P.V.Anandpadmanabhan

The Union Government has moved swiftly to implement the announcement on consular and visa issues.

As per Gazette notification issued on September 30; all PIO cards will now be valid for the lifetime of the cardholder, instead of 15 years. This effectively fulfils the Prime Minister`s announcement that PIO cardholders would enjoy a lifelong visa to India.

The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, made a number of announcements during his address at the Madison Square Garden in New York City on September 28th, 2014.

Further, following the Prime Minister`s announcement that PIO cardholders would be exempt from police reporting, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued instructions through the same Gazette notification dated September 30, that PIO cardholders would not be required to report to a police station even if their visit to India exceeds 180 days.

Fulfilling yet another announcement made by the Prime Minister, instructions have been issued to embassies and consulates that visas to US nationals should normally be given for 10 years, excluding exceptional circumstances.

Systems are in place to introduce visa on arrival for US tourists in October itself. The Ministry of Home Affairs is working on a new scheme that will merge the PIO and OCI schemes.