OCI Card and U Visa
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 16
OCI Card and U Visa
Hi All,
Recently received my Overseas Citizenship of India. The Indian consul in Sydney have issued me with a OCI booklet and a "U" Visa in my Oz passport. Both the OCI booklet and the visa bear the same details and number.
Do I need to carry both when I visit India?
The VFS officer was not able to give me a clear answer.
Thanks,
Lev
Recently received my Overseas Citizenship of India. The Indian consul in Sydney have issued me with a OCI booklet and a "U" Visa in my Oz passport. Both the OCI booklet and the visa bear the same details and number.
Do I need to carry both when I visit India?
The VFS officer was not able to give me a clear answer.
Thanks,
Lev
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 16
Thanks Pantanal,
I wonder what's the logic behind this?
I assume they will stamp my Oz passport as the OCI booklet has only a couple of pages. I understand for a PIO you need to show proof as PIO allows visa free travel.
Lev
I wonder what's the logic behind this?
I assume they will stamp my Oz passport as the OCI booklet has only a couple of pages. I understand for a PIO you need to show proof as PIO allows visa free travel.
Lev
#4

Join Date: Sep 2007
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The entry and exit stamps go on your passport, not the OCI booklet.
#5




Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: world
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Posts: 1,422
otherwise why would you need to renew the OCI sticker every time when you renew the passport when the OCI card is meant for life. They should say OCI is for the life of your passport not your life. every time your passport expires you need to go get a new sticker and go through the BS again.
would be simple just give a small laminated card like the US green card or the passport card and and that would be the end
#6
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#8


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dude..this is India..there is no logic ..its bureaucracy at its best.
otherwise why would you need to renew the OCI sticker every time when you renew the passport when the OCI card is meant for life. They should say OCI is for the life of your passport not your life. every time your passport expires you need to go get a new sticker and go through the BS again.
would be simple just give a small laminated card like the US green card or the passport card and and that would be the end
otherwise why would you need to renew the OCI sticker every time when you renew the passport when the OCI card is meant for life. They should say OCI is for the life of your passport not your life. every time your passport expires you need to go get a new sticker and go through the BS again.
would be simple just give a small laminated card like the US green card or the passport card and and that would be the end
You have the option of transferring the OCI sticker from your expired passport to a valid one but this is not necessary. The reason you need to carry the expired passport with the OCI sticker is that the OCI booklet has the passport number of the original passport against which the OCI booklet was issued.
#9




Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: world
Programs: all
Posts: 1,422
You don't need to renew the OCI sticker when your passport containing the OCI sticker expires; you produce the expired passport along with the OCI booklet (passport like document) along with your current valid new passport. I've entered India about 8 times with these three documents where the OCI sticker was in an expired passport.
You have the option of transferring the OCI sticker from your expired passport to a valid one but this is not necessary. The reason you need to carry the expired passport with the OCI sticker is that the OCI booklet has the passport number of the original passport against which the OCI booklet was issued.
You have the option of transferring the OCI sticker from your expired passport to a valid one but this is not necessary. The reason you need to carry the expired passport with the OCI sticker is that the OCI booklet has the passport number of the original passport against which the OCI booklet was issued.
interesting experience..you actually DO need to get it reissued once you reach the age 50. before that you still need to get it reissued but if you want to carry two passports, I guess you can use the old one
below are the actual rules
http://mha.nic.in/pdfs/FAQs-200709.pdf
look at #16 page 4/5
#10
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: LON, SFO, SYD
Posts: 409


