Last Updated on December 10, 2024
Key Points
- Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders must obtain special permission from the relevant jurisdictional Indian government authority to conduct research, conduct journalistic activities, work as missionaries, or visit any Protected, Restricted, and Prohibited areas in India.
- OCI cardholders living in India must notify their jurisdictional Foreigners Regional Registration Office or Foreigners Registration Office if they change their Indian residential address and/or place of employment.
Overview
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders are permanent residents of India. This status is granted to people of Indian origin and their spouses. The OCI status allows cardholders to live and work in India indefinitely and travel to and from India without a visa. To better monitor the flow and activities of OCI cardholders, the Indian government is reiterating and expanding certain enforcement regulations.
What are the Changes?
Last week, the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Indian government announced that certain OCI cardholders will face stricter enforcement of the pre-approval requirement of gaining special permission from the appropriate Foreign Regional Registration Office or Foreigners Registration Office before beginning their work. People undertaking the following activities must obtain this special permission:
- Those performing research;
- Those undertaking journalistic activities;
- Those participating in any internship or gaining employment in any foreign Diplomatic Missions or foreign Government organizations; and
- Those visiting any place within the Protected or Restricted or prohibited areas as declared by the Central Government or competent authority.
Additionally, OCI cardholders residing and/or working in India must notify the appropriate jurisdictional Foreigners Regional Registration Officer or Foreigners Registration Officer by email whenever their permanent Indian residential address and/or occupation changes.
Who Does This Impact?
Employers in India that hire journalists, research scholars, or those participating in foreign Diplomatic Missions or working with foreign Government Organizations need to ensure their OCI card-holding employees notify the Ministry of External Affairs to secure the relevant special permissions before the employee’s start date.
Employers should also ensure that these same employees notify the appropriate jurisdictional Foreigners Registration Officer of any recent changes to their place of residence or occupation to ensure compliance with the new administrative OCI rules.
Looking Ahead
Employers and OCI cardholders should anticipate further strict enforcement or expansion of rules and policies as the Indian government seeks to strengthen their means of monitoring the activities of OCI cardholders. For more information on these changes, please refer to this link provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs of India.
Content in this publication is not intended as legal advice, nor should it be relied on as such. For additional information on the issues discussed, consult an Envoy-affiliated attorney or another qualified professional.
