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Hi

I am eligible to apply for ILR in July after which I plan to register our newborn baby for BC. Our aim is to take our child to India for christening by end of this year and I would really appreciate if any recent parents could advise us relevant steps from MN1 stage and at what points do I need to include my passport for her various applications

Also considering our plans, is applying for OCI an ideal move or will a temporary visit visa be apt? I have no immediate plans to apply as a BC so ILR will be the most for now

Would really appreciate your advise.

Thanks in advance
Wins

You can not get OCI for your child. You can apply for PIO.

Hi Akash - really appreciate your reply. So at what stages from MN1 application to PIO process does my passport have to go with our child's application?

Would you know what our child would missing out without OCI. I haven't come across PIO that much - does it offer the same set of rights / benefits?

I can not comment on MN process as we were settled when the child was born and he qualified for british citizenship by birth.

The only differences between PIO and OCI are:

1) PIO is valid for 20 years where OCI is valid for life time. However, I think for a child you need to get a new one issued anyway after some years as his/her appearance will change, so hardly any difference

2) if a PIO holder is staying for more than 6 months in India, he/she has to intimate the lcoal police station. I have not heard of anyone doing that though!!

Other than these 2 there are no differences and OCI is valid only after you have beritish citizenship.

Sending your passport, can not imagine you not requiring it during MN1 and passport applicaiton. For PIO, you need not, you go with your original HCI office and they verify it and return it.

and Yes for all practical purposes a PIO or OCI card holder has exactly same rights as a NRI. There may be some differences arounf agricultural land owning etc. but those do not bother the majority!!

The only pain is the child can not get back Indian citizenship before 18 years, you can not on his/her behald decide to get back Indian citizenship and so you must be sure that his/her future is in UK.

Hi Akash - I really appreciate your detailed response. Thanks very much

Rgds
Wins