NRI

A non-resident Indian (NRI) is an Indiancitizen who has migrated to another country, a person of Indian origin who is born outside India, or a person of Indian origin who resides outside India. Other terms with the same meaning are overseas Indian and expatriate Indian. In common usage, this often includes Indian born individuals (and also people of other nations with Indian blood) who have taken the citizenship of other countries.

A Person of Indian Origin (PIO) is usually a person of Indian origin who is not a citizen of India. For the purposes of issuing a PIO Card, the Indian government considers anyone of Indian origin up to four generations removed, to be a PIO Spouses of people entitled to a PIO card in their own right can also carry PIO cards. This latter category includes foreign spouses of Indian nationals, regardless of ethnic origin. PIO Cards exempt holders from many restrictions applying to foreign nationals, such as visa and work permit requirements, along with certain other economic limitations.

The NRI and PIO population across the world is estimated at over 30 million (not including Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan diasporas).As of January 2006, The Indian government has introduced the "Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)" scheme in order to allow a limited form of dual citizenship to Indians, NRIs and PIOs for the first time since independence in 1947. It is expected that the PIO Card scheme will be phased out in coming years in favour of OCI. Indian immigration to North America started as early as 1890s. A Sikh-Canadians community has existed in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, for over 100 years. Hindus from India started to settle after the government built the first mandir (Hindu temple).

Many Sikhs living in the US would often visit their homes in India and tell them what it was like. The stories would persuade the Hindus to move the US and live there. In 1889 the first Hindu family arrived in America, the government built a mandir for the family, which attracted more and more Hindus. Soon after there were many mandirs placed around the country. But Sikhs were not allowed to build a temple as the government said 'as Sikhism was created from Hinduism the Sikhs would have to either pray at the mandirs or not pray at all' they said this as they did not want to waste money on another place of worship if there is already many. More that 75% of the Sikhs prayed at the mandirs, but about one hundred refused to as they wanted to be an individual religion with its own temples so they protested for almost 22 years which by this time (1911) the first gurdwara (Sikh temple) was built, not in America but in Canada, because the American government were occupied by the war in Japan and Europe. Today there are very few gurdwaras in America and many in Canada. Built in 1911, the first gurdwara on South Fraser Way in Abbotsford, is the oldest Sikh temple in North America.