PIO to OCi conversion

[quantumscience]

Hi,

I already have a current PIO card (issued 10 years back).
The Indian govt. had announced recently in Jan 2015 that all PIO cards issued earlier on were all deemed to be OCI cards, for travel and other related purposes and were valid for lifetime.

There was no need to convert anything.

I thought this was all great only to find that this recent announcement which said i had to now convert my old PIO card to OCI now.

http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/OCI.html (inside the "PIO to OCI" page tab in that page, specifically points 2 and 3, etc.)

I called up the VFS, and they said i had to apply for the PIO to OCI (in lieu of OCI) card from the indian govt website directly (part A and B), and then submit all documents to VFS in person.

The tricky bit was that when applying for the new OCI card online, it asks us to fill the OCI "application place" as the place where the PIO was originally issued!!!! This was in Birmingham for me!!
I live in London

Now, when i contacted VFS London, they said since that place of my original PIO card is Birmingham, I have to go to Birmingham VFS to apply.

When I contacted the VFS Birmingham, they said since I live in London, they won't be able to accept my application there although the OCI application forces me to say "place of OCI application request" as Birmingham, because of the jurisdiction riles that they have - i.e. i live in London, so I have to apply in London.

Now when I contacted the London VFS office, they said they wont accept the application in London since I will be putting the "Place of issue of PIO and hence OCI" as Birmingham.

So because of all this nonsense, I am now left with a valid PIO card (that is supposed to be deemed to be OCI and valid for lifetime) that is practically invalid for use!!!!

I was so happy when the Modi govt. announced the effect to do automatic deemed status of PIO as OCI, but now I wish he had not done that at all - since it has now ended up in making things extremely difficult, and leave people in limbo.

Appreciate any advise please, to resolve the issue???????

[quantumscience]

Phew! Thanks to the Indian govt.,... finally it looks like they have come to senses about the painful issues involved in the conversion process.

After my post earlier on (as above), I attempted to start the conversion process, since it was made mandatory at that time (in April), and I was asked to submit a huge array of documents by the CGI Birmingham for the conversion process to OCI (I will list the documents check-list if you want – it’s just simply mad mad Indian red-tape), and having looked at the list, I simply thought I don’t want to do this since possibly one day they will abolish this mandatory conversion and this ridiculous pile of paperwork (all triple copies + notary certifications, etc etc.), so I can avoid this painful paperwork filling up process, not to mention, the pain of running around from London to Birmingham on every visit (from application, to getting the OCI stamped).

Anyway, the good news is: The PIO to OCI conversion is now optional once again! (of course, as is usual with Indian govt. babus, in some govt websites it says this is “until further instructions” of course! )

Since the old govt. websites information on this keeps completely being overwritten by new information (without any audit trail of last month’s information), I have pasted the contents of the current information from the govt website apart from also posting a link
[Note: I hope it is ok to paste the relevant contents here, but If pasting the content is not allowed, i request the moderators to delete it and only keep the urls please]

At least, for now, the PIO conversion to OCI is not mandatory within that random ridiculous 3 months limit!!!!!!!!

Also the UK VFS website page I linked to earlier on, seems to have been completely overwritten with the new information (as if they had never posted those mandatory conversion time limit points)

Hope this will help other PIO card holders.

##########################


* * * * * No. 475/US(CPV)/2015
Government of India
Ministry of External Affairs
(CPV Division)

New Delhi, June 05, 2015CIRCULAR

1. This is to notify that submission of application for OCI card in lieu of PIO card is voluntary and optional. OCI card in lieu of PIO card can be applied at https://passport.gov.in/oci. All extant PIO cards will continue to be valid until further instructions on the matter are conveyed by MHA.
2. Endorsements stating that existing PIO cards are valid for life would be made at the first point with which the card holder comes into contact, be it an Indian Mission, an FRRO or an immigration check-point. These endorsements/ stamps would, however, not be mandatory

##########################################

http://www.embassyindia.es/archives/doc ... -Cards.pdf

EMBASSY OF INDIA
MADRID
Revised Instructions on Conversion of PIO Card to OCI Card

In view of the practical difficulties being faced by PIO Card holders in the context
of their transition to OCI Card holders, the Embassy had taken up the matter with the
relevant authorities in India.

It has now been decided by the relevant authorities as follows:-
(i) PIO Cards would be treated as valid beyond the period of three months (viz. 9
January to 9 April 2015, as earlier announced).
(ii) Applying for OCI Cards in lieu of PIO Cards at the website
https://passport.gov.in/oci/ would continue to be optional for the applicant until further
instructions from the relevant authorities.
Para 2(1) below, therefore, is replaced by above instructions.
C.P. Gandhi
First Secretary (Cons)
22 May 2015

Conversion of PIO Cards to OCI Cards

(1) As per the Ministry of Home Affairs Notification dated 9 January 2015, with effect
from 9.1.2015, all the existing PIO cardholders are deemed to be OCI cardholders. A
separate online application system for issue of OCI card in lieu of the PIO card without
payment of any registration fee has already been devised and can be accessed at
https://passport.gov.in/oci/.

(2). The salient points of clarification relating to the conversion from PIO Card to OCI
Card are provided below:
• 1. Initially for a period of 3 months with effect from 9/1/2015, the submission of
application for OCI card in lieu of PIO card was voluntary. However, after the
initial period of 3 months, it has become mandatory with effect from 9.4.2015.

[quantumscience]

Ha The Indian Govt. babus are at play once again now with the PIO to OCI conversion
Will this saga of confused Indian minds ever end???

Now the govt has given another final date for converting PIO to OCI .. compared to the earlier circulars in May and June 2015 saying its optional, and there is no need to convert at all.

This is the excerpt from the UK VFS web page: http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/OCI.html
(well let me be very clear about this: this is as of today: 23rd June 2015). God only knows what they will say next week!!

"The date for application for conversion of valid PIO card to OCI card has been extended till 30 September 2015. The valid PIO card holders are advised to submit the applications by 30 September 2015. One can apply for OCI card in lieu of valid PIO card free of any charges. However the applicant will have to pay the service charges for the outsourcing agency as well as postal charges."


So, it is once again compulsory???

That page also says these lines:

"Existing PIO cards are valid for travel to India and are valid for life. An endorsement to this effect could be made in the existing PIO cards at the first immigration point of India with which the card holder comes into contact, be it at High Commission of India or an immigration check-point in India. (It is not mandatory to have this endorsement.)"

Now if the PIO cards are valid for life and are valid for travel for life, what is the point of giving us a final date before which we should convert it to OCI???

What if a PIO card holder does not want to convert by that date?
Answer: I think is Nothing. presumably, because of the lines above which says the PIO card is valid for life :)

The only good thing out of this is this line... well until they change their minds on this bit too next week

"The applicants may submit the applications for OCI card in lieu of PIO card to the Indian Mission/FRRO concerned within the jurisdiction of his/her place of residence. This is in modification of the earlier instructions that they should apply only at the location where the PIO card was issued."

So one can go to the nearest VFS to get this conversion done, rather than having to run back to, possibly, the original country (for just a 2 hour appointment to submit documents! ) where the original PIO card was issued

But I am terribly confused now.

The first part says its mandatory to convert to OCI card by 30th September 2015. Is It???
[Well it has to be mandatory right?... otherwise what is the point of that final date???]

OR

Is it not mandatory, since the other lines says its valid for life????

I rang up VFS, and they said they were not sure about this at all, and so they don't have an answer to this contradictory requirements.

Dear me!!!!

For once, can the Indian govt. have somebody sober/in senses when drafting some government regulations please.
I don't think its too much to ask for!!!