The Minister of State in the ministries of
Overseas Indian Affairs & External Affairs General
(Retd.) V. K. Singh said in Lok Sabha today thatRegistration of 27,606
OCI applications was pending as on 08.12.2014. These applications are at
various stages of processing. Persons of Indian origin who specifically
apply are granted OCI registration. Application is not mandatory. Hence
no time frame can be indicated by which all PIOs are likely to be issued OCI
cards. NRIs are Indian citizens and do not require OCI cards.
General (Retd.) V. K. Singh said that OCIs
have been granted the following benefits:-
(i) A multiple entry multi-purpose life long
visa for visiting India.
(ii) Exemption from registration with local
police authority for any length of stay in India.
(iii) Parity with Non resident Indians (NRIs)
in respect of economic, financial and educational fields except in
relation to acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties. No parity is
allowed in the sphere of political rights.
(iv) Parity with NRIs in entry fee for
visiting national monuments, historical sites, museums, national parks and
wildlife sanctuaries as well as in domestic air fares in India.
(v) Preference in the matter of inter-country
adoption of Indian children.
(vi) Parity with NRIs for practice as doctors,
dentists, nurses, pharmacists, advocates, architects and chartered accountants
in pursuance of the provisions contained in the relevant Acts.
(vii) Parity with NRIs to appear in AIPMT or
such other tests in India to make them eligible for admission in pursuance of
the provisions contained in the relevant Acts.
(viii)Permitting OCIs to file an affidavit to
declare their address in India, for the purpose of availing services like
securing admission of their children to educational institutions in India,
obtaining of driving licenses, gas connections, residential telephones and
mobile phones, electricity/water connection, etc.
Country-wise details of OCI Registration granted from inception till
08.12.2014
|
Sr.No.
|
Mission Name
|
No. of Visa/OCI Cards Allotted
|
|
1
|
LONDON
|
299289
|
|
2
|
NEW YORK CGI
|
191914
|
|
3
|
SAN FRANCISCO
|
132857
|
|
4
|
BIRMINGHAM
|
111246
|
|
5
|
HOUSTON
|
99902
|
|
6
|
TORONTO
|
92772
|
|
7
|
CHICAGO
|
89099
|
|
8
|
SYDNEY
|
83274
|
|
9
|
WASHINGTON DC
|
59606
|
|
10
|
MELBOURNE
|
56013
|
|
11
|
PARIS
|
38947
|
|
12
|
VANCOUVER
|
34468
|
|
13
|
CANBERRA
|
33991
|
|
14
|
WELLINGTON
|
28917
|
|
15
|
MHA DELHI
|
28101
|
|
16
|
SINGAPORE
|
26439
|
|
17
|
NAIROBI
|
20568
|
|
18
|
FRRO MUMBAI
|
18722
|
|
19
|
COLOMBO
|
15823
|
|
20
|
FRRO CHENNAI
|
12744
|
|
21
|
DUBLIN
|
11365
|
|
22
|
PERTH
|
10864
|
|
23
|
FRANKFURT
|
10604
|
|
24
|
MILAN
|
10403
|
|
25
|
FRRO DELHI
|
9211
|
|
26
|
OTTAWA
|
8923
|
|
27
|
EDINBURGH
|
7735
|
|
28
|
ATLANTA
|
7375
|
|
29
|
BANGKOK
|
6979
|
|
30
|
BRUSSELS
|
6947
|
|
31
|
VIENNA
|
6389
|
|
32
|
THE HAGUE
|
5916
|
|
33
|
DURBAN
|
5633
|
|
34
|
MUNICH
|
4928
|
|
35
|
BERNE
|
4927
|
|
36
|
LISBON
|
4921
|
|
37
|
MADRID
|
4866
|
|
38
|
HONG KONG
|
4746
|
|
39
|
