TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Union Government has decided to dispense with the ‘U’ (Universal) Visa sticker on the foreign passport of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders and to modify the OCI Registration Certificate in the booklet form to provide for the endorsement “Visa Validity – Lifelong”.
For foreign nationals of India origin who are already holding OCI cards, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has issued instructions to all the Indian Missions/Posts abroad and the FRROs in India, not to insist on the production of the foreign passport containing the “U” Visa sticker, when they enter/exit India and has advised these authorities to grant Immigration Clearance based on production of the OCI card only.
Foreign nationals of Indian Origin who are eligible for registration as OCI cardholder under Section 7A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, were being issued a multiple lifelong “U” (Universal) Visa. They are required to carry the OCI card as well as the foreign passport containing the “U” Visa sticker, while they enter or exit India.
However, many OCI cardholders do not carry the passport containing the “U” visa sticker when they enter or exit the country and so face problems at the immigration counter. The present government move will rectify this situation
