海外印度人公民身份(Overseas Citizenship of India)这名字就误导人。事实上，这是一种绿卡，持有该身份可以在印度工作和生活无限期。
申请条件：
1 was a citizen of India on 26 January 1950 or at any time thereafter; or belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15 August 1947; or was eligible to become a citizen of India on 26 January 1950; or
2 is a child or a grandchild or a great-grandchild of such a citizen; or is a minor child of such persons mentioned above; or is a minor child and whose both parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen of India; or
3 is a spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India or spouse of foreign origin of an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder registered under section 7A of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and whose marriage has been registered and subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the presentation of the application.
限制条件： A person, who or either of whose parents or grandparents or great grandparents is or had been a citizen of Pakistan & Bangladesh, is ineligible for registration as an Overseas Citizen of India.
A person who has served as a member of any foreign military, including that of his home country, is ineligible to receive an OCI card.
豁免条件：Israeli citizens of Indian origin are exempt from this rule and are eligible for OCI even if they served in the Israel Defence Forces.
Dutch nationals of Surinamese origin up to the sixth generation whose forefathers came from India in the 19th century will be eligible for applying for OCI Card.
概括：祖上在47年划分是落入印度一侧，之后没有投奔巴基斯坦或者孟加拉国，没有加入外军，以色列军人和荷籍苏里南印度裔豁免。
费用：
275美元或15000印度卢比。
背景：印度宪法不承认双重国籍，因此海外印度人没有印度籍，但是海外印度裔回乡探亲之类是常有之事。因此印度移民部门推出了这套永居制度。作为永居，有类似于各国永居的限制：没有选举权，被选举权，护照，担任公务员之权等，禁止购买农地（但是可以继承印度亲属的农地）。某些限制外国人进入的印度保护地区（例如边境，自然保育地等），同样需要向印度内务部申请（印度公民不住在保护地区的，则需要向当地政府申请另一种内部许可证）。
和美国对绿卡的限制不同：美国只限制选举和护照两项，海外印度人身份限制要多得多：在经济领域海外印度人身份即使大部分时间呆在印度，其经济权利等同于非居民印度公民（大半时间在海外的印度公民），例如上学和在教育领域工作都有限制。即使从事研究，也要内务部批准。海外印度人的一个主要利用方法，是由外国公司派往印度出差，因为不需要签证就可以开工。