Utpal Patel earning Canadian citizenship and surrendering his Indian passport by 2023, shifted from Ahmedabad to northern Canada as a student in 2011.Utpal Patel story mirrors a rising shift among Gujaratis, with 1,187 people rejecting their Indian citizenship since January 2021.
Gujaratis Seek Better Lives Abroad: Passport Surrenders Surge Post-Covid
In 2023, 485 passports were surrendered, double the 241 in 2022, the Regional Passport Office data covering most of Gujarat displays outstanding rise in passport surrenders. The number reached 244 by May 2024. Most passports were quit by separate aged 30-45, settled in countries like the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
The rise in surrenders post-Covid is significant, as the reopening of embassies and restarting of citizenship processes after pandemic restrictions have contributed to the increase. Parliamentary data shows 22,300 people from Gujarat rejected their citizenship between 2014 and 2022, placing Gujarat third in the country, after Delhi and Punjab.
Investor visa consultant Lalit Advani focus attention on the growing preference for investor visas due to better infrastructure and quality of life abroad. Even those with high living standards in India search to move due to problems like lack of green spaces and poor driving conditions. A senior officer preferring obscurity, noted that many young people go abroad for studies and in the end settle there, contributing to the rise in passport surrenders.
Rising Demand for Visas and Projected Increase in Passport Surrenders by 2028
Ritesh Desai is a passport consultant identified three main visa categories: student, direct immigration, and business. Desai noted a projection in people desiring to go abroad since 2012, looking for the number of passport surrenders to rise notably by 2028 as more obtain foreign citizenship.
Desai added that business visa applications are restricted due to country shares. For example, a friend who registered for an EB5 visa in 2018, investing over Rs 4 crore, is still waiting for citizenship after nearly six years.
A surrender certificate is issued to those rejecting Indian citizenship and acquiring foreign nationality. According to the Passports Act 1967, Indian passport holders must submit their passports after obtaining foreign nationality. If passport submitting is done inside three years, there is no penalty, but fines ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 can be imposed after three years.
