What is CAA, how to get citizenship, what documents are required, how to apply? read details

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It has been implemented in the country by issuing a notification related to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The notification states that the rules related to the Act will come into force with immediate effect.

These will be known as Citizenship Amendment Rules 2024. These rules will enable eligible persons to apply for Indian citizenship under CAA-2019. The notification also issued a long list of rules regarding applying for citizenship.

This is how you will get citizenship

  • Citizenship in India will be given only to those who have come and settled in India before December 31, 2014. Applicants will have to show all the necessary documents to come to India. This will include visa, immigration, stamp and other documents. That is, when did the person concerned enter India.
  • A web portal has been created for this. The citizenship application will be accepted online and will be made to the state level committee notified by the government along with all the required documents. After this, the empowered committee will decide citizenship after examining all the application forms.
  • In the online form, 9 types of documents have been included under Schedule-1A, while 20 documents have to be given under Schedule-1B and affidavit under 1-C.
  • It has to be mentioned that they are non-Muslim refugees from these three countries. For this, they can apply for citizenship by showing the license of the respective country i.e. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, passport, birth certificate, documents related to land, electricity-water bill, PAN card, marriage certificate i.e. any one of the documents given above. Is.
  • If a person does not have documents, he can give the reason for the same and if he has any documents, then his information will have to be given. After this he can apply for citizenship of the concerned state.
  • If a person has a criminal record, he will have to give information about it. In such a situation, the government of the concerned state will decide whether to grant him citizenship or not.
  • To obtain citizenship, the person concerned must have lived in India for at least 12 months before the date of application.
  • Applicants must declare that they are renouncing the citizenship of their country of origin and now wish to make India their permanent residence.
  • The applicant will have to submit an affidavit along with other necessary documents. The format of the application form has also been released in the notification.

Who will get citizenship?

According to the Act, such immigrants coming from the three countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and following the six religions of Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist and Christian, who have not come with valid documents, will not be considered illegal.

They will be considered eligible for Indian citizenship and for this purpose some changes have been made in the provisions of registration of foreign citizens of India. Such people will not be treated like illegal immigrants.

To avail this benefit, they will be exempted from the Foreigners Act 1946 and the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 by the Central Government.

What does the Passport Act of 1920 say?

The Passport Act of 1920 prescribes that foreigners must have a passport, while the Foreigners Act of 1946 regulates the entry and return of foreigners into India.

On acquiring citizenship as per the Act, such persons will be deemed to be citizens of India from the date of their entry into India and all legal proceedings against them in respect of their illegal stay will be discontinued.