Miscellaneous Dose (Immigration)

The Immigration services at the major International Airports in India and the Foreigners' registration work in seven major cities, are handled by the Bureau of Immigration (BOI).   The field officers in charge of immigration and registration activities at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Amritsar, Bengaluru and Hyderabad are called Foreigners Regional Registration Officers (FRROs). Apart from the FRROs who look after the immigration/registration functions in the above mentioned seven cities, the concerned District Superintendents of Police function as Foreigners Registration Officers (FROs)  in all the states in the country. Q Who can get PIO Card? A If a foreigner held an Indian passport at any time. He/She or either of his/her parent’s or grand parent’s or great grand parents was born in India or permanently resident in India  and provided that neither was at any time a citizen of any other specified country (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Sri Lanka ). He/She is a spouse of a citizen of India or a person of Indian origin covered in Para 1 & 2 above. Iranian nationals of Indian Origin can seek PIO card with the approval of MHA. Q What is NORI? To whom is it issued? A The expanded form of is "No Objection to Return to India". ‘NORI’ is not a VISA and is only an endorsement made by RPO/FRRO/FRO on the Certificate of Identity issued to Tibetan Refugees settled here to facilitate their return to India. 'NORI' does not, by itself, empower the holder of Certificate of Identity to enter India, as it is not a visa. It is, however, a means to obtain visa without prior reference to MEA/MHA and the State Govt. concerned.

A United States Permanent Resident Card, known informally as a green card because it is green in color, is an identification card attesting to the permanent resident status of an alien in theUnited States of America. Green card also refers to an immigration process of becoming a permanent resident. The green card serves as proof that its holder, a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), has been officially granted immigration benefits, which include permission to reside and take employment in the USA. The holder must maintain permanent resident status, and can be removed from the United States if certain conditions of this status are not met.

The Blue Card aka Blue European Labour Card is an approved EU-wide work permit (Council Directive 2009/50/EC) allowing high-skilled non-EU citizens to work and live in any country within the European Union, excluding Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom, which are not subject to the proposal.[2] The term Blue Card was coined by the think tank Bruegel, inspired by the United States' Green Card and making reference to the EU flag which is blue with twelve golden stars.

Q	Which are the "Visa fee free regime" countries for India i.e. for whose nationals no fee is charged for granting Indian visa?
A	Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Jamaica, Maldives, Mongolia, Mauritius, Poland, Slovak Republic, South Africa, North Korea and Uruguay are VISA fee free regime countries. Nationals of these countries are not charged any Visa fee for grant of Indian VISA and subsequent extensions.

As per the Emigration Act, 1983, Emigration Check Required (ECR) categories of Indian passport holders, require to obtain "Emigration Clearance" from the office of Protector of Emigrants (POE), Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs for going to following 18 countries. United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Brunei, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, Thailand, Iraq (emigration banned).

OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) CARD Foreigners of Indian origin (except Pakistan and Bangladesh) whose present nationality is such that their country of nationality allows dual citizenship in some form or other,  are eligible to apply under OCI scheme, if he/she possesses evidence of self or parents or grand parents: Being eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of commencement of Indian Constitution i.e. 26.01.1950.     OR Belonging to a territory that became a part of India after 15.01.1947.  OR Being a citizen of India on or after 26.01.1950.