Non-Resident Indian (NRI) refers to an individual who resides outside of India and is either a citizen of India or a person of Indian origin.

Categories of NRIs:

Employment Outside India: Individuals who have left India or are currently residing outside India for employment.

Business or Vocation Outside India: Those who have established a business or are engaged in a profession outside of India.

Other Circumstances Indicating Intent to Stay Abroad: Individuals who are residing outside India for any other purpose, under circumstances suggesting an indefinite or uncertain duration of stay.

A citizen of any country (excluding citizens of Bangladesh or Pakistan) is recognized as a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) if they meet any of the following criteria:

Previous Indian Passport Holder: They have held an Indian passport at any point in time.

Lineage: They or either of their parents or any of their grandparents was a citizen of India as per the Constitution of India or the Citizenship Act of 1955.

Spousal Relation: A spouse, not being a citizen of Bangladesh, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka, of either an Indian citizen or a Person of Indian Origin, is also considered a PIO.

The Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Scheme, implemented through an amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955 in August 2005, offers registration as an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) to eligible Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs). This includes those who were either citizens of India on 26th January 1950, or thereafter, or were eligible to become Indian citizens on that date. However, this excludes individuals who are or were citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, or any other country that the Central Government may specify by notification in the Official Gazette.