After 30th June, please don’t travel to India with a PIO card. You will be denied entry. Please don’t inconvenience yourselves. Either convert your PIO to OCI or apply for a Visa”, said India’s Consul General in New York Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das.
The Consul General appealed to the Indian American PIO card holders to immediately convert their cards. Now the consulate is doing the conversion free of cost but after 30th a penalty fee could be added.
PIO Card holders: Please note that the last date for conversion of PIO cards to OCI cards is 30th June 2017.
Beyond 30th June, 2017, PIO Cards will not be valid for travel to India. All PIO Card holders are requested to immediately apply for conversion of PIO Cards to OCI Cards at this link ” https://www.in.ckgs.us “. It may be noted that the processing time taken for conversion is 10 days minimum and applicants may plan their travel to India accordingly.
On the subject of issuing passports toIndians who sought political asylum here, the Consul General said, “Across the board now there is some liberalization. Those who are known to repeatedly criticize the Indian Government, questioning the idea of Indian nation, India’s territorial integrity/sovereigntyor who have serious issues, will still be denied passport. But that category apart, those who have sought asylum and want to have a passport can send email to us or come with their documents to the consulate at the open house on first and third Wednesdays in the morning and afternoon respectively. But please do not go to third parties because they really don’t know the rules and regulations. Don’t get misguided and don’t pay any extra money.”