The Indian Central Cabinet approved a proposal to allow dual citizenship for persons of Indian origin (PIOs) living abroad. The proposal, which must be submitted to the Indian Parliament in order to amend the Citizenship Act of 1955 and become law, would apply to PIOs living in eight countries that allow dual citizenship. The U.S. is one of the eight countries. The other seven are: Britain, Australia, Canada, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Italy.

An Indian living in one of the eight countries would have to apply for dual citizenship. The request would be verified and subject to scrutiny. Security concerns would be part of the review and are one of the reasons dual citizenship will only be granted on a case-by-case basis. One of the reasons for the move is to encourage and allow PIOs to invest in India. This is easier as an Indian citizen.

When one is once again an Indian citizen, the dual citizen presumably would be able to own real estate and purchase property within India with few or no restrictions. For example, although PIOs are allowed to own certain real property, there are apparently some restrictions on owning agricultural property. Dual citizens would not be allowed to vote in India, run for public office, or take defense jobs.

As a government-sponsored proposal, it has a strong likelihood of success. Interested individuals should continue to monitor MurthyDotCom, the MurthyBulletin, and the international press for updates on this topic. We welcome this expected change for the many Indian nationals who are contemplating U.S. citizenship while wanting to retain their Indian citizenship. For those who have already naturalized as U.S. citizens, it would also be a favorable change, enabling them to reclaim ties to their country of birth while continuing to live and work in their adopted homeland. If enacted as law in India, dual citizenship would afford them this opportunity!