The Indian government has released detailed guidelines and a list of documents required for individuals seeking to apply for citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA). The CAA provides a path to Indian citizenship for illegal migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis or Christians.As per the FAQs released, to be eligible to apply for citizenship under the CAA, the applicant should belong to one of the mentioned religious communities from the three countries, should have entered India on or before December 31, 2014, and should have been exempted from the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920.The application process has been made available online on the website https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in and through the mobile app CAA-2019. Applicants will need to fill an online application form, upload the required documents and pay a fee of Rs. 50.The application requires three sets of documents.Proof of religious identity and nationality from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan such as:Passport, birth certificate, government ID cardsSchool certificates, land records, licenses issued by government authorities in these countriesProof of entry into India on or before 31.12.2014 such as:Visa, immigration stamp, registration certificates, ration cardGovernment issued IDs, employment records, utility bills, school certificates from IndiaAn affidavit sworn before a judicial or executive magistrate declaring the applicant’s nationality and religion.Additional documents may be needed based on the category under which the applicant is seeking citizenship such as marriage certificate, birth certificates of parents etc. The applications will be verified by district-level and state-level committees before a final decision is taken. Applicants will need to attend in-person verification with original documents.Approved applicants will get digital certificates of registration, though physical copies can be requested. The citizenship will be effective from the date the applicant first entered India.
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