The incident has triggered alarm after it emerged that Australian passports had already been issued to the group

While there are genuine issues to address, particularly around due diligence, the media’s failure to explain the economic benefits of CBI creates a risk that the public and policymakers misunderstand why the scheme persists in Vanuatu.

Australians can access 189 destinations without a visa, while India’s passport offers visa-free access to just 57 countries, reflecting limited mobility for its citizens.

The steep price puts Australia at the top of the global list for passport expenses, ahead of Mexico ($353.90), the United States ($252.72), and New Zealand ($193).

India has made some uptick in global mobility, now ranking 82nd on the Henley Passport Index as of July 2024.

Applications will be processed on a first come first served basis.

The index counts the number of countries a passport provides visa-free travel to and uses it to determine the world's most powerful.

In 2021, 78,284 Indians became citizens of the USA; 23,533 of Australia; 21,597 of Canada; and 14,637 of the UK.

The High Commission of India in Canberra, Australia has issued a press release covering the re-issuance of OCI Cards.

The most recent rankings for the world's most powerful passports have been named. Due to COVID-19 restrictions all over the world, it is unlikely travellers...