Noida and Ghaziabad being under the control of the Lucknow office was a problem for foreigners.
To make it easier for foreigners in India, the Home Ministry has brought the jurisdiction of Gautam Buddh Nagar or Noida and Ghaziabad districts of Uttar Pradesh under the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Delhi.
"From now on, matters relating to receiving and processing of applications for various services in respect of OCI-cardholders would be dealt in Delhi," a senior officer said.
According to him, this decision will greatly help foreign nationals residing in the National Capital Region (NCR) in availing visa and Overseas Citizenship of India or OCI related services.
Until now, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad districts of Uttar Pradesh were under the jurisdiction of FRRO, Lucknow.
This was a problem for OCI cardholders living in these districts. These districts are already under the jurisdiction of FRRO, Delhi for various visa-related services for foreigners.
Haryana and Rajasthan are also under the jurisdiction of the Delhi FRRO for OCI and visa related services for foreigners.
The home ministry has also decided to clearly define the jurisdiction of the three FRROs in Kerala to receive and process applications for various services in respect of OCI cardholders.
Kannur, Kasargod, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Wayanad districts of Kerala will be under the jurisdiction of FRRO Kozhikode.
The districts of Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Palakkad and Thrissur and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep will be under the jurisdiction of FRRO Kochi.
The districts of Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram will be under the jurisdiction of FRRO, Thiruvananthapuram.
This will facilitate the grant of OCI services to foreigners residing in Kerala and Union Territory of Lakshadweep, the statement said.