NEW DELHI: India has extended ban on the entry of overseas citizens of India (OCIs) amid growing cases of Covid-19 but kept a window open for those having “compelling reasons” to travel to the country.
Such OCIs can contact the nearest Indian Mission with request, the Indian government said in an official order on Tuesday.
This comes on a day when India stepped in to bring back Indians stranded in different parts of the world due to travel ban imposed in wake of novel coronavirus spread.
Extending the ban on the entry of OCIs, the Union ministries for home affairs and external affairs stated in a joint order that the right of multiple entry life-long visa facility for visiting India for any purpose granted to persons registered as OCI cardholders would continue to be kept in abeyance till the prohibition on international air travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by the Government of India.
“Any foreign national holding an OCI card who intends to travel to India for compelling reasons during this period would have to contact the nearest Indian Mission,” the two ministries added.
Any foreign national holding an OCI card, who are already in India, can continue to stay in the country as long as they want.
Their OCI card shall remain valid for their stay in India “for any length of time,” the two ministries said.
Meanwhile, Indian government also extended suspension of all existing visas granted to foreigners, except to those belonging to diplomatic, official, UN/international organizations, employment and project categories.
“Their visas shall remain suspended till prohibition on international air travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by the Government of India,” Union home ministry’s foreigners division said in an order.
