Dr. Amy Bhatt in the Wall Street Journal

Thu, 02 Apr 2015 16:58:21 -0400

An article published March 20 in the Wall Street Journal’s “Expat” blog looked at the recent growth in numbers of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, which grant people of Indian origin who have passports in another country lifetime entry into India with several economic benefits.

Amy Bhatt, an assistant professor of gender and women’s studies, was quoted in the article and provided historical perspective on OCI cards.

“The economic benefits of the OCI scheme, introduced in 2005, made it easier for citizens to keep their economic ties with India while changing to another passport for convenience,” said Bhatt. “Ms. Bhatt’s research found that more Indian nationals were applying for American Permanent Residency status with an ultimate aim to gain a U.S. passport,” the article stated.

Bhatt also discussed the Indian government’s decision this year to phase out a similar system to the OCI cards called Person of Indian Origin (PIO) cards, which gave non-resident Indians a 15-year entry into the country.

The Indian government likely did this to “reduce confusion between the two programs,” said Bhatt, “but also to make it easier for Diaspora Indians to have a lifetime connection with India.”

To read the full article in the Wall Street Journal titled “When Indians Renounce Their Citizenship: An Expat Explains,” click http://blogs.wsj.com/expat/2015/03/20/when-indians-renounce-their-citizenship-an-expat-explains/