406. Getting permanent visa

for India . . .

Questions: Hi, My mother is 71 Years old and of Indian origin, she was born in Uganda and now lives in London , however my grandparents were born in India. We have just acquired my late grandmothers birth certificate from India. Can she get a permanent visa for India and how?? Regards Mehul Devani **************** London NW6 2QJ Tel - *********** Answer: If your grandmother was born in India, your mother indeed would have claim to an Indian permanent visa. The eligibility requirement for getting a lifelong OCI U Visa which is referred to commonly as ‘Overseas Citizen of India’ A foreign national, who was eligible to become citizen of India on 26.01.1950 or was a citizen of India on or at anytime after 26.01.1950 or belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15.08.1947 and his/her children and grand children. The eligibility requirement for getting a PIO card, which is referred to as Person of Indian Origin Card and is valid for 15 years. Any person who at any time held an Indian Passport; or he or either of his parents or grand parents was born in or was permanently resident in India as defined in Government of India Act, 1935 and other territories that became part of India thereafter provided neither was at any time a citizen of Afghanistan,Bhutan, China, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka;or who is a spouse of a citizen of India or a person of Indian origin as mentioned above. How to apply for OCI and PIO is discussed on this website on other pages. Use the Navigation tabs on top of this page and click on the OCI-PIO-PAN tab. I would appreciate it if you can share with me how you were able to get your grandmothers birth certificate from India for a birth that was around 1941 or earlier. There may be other visitors to this website who may benefit from your experience and perhaps point them in the right direction when seeking such documents in India.