MOMBASA
|
4594
|
|
40
|
JOHANNESBURG
|
4304
|
|
|
41
|
DUBAI
|
3921
|
|
|
42
|
KANDY
|
3700
|
|
|
43
|
FRRO AMRITSAR
|
3506
|
|
|
44
|
STOCKHOLM
|
3505
|
|
|
45
|
FRRO HYDERABAD
|
3175
|
|
|
46
|
DAR ES SALAAM
|
3083
|
|
|
47
|
HAMBURG
|
3075
|
|
|
48
|
FRRO BANGALORE
|
2859
|
|
|
49
|
OSLO
|
2640
|
|
|
50
|
BAHRAIN
|
2069
|
|
|
51
|
BERLIN
|
2037
|
|
|
52
|
ROME
|
1886
|
|
|
53
|
ST. DENIS
|
1714
|
|
|
54
|
GENEVA
|
1537
|
|
|
55
|
CARACAS
|
1448
|
|
|
56
|
FRRO KOLKATA
|
1254
|
|
|
57
|
TEL AVIV
|
1180
|
|
|
58
|
HELSINKI
|
1028
|
|
|
59
|
VICTORIA
|
952
|
|
|
60
|
ABU DHABI
|
887
|
|
|
61
|
ANTANANARIVO
|
834
|
|
|
62
|
DOHA
|
828
|
|
|
63
|
COPENHAGEN
|
806
|
|
|
64
|
PORT LOUIS
|
749
|
|
|
65
|
LUSAKA
|
728
|
|
|
66
|
RIYADH
|
717
|
|
|
67
|
PARAMARIBO
|
683
|
|
|
68
|
KINGSTON
|
683
|
|
|
69
|
KUWAIT
|
677
|
|
|
70
|
MANILA
|
646
|
|
|
71
|
MEXICO CITY
|
633
|
|
|
72
|
PANAMA CITY
|
622
|
|
|
73
|
GABORONE
|
603
|
|
|
74
|
JAKARTA
|
517
|
|
|
75
|
FRRO COCHIN
|
499
|
|
|
76
|
PRETORIA
|
447
|
|
|
77
|
JEDDAH
|
423
|
|
|
78
|
KAMPALA
|
376
|
|
|
79
|
HARARE
|
326
|
|
|
80
|
MUSCAT
|
314
|
|
|
81
|
PORT OF SPAIN
|
300
|
|
|
82
|
WARSAW
|
281
|
|
|
83
|
SHANGHAI
|
234
|
|
|
84
|
SANTIAGO
|
208
|
|
|
85
|
FRRO LUCKNOW
|
180
|
|
|
86
|
TOKYO
|
177
|
|
|
87
|
MOSCOW
|
169
|
|
|
88
|
SAO PAULO
|
159
|
|
|
89
|
SANA A
|
158
|
|
|
90
|
ACCRA
|
149
|
|
|
91
|
KUALA LUMPUR
|
136
|
|
|
92
|
ATHENS
|
124
|
|
|
93
|
TAIPEI
|
120
|
|
|
94
|
KHARTOUM
|
114
|
|
|
95
|
FRRO TRIVANDRUM
|
110
|
|
|
96
|
SEOUL
|
90
|
|
|
97
|
MEDAN
|
88
|
|
|
98
|
CAIRO
|
84
|
|
|
99
|
KOBE
|
79
|
|
|
100
|
BRASILIA
|
76
|
|
|
101
|
LAGOS
|
69
|
|
|
102
|
NICOSIA
|
64
|
|
|
103
|
TEHRAN
|
62
|
|
|
104
|
BALI
|
60
|
|
|
105
|
REYKJAVIK
|
56
|
|
|
106
|
BOGOTA
|
52
|
|
|
107
|
BRUNEI
|
51
|
|
|
108
|
GUANGZHOU
|
48
|
|
|
109
|
BUENOS AIRES
|
46
|
|
|
110
|
BAKU
|
46
|
|
|
111
|
VIENTIANE
|
44
|
|
|
112
|
BUCHAREST
|
37
|
|
|
113
|
DAKAR
|
33
|
|
|
114
|
FRRO CALICUT
|
32
|
|
|
115
|
WINDHOEK
|
31
|
|
|
116
|
BUDAPEST
|
30
|
|
|
117
|
LIMA
|
28
|
|
|
118
|
GEORGETOWN
|
28
|
|
|
119
|
DHAKA
|
26
|
|
|
120
|
PRAGUE
|
24
|
|
|
121
|
ADDIS ABABA
|
20
|
|
|
122
|
PHNOM PENH
|
19
|
|
|
123
|
EOI
|
17
|
|
|
124
|
MALE
|
17
|
|
|
125
|
ANKARA
|
16
|
|
|
126
|
ZAGREB
|
12
|
|
|
127
|
ALMATY
|
11
|
|
|
128
|
CGI JAFFNA
|
11
|
|
|
129
|
HANOI
|
9
|
|
|
130
|
GUATEMALA CITY
|
9
|
|
|
131
|
ISTANBUL
|
8
|
|
|
132
|
ABIDJAN
|
7
|
|
|
133
|
PORT MORESBY
|
7
|
|
|
134
|
MINSK
|
7
|
|
|
135
|
BRATISLAVA
|
7
|
|
|
136
|
KATHMANDU
|
6
|
|
|
137
|
TRIPOLI
|
6
|
|
|
138
|
SOFIA
|
6
|
|
|
139
|
EOI SERBIA
|
5
|
|
|
140
|
LUANDA
|
4
|
|
|
141
|
BEIJING
|
4
|
|
|
142
|
VLADIVOSTOK
|
4
|
|
|
143
|
ST. PETERSBERG
|
3
|
|
|
144
|
DUSHANBE
|
3
|
|
|
145
|
KABUL
|
3
|
|
|
146
|
ABUJA
|
2
|
|
|
147
|
CAPE TOWN
|
2
|
|
|
148
|
ISLAMABAD
|
2
|
|
|
149
|
HO-CHI-MINH CITY
|
1
|
|
|
150
|
BAMAKO
|
1
|
|
|
151
|
BAMAKO
|
1
|
|
|
152
|
AMMAN
|
1
|
|
|
153
|
ULAAN BAATAR
|
1
|
|
|
154
|
BRUNEI
|
1
|
|
Source : http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=113603
