402. Get UK citizenship or keep

Indian citizenship

Questions: Dear Chand Hope you are well! I wish to speak to you and am happy to pay for advice as it is an important decision. I am on an ILR in UK and eligible for uk passport. I am confused whether it is better to stick to an Indian passport or go for uk one, the main advantage being easier world travel and kids future. I am a doctor. I do plan to go back and settle in India in 5-6 years and wonder what is a better option- to have a uk or Indian passport. Somebody recommended to get kids and wife on uk passports and stay on Indian passport myself as this would keep both aspects to hand- I am not sure of this. Please advice. It's a crucial decision and I would appreciate if u can provide your number and the fees for a chat. Kind regards Om Answer: As for your wish to speak to me and pay a fee, this is not required. This website is completely free and I don’t charge to speak to people. By virtue of this website I have had the opportunity of meeting many good people. If you send me your telephone number, I have no problem giving you a ring. Regarding your question, there was a time when people from India felt that at least one spouse should retain their Indian citizenship, this usually was due to a misconception that India may not allow a foreigner to hold property in India. There are no such restrictions now. Persons of Indian origin, can freely hold property in India, regardless of their citizenship. I actually don’t see any benefit in your wife and kids getting UK passports and you keeping your Indian passport. UK in my opinion is the one country that is frequently in the news trying to doctor their citizenship laws. I would say, get your UK citizenship when you qualify. Taking UK citizenship does have many benefits, however final decision should be based on the age of children, future planning and ones own priorities. If you do take UK citizenship and return to India with OCI, I doubt if you will have any problems settling in India and continuing your medical practice in India. Let’s first look into some of the benefits of being a UK Citizen in comparison to ILR status: 1. To start off, while citizens get unrestricted entry into the UK. They can come and go in and out of UK, as many times as they wish and for as long as they wish. o A long-term UK resident who spends a lot of time outside UK and lives only for short periods of time in Britain, faces the possibility of losing ILR. 2. UK citizens get easy travel to all countries, that allow visa free entry to UK passport holders. 3. UK allows dual nationality, However this does not benefit persons interested in maintaining their Indian citizenship. Who knows, down the road, India may actually allow dual citizenship. 4. Easier to move within the European Union if you are a UK citizen. 5. Eligible to work in the EU countries 6. Eligible to vote in UK elections 7. Right to benefits such as medical coverage etc. While ILR status also qualify for many benefits, they may loose them if absent from UK for prolonged period of time. 8. Education advantage for children. Citizens exempt or pay lower schooling fee. Universities may give preference to citizens. Living in India as a OCI visa holder. Day to day living in India by those who hold OCI visa should not be a problem for most people. While the passports that OCI holders carry may be different, they all look the same and as former Indian nationals assimilate well with the local population. If you decide to get UK citizenship and return to India with OCI status, here are some points to consider: 1. School fees: Higher school fees is a concern of some parents who are living in India with OCI. There may be many OCI holders who do not pay extra fee for their foreign born children. The reason for this is, that there is no hard and fast rule that says such children must pay higher fees. Some schools during admission, may question whether the student is a citizen of India, other schools may not. It may mean slightly higher fees if you pick a school that simply insists on the higher fee. You may hear of some OCI parents in India boasting that they do not pay higher school fees for their foreign born children. The chances in such cases are that, either the school in question does not charge extra fees or that some parents simply hide the citizenship of their children, as schools do not normally ask for documentary proof. An OCI holder, by living in India, does not become an Indian citizen. Their status continues to be that of a foreign citizen. 2. OCI holders living in India are allowed parity with non resident Indians (NRIs holding Indian passports) in respect of economic, financial and educational fields except in relation to acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties. However no parity is allowed in the sphere of political rights. 3. OCI holders, even though they live in India, may not be able to visit restricted areas that are accessible to Indian citizens. 4. Admissions to professional colleges may in some cases be restricted for the children of OCI holders, this is because some institutions give preference to children who have done their schooling continuously in India. Here again Indian citizenship may become a deciding factor. Since you have asked for my opinion, I think you should go ahead and get your UK citizenship for yourself and your family. Get OCI status for all family members. The option to acquire Indian citizen at a later stage is always open for you and your family. I am not sure how old your children are, generally, after a certain age and depending the length of time children have stayed away from India, there is quite a bit of adjustment required for children to adjust to life in India. Schooling in India is quite different than that of western countries. Having UK citizenship when you eventually return to India, offers you the security of returning to UK in case, for some reason you wish to move back to UK.