Foreign nationals of Indian origin who possess an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card may now risk losing it if they are confronted with serious criminal charges or convictions, as announced by the government. The Ministry of Home Affairs has stated that OCI registration will be revoked if the cardholder is sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more, or if they are named in a charge sheet for an offence that carries a jail term of seven years or more. “In the exercise of the powers granted by clause (da) of section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955), the central government hereby declares that an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) registration shall be subject to cancellation when an individual has been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years or has been charge-sheeted for an offence that entails a punishment of imprisonment for seven years or more,” the notification stated. The OCI card permits Indian-origin foreign nationals to travel to India without the need for a visa. This scheme, which was introduced in August 2005, allows for registration as OCI for all individuals of Indian origin who were citizens of India on January 26, 1950, or later, or who were eligible to become citizens on that date, with the exception of those who are, or have been, citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, or any other country specified by the government in the official gazette.
