Hey Wilson, You can carry your old passport as long as its not cancelled (very important).
The Kanadian passport office (when you apply for a new passport) will clip the old one in the corner, making it inactive (if you decide to keep it). You can try and let them know you have a life-long visa in it, ask to see a senior officer cause the little ***ck at the counter won't understand what you are saying. There is a senior person at the deshi commission (very civil person) who confirmed this is the way its to be done; he is a knowledgable person. My question is what are the rules about staying away from, say Kanada. In the Euro zone, one can stay away as long as you want but in Kanada...?. This is important cause there are many a senior citizen/retiree homes in Goa for example. On Sat, Jul 23, 2011 at 8:13 AM, Wilson Coelho <wilson_coe...@hotmail.com> wrote: > Hi Gabe! With reference to your post below particularly with reference to PIO > / OCI "This will entitle them to stay in India for 15 years or 30 years > respectively without any need for a visa. The PIO and OCI cards are > renewable." to the best of my knowledge and belief OCI is valid for > lifelong as per the stamp fixed on the passport whereas you have quoted that > it's valid for 30 years. Secondly, the Indian mission here in Canada informs > the holders of OCI that they should transfer the Visa from old passport to > new passport. When this writer contacted the Indian mission in Canada, they > were not sure but stated that it is advisable. The writer also contacted the > Immigration Office in Bombay to clarify the matter and it has been clearly > told that so long as one carries the old passport is good enough to enter > India repeat to carry old expired passport with the Lifelong Visa stamped > along with the New Foreign Passport is a must. The transfer of the Visa > Stamp from old passport to new foreign passport is done at a cost of Dollars > 25/- presently. This is confusing to the minds of the fellow OCI holders > abroad. Will u please check with our NRI Commissioner and revert back on > this issue so that minds are clear.Wilson Coelho (Toronto/Goa/Kuwait) > Message: 3 > Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 10:09:09 +0100 > From: Gabe Menezes <gabe.mene...@gmail.com> > To: "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!" > <goanet@lists.goanet.org> > Subject: [Goanet] India moves to give long term visas Goans settled > abroad > Message-ID: > <caafx5v5_fjnbyu4tazd3pvzdm_czheh-b2sstbi2vaxnbwi...@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > India moves to give long term visas Goans settled abroad > LONDON: Union Home Ministry has advised Indian missions abroad to extend > long-term visas to Goans settled abroad, NRI Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro > has said. > > Inaugurating a two-day global Goans Convention at the Indian Gymkhana near > Osterley here, Faleiro said he had taken up the issue with the Union home > minister after receiving "several complaints from Goans holding foreign > passports that some of our Embassaies and High commissions abroad issue them > tourist visas, lasting three to six months." > > Faleiro, a former Union Minister of State for External Affairs, said that > the Union Home Minister agreed that the procedure being followed is not > correct and that Goans settled abroad must be given long-terms visas or X > (extendable) viasas. > > "The minister informed me that his Ministry is advising the Missions > concerned as well as the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, Goa to > ensure that long term visas are issued to them and these visas are extended > from time to time," Faleiro. > > He advised all Non-Resident Goans holding foreign passports to apply at the > earliest for a PIO (Person of Indian Origin) or OCI (Overseas Citizen of > India) card. > > "This will entitle them to stay in India for 15 years or 30 years > respectively without any need for a visa. The PIO and OCI cards are > renewable."
