New Streamlined Visa Categories Implemented

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At a Glance

• Confirming earlier reports, Ministry of Home Affairs in India has streamlined and consolidated visa categories.
• Foreign nationals can now apply under these new visa categories on the Indian visa application portal.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs is expected to release guidelines in the near future providing more information on the streamlined visa categories.

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The situation

Confirming earlier reports, the Ministry of Home Affairs of India has streamlined and consolidated many visa categories. Foreign nationals can now apply under these new visa categories on the Indian visa application portal.

A closer look

Major changes to visa categories include:

Background

• Streamlining efforts. The introduction of streamlined visa categories is in line with other efforts by the Indian government to streamline immigration processes in the country. For example, the e-visa program was recently expanded and relaxed to encourage tourism and business visits and there is currently a transition to the use of machine-readable travel documents.
• Pending applications. Foreign nationals with pending applications filed at the consular post will be required to submit visa application forms under the new main or sub-category of the visa.
• Foreign nationals currently holding status. Foreign nationals currently holding visa types that have been eliminated will be able to remain in their current status. The local Foreigners’ Regional Registration Officers will likely reassign the relevant sub-category as and when registration or visa extension applications are submitted. 

Looking ahead

The Ministry of Home Affairs is expected to introduce guidelines on the changes to the visa categories soon. Further changes are also expected as the government continues to streamline the immigration system, including allowing persons of Indian origin and spouses or children of Indian nationals to undertake employment, business, study or research opportunities without converting their visa to the appropriate visa category.

 

 Fragomen in India is Fragomen Immigration Services India (Pvt) Ltd., operating exclusively as an immigration consultancy and not as a law firm in India. This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].