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.Â
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
|
|
|
|
|
YSK/Uma