Jail term over 2 years or serious charges: MHA issues new grounds to cancel OCI cards
The notification, issued via the official gazette under clause (da) of Section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955, outlines that the new rules apply to any OCI registration meeting either of these conditions.
An Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) registration shall be liable to get cancelled when a person has been sentenced to imprisonment for term of not less than two years or has been charge-sheeted for an offence entailing punishment of imprisonment for seven years or more: MHA… pic.twitter.com/r3w0dXJ60T
— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2025
Introduced in August 2005, the OCI scheme allows Indian-origin foreign nationals to visit India without a visa and provides multiple entry, multi-purpose, lifelong access.
It applies to all persons of Indian origin who were citizens of India on or after January 26, 1950, or were eligible to become citizens on that date — but excludes those who are or have been citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, or any other country specified by the government.
The changes add fresh legal grounds for the cancellation of OCI status, which was previously revoked mainly on security, fraud, or procedural grounds.
(With Inputs from PTI)
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