Anyone traveled to India without getting OCI renewed despite required to?

[ProNRI]

Please share your experiences at the Indian airports here. I am curious as to whether the OCI reissue/renew requirement is only good on paper or are the immigration officers at the Indian airports aware of it and are actually deporting those who have not gotten their OCIs reissued after renewing their US passports before 21 or after 49 years of age.

[proonindiandoc]

Please share your experiences at the Indian airports here. I am curious as to whether the OCI reissue/renew requirement is only good on paper or are the immigration officers at the Indian airports aware of it and are actually deporting those who have not gotten their OCIs reissued after renewing their US passports before 21 or after 49 years of age.

renewal is not mandatory

[ProNRI]

My question was not about that.

renewal is not mandatory

As per the CKGS and Indian embassy websites, getting OCI card reissued IS required. However, my question was to ask if anyone has personally experienced travelling to India after January 2016 with a renewed US passport (where passport was renewed either before the age of 21 or after the age of 49) and an existing OCI card, along with the old passport that has the actual OCI visa sticker on it.

I am trying to learn if the OCI card reissue requirement (that was issued in January 2016) is only on paper and not implemented at the immigration check points (where the immigration officers check passports and visas upon arrival to the international airports in India).

[ProNRI]

Anyone tried it yet?

renewal is not mandatory

Has anyone that you know traveled to India without renewing their OCI card/visa, ignoring the rule? This will only count if the person had traveled to India AFTER January 2016, carrying old US passport (or any other non-Indian passport) with OCI visa on it, and the new passport that was renewed either before the age of 21 or after the age of 50.

[oci-family]

Has anyone that you know traveled to India without renewing their OCI card/visa, ignoring the rule? This will only count if the person had traveled to India AFTER January 2016, carrying old US passport (or any other non-Indian passport) with OCI visa on it, and the new passport that was renewed either before the age of 21 or after the age of 50.

You're worrying too much. I doubt that the officers at the airport know about this rule

If you have a valid OCI card, and you're carrying your old and new passport, I really doubt you'll have any problems.
Do you think they'll send you back for something like this?

If it helps, my teenage nephew traveled to India on his old PIO card, old US passport and new US passport.
No issues at all.

[proonindiandoc]

Has anyone that you know traveled to India without renewing their OCI card/visa, ignoring the rule? This will only count if the person had traveled to India AFTER January 2016, carrying old US passport (or any other non-Indian passport) with OCI visa on it, and the new passport that was renewed either before the age of 21 or after the age of 50.

many many ppl I help, has no issue

[ProNRI]

It's not about your help!

many many ppl I help, has no issue

So, you mean many many people you know who have experienced no trouble traveling to India when they carried their US passports that were renewed either prior to 21 years of age or after 49 years of age but did not get their OCIs reissued?

[milli]

So, you mean many many people you know who have experienced no trouble traveling to India when they carried their US passports that were renewed either prior to 21 years of age or after 49 years of age but did not get their OCIs reissued?

Not sure what you are trying to get out of this forum on this one. Even if someone travelled(or says you don't need it) it doesn't mean you won't be stopped since it's clearly mentioned as you'd read. Rules can be enforced any time without notice. Either you take the risk(one more thing to worry about every time you travel to India) or just go by the rule and get it reissued(travel peacefully). I know the process is painful which I go through every 5 years for my kids. I remember seeing a thread asking to support a change petition. You could participate in that or directly write to the PM office about this ridiculous OCI process instead of complaining in this forum which is of no use any ways(probably helps with venting out).

[ProNRI]

Agreed!

Not sure what you are trying to get out of this forum on this one. Even if someone travelled (or says you don't need it) it doesn't mean you won't be stopped since it's clearly mentioned as you'd read. Rules can be enforced any time without notice. Either you take the risk(one more thing to worry about every time you travel to India) or just go by the rule and get it reissued (travel peacefully). I know the process is painful which I go through every 5 years for my kids. I remember seeing a thread asking to support a change petition. You could participate in that or directly write to the PM office about this ridiculous OCI process instead of complaining in this forum which is of no use any ways(probably helps with venting out).

I completely agree! In the meantime, I spoke with CGI NY and immigration office in Mumbai to get the same answer: You can bring your old passport, OCI card and new passport and you will be allowed to pass through immigration! However, I am not going to go by verbal information, so I will get eTourist visa for my two daughters and myself (as three of us fall outside the "green zone" of 21 and 49 years of age and our passports are recently renewed outside that age range.

I have signed the petitions that are on change.org and I have Tweeted URLs of those two petitions to @PMOIndia, @NarendraModi and @SushmaSwaraj. I am hoping that I am now dealing with deaf years.

[ProNRI]

I meant "deaf ears"

I completely agree! In the meantime, I spoke with CGI NY and immigration office in Mumbai to get the same answer: You can bring your old passport, OCI card and new passport and you will be allowed to pass through immigration! However, I am not going to go by verbal information, so I will get eTourist visa for my two daughters and myself (as three of us fall outside the "green zone" of 21 and 49 years of age and our passports are recently renewed outside that age range.

I have signed the petitions that are on change.org and I have Tweeted URLs of those two petitions to @PMOIndia, @NarendraModi and @SushmaSwaraj. I am hoping that I am now dealing with deaf years.

I meant, deaf ears.

[charliep40]

see attached