What Is The CAA? How to Apply For Citizenship Under CAA Online?

One day after the notification of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules, the Union Home Ministry introduced a web portal on Tuesday. This portal allows undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to apply for Indian citizenship.

The Union Home Ministry has officially released rules for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Alongside this, they have launched an online portal, exclusively designated for eligible individuals to apply for Indian citizenship. These rules specifically offer Indian citizenship to refugees who sought refuge in India prior to December 31, 2014.

What is the CAA?

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), initiated by the Narendra Modi government and approved by Parliament in 2019, is designed to extend Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants. This includes individuals from religious minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and entered India before December 31, 2014.

Eligibility criteria for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA):

Eligibility criteria for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) include the following conditions:

• 1. Individuals from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
• 2. Those belonging to specific religious communities - Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians.
• 3. Entry into India must have occurred on or before December 31, 2014.
• 4. Persons of Indian origin who have been ordinarily resident in India for seven years before applying for registration.
• 5. Individuals married to Indian citizens.
• 6. Individuals whose themselves or either of their parents were citizens of Independent India in the past.

How to apply the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) online?

Under Section 6B of the Citizenship Act, 1955, individuals desiring Indian citizenship can submit their applications online. Visit https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/ and select the "Click To Submit Application For Indian Citizenship under CAA 2019" option. Provide your details, such as mobile number and email ID. After logging in, proceed to the "Click Here to Initiate Fresh Application" option. Enter relevant information, including pre-2014 residence, place of origin, and duration of stay.

The Centre has put out a step-by-step process to apply for citizenship. here is a list of FAQs.

1) To apply for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, visit the website indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in. The application status can be tracked through the website, and the final outcome will be communicated through email and SMS.

2) Submit a hard copy of the citizenship application form to the office of the district collector or district magistrate in the applicant's residing area. For applicants residing outside India, a copy of the application must be submitted to the Consular General of India.

3) The process of acquiring Indian citizenship involves submitting the hard copy to the district collector's office, followed by sending the application to the state government within 60 days, along with a report. The state government then forwards the application to the central government within 30 days from receiving the collector's report.

4) If you receive a request for additional or deficient documents, upload the required documents on the indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in website against the file number. Additionally, submit a hard copy at the office of the district collector in your area.

5) Nepali-origin individuals without a passport can apply for Indian citizenship online. Acceptable alternatives for passport include a Nepali citizenship certificate, a voter ID card issued by the Election Commission of Nepal, or a limited validity photo identity certificate issued by the Nepalese Mission in India. Children aged 10–18 can upload a school-issued photo ID when accompanied by parents with valid travel documents.

6) If you have spent 25 days outside India in the 12 months before applying for Indian citizenship, you are eligible, provided you have resided in the country for at least 12 months preceding the application date. In cases where compliance is not possible, applicants must submit details of special circumstances. The Centre may relax the residency requirement up to a maximum of 30 days if satisfied that special circumstances exist.

7) Merely staying in India for an extended period, such as more than 20 years, does not confer citizenship. Citizenship is determined by legal criteria and procedures.

8) Without a valid foreign passport, applying for Indian citizenship is not permissible as per the provisions of Sections 5 and 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955. An "illegal migrant" is ineligible to acquire citizenship in India.

Note: Dates/timings may be subject to change; details mentioned here are as per the information available.

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