A leading NRI group on Tuesday asked India to reconsider new rules that require them to surrender their Indian passports within 90 days upon acquisition of US citizenship, arguing these bring “undue and unnecessary” burden on the community.
In a fresh posting, websites of Consul Generals of India, San Francisco and New York have stipulated that Persons of Indian Origin in the US who have acquired American citizenship, are required to surrender their Indian passports to the nearest Indian Consulate within 90 days of their naturalisation as US citizens.
The Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) today said the measure imposes unnecessary burden.
“GOPIO urges the Government of India to reconsider the retroactive enforcement of the new rules as many thousands of people who have acquired citizenship of the United States could suffer undue and unnecessary hardship for no fault of their own,” a statement said.
The surrender certificate is free if the Indian passport expired before January 1, 2005.
However, if the Indian Passport expired after January 1, 2005 and were not surrendered within three years of obtaining US citizenship, a service fee of USD 175 will be charged, provided the passport was not used for travel, in which case a penalty would also apply.
“The Government of India requires completion of a form and payment of fee and penalty, if applicable, for obtaining the surrender certificate.
“A US citizen of Indian origin applying for an Indian visa, OCI/PIO cards or wanting other consular services may not be able to get any such service without complying with the new rules,” it said.
GOPIO said the provisions for making a declaration of renunciation are separate and distinct from the provisions of termination of citizenship.
“This rule will be enforced by refusal to grant consular services, such as visa to India, grant of OCI/PIO card, etc,” GOPIO said.
There are several thousands of people who have obtained US citizenship over the last over 60 years and they have been travelling to India on American passports with Indian visas granted by the same consulates whose websites now have new rules which are applicable retroactively, it said.
“If the law did exist in the past, Indian consulates in the USA should have asked for the surrender of Indian passports before granting Indian visas to US citizens of Indian origin.
“Requiring Americans of Indian Origin to surrender their Indian passports after the lapse of many years of their naturalisation as US citizens, would cause undue hardship and delay in getting consular services,” GOPIO feared.
This shows how corrupt and greedy the Indian leaders are? That is only reason why I walked out of that country. Greed, Corruption, Castisim, Hypocrisy and Judgemental. It is peaceful and happy in US. Freedom, Lots of Opportunites for hard working people. not caste crap……
indian govt must immediatly refund excess fees we all paid before new rulingand fees came in to for those who acquierd citizenship before 2006
pls write to your embassy and to PM.
The buerocrats and politicians are so corrupt that they dont think 175 dollars and 400 dollars for oci cards is lot of money . May be for them it is peanut money . No common sense .Always a new law to harrass their own people who are just bringing some foregn currency to their native land .