Q.780 Get British Citizenship and

Return to India

Question: Hi, thank you for providing useful information for confused NRIs. I have applied for British citizen ship for myself and my family which is under process. I have always thought of returning to India once I got the British passport. My mother has suddenly fallen ill and I may have to return sooner than later. In addition I had applied for elderly dependent visa for my mother which got rejected and I have gone for appeal. I am yet to hear from the court. Further complicating the matter, recent changes to the admission processes for professional colleges in India with regards to foreign citizens got me worried. Can you please clarify what is the current situation for foreign citizens( OCI) to get admission into IIT, NIT, AIIMS,JIPMER, state medical and engg colleges. If it means my children are not allowed in premier institutes or I have to shell out large amounts of money thro NRI quota , wouldn't it be preferable to withdraw the citizenship application for my children before they grant it since once they give british citizenship , children are not allowed to renounce it before they turn 18. Is it possible to reapply for British citizenship later if circumstances change and we return back to UK at a later date. Kindly advise what is the best course of action in such a situation.I greatly appreciate your opinion in this regard. Ravi. Answer: Your concerns regarding admission of professional colleges in India for students having OCI is correct. Foreign students despite having OCI or Foreign students of Indian origin (PIO) are not eligible for admission to NIT, IIITs or other government funded institutions. As far as admission to professional colleges in India is concerned, the option available to Foreign Nationals, Persons of Indian Origin, OCI holders and Non-Resident Indians is to seek admission in technical institutions under the Direct Admission to Students Abroad (DASA) scheme launched by The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. Needless to say, the choices of admission to professional colleges in India is quite limited for OCI holders. Foreign students/OCI holders opting for admissions via DASA can expect to pays fees of approximately US$6000/- for the first semester and fees are always subject to change. There are no medical college seats in Government colleges in India for OCI holders. Higher NRI tuition fees apply for NRIs, OCI’s and Foreigners in various private medical colleges where NRIs, PIOs and OCI holders can apply under the NRI quota if any. How to Withdraw British Citizenship Application Regarding the cancellation of your UK citizenship application, this is a decision you would have to make on your own taking into account your circumstances and options available. If you do decide not to proceed with your application for British citizenship, then you can apply to cancel your application and return of your documentation. This can be done online if you prefer. To cancel your UK citizenship application visit: https://www.gov.uk/cancel-visa My understanding is that once a person withdraws their citizenship application, they are not allowed to re-submit their application again for 30 days. When you apply again after the 30 day period is over, then you would have to start from the beginning of the queue starting from the date your new application is submitted. These I believe are the current rules. I can’t answer your question as to whether you would be able reapply for UK citizenship if and when you decided to return to UK, as this would depend on rules applicable at that time. It might be worth the expense to discuss your situation and seek guidance from a lawyer in UK who specializes in immigration and citizenship law before making a decision.