Sydneysider Shaji Kareekalam was planning to spend the Christmas holidays with his extended family in India.
He had booked flight tickets for his family for the 29th of December, and as all members of the family hold OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cards, they thought had nothing to worry.
“But, not exactly”, he said.
After reading many reports about passengers being offloaded from flights because of the non-renewal of OCI cards, he decided to reconfirm his situation.
“I read various reports and heard stories about the confusion in connection with the renewal of OCI card after turning 50 years of age," he said.
“I am 52 now, but my Australian passport is valid for six more years. So I decided to check with the consulate authorities if I need to renew my OCI card now.”
To his surprise, the messages he got from various Indian authorities totally contradicted each other.
“The advisory issued by the High Commission of India, Canberra, says that you need to renew the OCI card only once after turning 50, that too when you renew your passport.”
He had contacted Indian Consulates in Sydney and Melbourne explaining his situation.
OCI card, which is meant to be a lifelong visa to travel to India, and an Australian passport Source: SBS
“The Indian consulates in Sydney and Melbourne advised me just the opposite to what the High Commission advisory said.”
“After completion of 50 years of age, the OCI card is required to be reissued mandatorily only once irrespective of the fact whether the OCI cardholder has obtained a new passport or not”, an email response he got from the Indian Consulate in Melbourne reads.
The Sydney Consulate also advised him the same, saying that it was the latest instruction from the Ministry (of External Affairs in India).
Email from CGI, Melbourne Source: Supplied
As per latest instructions received from the Ministry, you are required to reissue your OCI card after crossing the age of 50 years (once only) CGI, Sydney
"Please proceed with applying for re-issuance of your OCI on urgent basis at VFS Sydney. We will do the needful to expedite your application for issuance of new OCI card,” the email said.
Contradictory advisories
The latest update on this issue on the Indian High Commission, Canberra website was on the 22nd of October.
The advisory clearly says that “OCI card is required to re-issued only once on renewal of passport after completing 50 years of age.”
In an earlier email response to SBS Punjabi program, the Indian High Commission in Canberra has explicitly clarified their position on this matter.
Advisory on the High Commission of India, Canberra website Source: IHC, Canberra
The question and response went like this:
Question by SBS: If a person has recently turned 50, a passport is still valid and has not been recently renewed, will they be ok to travel with existing documents?
Response: OCI card is required to be re-issued only once on the renewal of passport after completing 50 years of age. Therefore, if the passport is still valid and the holder has recently turned 50, it is permitted to travel with existing documents.
However, a press release issued by the Consulate General of India in Melbourne advised just the opposite.
“After completion of 50 years of age, the OCI card is required to be reissued mandatorily only once irrespective of the fact whether the OCI cardholder has obtained a new passport or not,” it says.
Indian authorities in Australia have repeatedly maintained the position that there were no changes in OCI related rules recently.
And that the rules are clear and have been communicated to the airlines.
But, Shaji Kareekalam doesn’t think so. “It looks like there is no clarity about it.”
“I am really worried as I am planning to travel with my family. We don’t want one person to be stranded at the airport. So I am applying for E-visa.”
SBS Malayalam has written to the Indian High Commission in Canberra for comment.
