What is PIO card?

The PIO card's full form is Person of Indian Origin Card. The Government of Indian wanted to make strong connections with its people living abroad, so it introduced the PIO card. This card came into action in 2002, and it offers a lot of benefits to its holders, due to which it became very popular among the NRIs. With these cards, NRIs can travel to India easily and access all the economic and educational opportunities. The PIO card validity is 15 years. This scheme of the PIO card was discontinued by the government on 9th January 2015, and then it was replaced by the OCI cards. 

Eligibility Criteria for the PIO Card

This is the eligibility criteria by which foreign people can become the PIO Cardholders:

• The people who held an Indian passport before.
• People whose parents, for four generations, were citizens of India or citizens of other territories that became part of India after 15 August 1947. They should not be citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh, or any other nation that was notified by the government. 

Benefits of Having a PIO Card

There are several benefits that a PIO card provides to its holders. They are listed below:

Visa-free travel: You don't have to apply for a visa every time you travel to India. This card acts as a visa for its holders.  

Financial Benefits: NRIs who have PIO cards can make financial and property investments in India. They can have benefits in other fields also, like education. 

Employment: Individuals are permitted to work in any field of their choice with their PIO cards, excluding government jobs. 

Residence Rights: Individuals can live in India and extend their stay as long as they want without any registration with the help of a PIO card India. 

Educational Options: PIO cardholders can get admission in schools and colleges under the general category easily.