IVFRT project being implemented in mission mode;Rajnath Singh

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the government was implementing the Immigration Visa Foreigners' Registration and Tracking (IVFRT) project 'in mission mode' to facilitate safe and convenient entry to the country to legitimate international travellers.

He was addressing the Parliamentary consultative committee meeting on IVFRT here.

The minister said the Home Ministry is implementing the project in mission mode.

"It is necessary to facilitate safe and convenient entry to the country to legitimate international travellers. We also need to provide all visa related and consular services to foreigners staying in India in a faster and convenient mode", he said.

The Home Minister said the security aspect has to be kept in mind while facilitating easier immigration.At the same time there was a need to track the movement of foreigners already present in the country, he said.

Singh said the E-visa scheme, ensuring that foreigners do not have to meet any Indian official before arrival at the designated landing port, has become very popular among foreigners.

The number of such visas had shot up from 5,17,417 in 2015 to 1,90,130 in 2017. Till July 5 this year, a total of 11,16,985 e-visas have been issued, he said.

"The Home Ministry has now decided to increase the scope of the scheme to also include e-Conference and e-Medical Attendant visa," he said.

Giving a future projection of the e-Visa scheme, he said that in a few years, the number of e-Visas issued by Bureau of Immigration was expected overtake the quantum of regular visas issued by all Indian Missions abroad.

"We are increasing the number of departure and arrival counters at major airports as well as providing Human Resource to the BoI to fast-track immigration process", Singh said.

The IVFRT project has been implemented in 165 Indian Missions abroad and 91 Immigration Check Posts (ICPs). Biometrics software installation in 132 Indian Missions has been done within the given time.

On November 27, 2014 the Government launched the e-Tourist visa scheme in 44 countries.

e-Visa processing facilities are now available at 25 airports and five seaports in the country.

MHA is now working to extend the scheme to more countries in a planned manner after consulting all stakeholders, with an aim at encouaging tourism, business travel and health tourism.

It has done away with embarkation and disembarkation cards for Indian citizens and foreigners to streamline the immigration process.

The Ministry has also introduced e-FRRO services for foreigners staying in India and who need services like visa extension, visa conversion, exit permit, registration, change of passport details, change of address and others.

The Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting was attended by MoS Home Hansraj Ahir,Home Secretary Rajeev Gauba, Members of Parliament and senior government officials.