Of India) website.

No, you cannot apply for more than one Aadhar card. An Aadhar card is a single number identification hence an individual can have only one Aadhar card.

The last date for linking Aadhar with PAN was the 31st of May, 2024. However, You can still link your PAN with your Aadhar card by paying Rs 1000 as a penalty and Individuals who have obtained their PAN card using Aadhaar enrolment ID before 1st October 2024, must link their PAN card with Aadhaar card by 31st December 2025.

An NRI can face several disadvantages including financial challenges, tax consequences, and regulatory obstacles. An NRI is not allowed to open new accounts in popular investment options like Public Provident Funds and NSC, they also face the challenge of currency fluctuation, and some banking services in India are restricted for an NRI.

The account you should open depends on the source of your income and financial goals. An NRE account is a good choice for those NRIs who wish to invest in India and repatriate foreign earnings, the interest earned in the NRE account is tax-free and there are no limits on the repatriating funds. On the other hand, the NRO account is good for those NRIs who earn income in India such as rent, dividends, etc. The interest earned in an NRO account is taxable and there is a limit of $1 million per fiscal year for repatriating funds.

Yes, it is mandatory to convert to an NRI account if you wish to move abroad. You need to convert your resident savings account to a Non-resident ordinary or an NRO account to manage your Indian income and to send your foreign earnings to India. It is required by the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). If you fail to do the same, you may face penalties and may be forced to pay a fine of up to three times the amount in your savings account.

No, you cannot have both a resident and an NRI account simultaneously. This is because the FEMA Act doesn’t allow NRIs to have savings accounts in India. So, you must convert your resident account to an NRI account if you are an Indian resident and became a Non-resident Indian (NRI). You can either close your resident account or get it converted into an NRO account.

No, OCI and NRI are not the same thing. OCI stands for Overseas Citizen of India while NRI stands for Non-resident Indian. Every Indian citizen who stays outside India for any purpose temporarily or long-term is an NRI. In contrast, a foreign national of Indian origin who is registered as an OCI cardholder is an OCI. Both these terms refer to people of Indian origin who stay outside India. However, both have different statuses of citizenship and rights.

NRE or Non-resident external accounts have several limitations. NRIs are not allowed to deposit money that is earned in India into an NRE account, there may be restrictions on how much and how often can an NRI withdraw money from an NRE account, It doesn't permit domestic transactions, and the value of deposit may vary due to currency fluctuations.

To prove you do not have PERM to USCIS, you can generally provide a statement stating that you never filled out the PERM application, along with the required documents. For example, a printout of the website of the Department of Labor showing no current PERM cases on your name and if applicable a letter from your previous or current employers confirming they did not do a PERM process on your behalf.

From January 2025, the average processing time for green card renewal in the US is 9 months. However, depending on many factors like the number of applications, staffing levels, workload allocations, biometric appointment, case-specific issues, and completeness of application the processing time varies.

Yes, you can work with an expired green card in the U.S. but for this, you need to have proof of your lawful permanent resident status in the country. For this, you can use an Alien Documentation Identification and Telecommunications (ADIT) or an I-90 receipt notice stamp to prove your legal status in the US.

To renew your 2-year green card i.e. conditional permanent resident status in the US you need to fill out Form I-751, “Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.” Along with the application form you need to submit other documents like your current green card, lease agreements, passport, and others. In addition, you may also need to attend the interview.

Yes, after 10 years many green cards expire. However, if these cards are issued before 1989 they do not expire and do not need any renewal.

Yes, a green card renewal application can be denied by USCIS. It can be because of an incomplete application, criminal convictions, incorrect form or information, failure to pay taxes, or excessive time spent outside the US.

You will need to file Form I-90 with USCIS to get a replacement. Without your Green card, you can face issues with work and travel.

To replace a lost green card you need to wait at least 6 to 12 months. It may also take more time depending on the workload and your specific situation.

File a police complaint with the local police, then file Form I-90 with USCIS and attach a copy of the theft police report.

If your green card is stolen then report it to the authorities on an immediate basis. After that file Form I-90, "Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card"