People of Indian Origin (PIO) card...

[plocsek]

hello,
i would be grateful if someone can give me any info on PIO card.
For those who hold a PIO card and have been hired as F/O or S/O on an indian airline,are you considered as an indian national or you are still an expat but only has the right to work in india.
Any info will help.
Thank you.

[Nevrekar]

If you are someone of Indian origin (parents, grandparents etc) you are eligible to apply for what is known now as OCI (overseas citizenship of India). If you visit India over your lifetime it makes sense to apply for it because the cost (around $275) is not much higher than a regular visa ($150) and you have multiple entry for a lifetime. Furthermore, you don't have to register with the police if you stay here longer than 6 months.

The OCI enables you to work in India but as such is NOT dual citizenship. It is more like a "Green Card" that many have in the USA. With the OCI you cannot vote, hold political office or own agricultural land. Bummer eh !!
Go to the Indian embassy website in your country for details. Initially you fill out an online form and then submit the rest. It takes 3 months (average) to get it. You will be asked to send your passport once approved and then you will have a visa stamped in the passport and given an OCI passport (Blue Book).

Now to answer your main question. I think it depends on how the airline wants to approach it and also on your license. If you want to be considered for local terms as an F/O then you have to convert your licenses to Indian ones before you will be taken as an Indian. If you don't convert them then you will be considered on expat terms. As an F/O expat hiring is not going to happen anymore. We have a few OCI folks at my airline. The F/O's we have came a year or two ago (USA, Canada). They have their FAA/Canadian credentials but converted them to Indian to be employed. They are on local salary terms and conditions. The OCI Capts are here as expats. If someday the expat Captain is no longer needed, they can be considered as locals but they have to convert their licenses.

Hope this helps. I think there might be some OCI F/O ppruners who can jump in and give you more details. My understanding is that local F/O pay in India will actually be more than what you might make in the West starting out with a fresh CPL.

[Gforceflyer]

You think someone (Indian origin) with FAA/ATP can get in as an F/O without actually converting to Indian ATPL at least initially. Would they be consider as expat F/O.

[Nevrekar]

I can' speak for the other airlines but the answer is basically NO. There are no expat F/O's here at my airline. F/O hiring is down to a very slow trickle and the line is long. Unless you know somoene (even as an Indian National) the pickings are slim, I'm told.

We have some new Indian Capts who were F/O's but were not able to complete all their exams. They went to the US and got their B737NG type ratings on their FAA license. They came back got 100 hrs of IOE and then released as Capts. They are flying on a FATA for 2-3 years and will have to get their Indian ATPL by then. Also, they are local terms.

Local terms are not necessarily that bad for Capt's as I have been told. The big difference is expats get a housing allowance and don't have to pay 33% taxes.

[Left Wing]

get a B737NG type rating on the FAA license and then fly on FATA...however jobs are slow.. try AIX...

[ibcd]

Anyone know if Jet Airways is now hiring PIO/OCI holders are locals? When I last checked in late 2006, they would not hire them as locals without an Indian passport. Wondering if things have changed.