Indian Visa

Govt plans Rs 5 lakh fine, up to 5 yr jail for illegal entry under new bill

Stricter measures for foreign nationals entering India are part of the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha

Visa relaxation shot in the arm after Bangladesh medical tourists dipped

Between April and September 2024-25, major players reported an almost 25-40 per cent decline in medical tourist flow from Bangladesh

Indian consulate again denies visa to US's Kshama Sawant - Know who she is?

A long-time advocate for workers' rights and social justice, Sawant has been an outspoken critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration

Hasina's extradition unrelated to extension of her Indian visa: B'desh govt

Bangladesh's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus on Thursday said deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's reported extension of visa was unrelated to Dhaka's request for her extradition to stand trial. We have requested India to return Sheikh Hasina as a Bangladeshi citizen. Her status in India has no relevance to this request. It is not a matter of our consideration, a foreign office spokesman told journalists in a weekly media briefing. Hasina, 77, has been living in India since August 5 last year when she fled Bangladesh following a massive student-led protest that toppled her Awami League's (AL) 16-year regime. Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants for Hasina and several former Cabinet ministers, advisers, and military and civil officials for crimes against humanity and genocide. The interim government on Tuesday said it has revoked the passports of Hasina and 96 others over their alleged involvement in enforced disappearances and the J

Govt launches 2 special categories visas for international students

India has launched two special category visa for international students intending to pursue higher education in academic institutions in the country. The 'e-student visa' and 'e-student-x' visa have been introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs and all applicants will have to use the 'Study in India' (SII) portal launched by the government, officials said. The e-student visa facility can be availed by eligible foreign students registered on the SII portal while e-student-x visa is offered to the dependents of those holding e-student visas, they said. The SII portal facilitates the admission process of international students who wish to pursue either long-term or short-term courses in India. Students will need to apply for a visa separately on the portal https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/ but the authenticity of their application will be checked by SII ID. Hence it is mandatory for students to apply to Indian higher educational institutions through SII website, the officials ...

Pakistan govt issues visas to 94 Indian pilgrims for Shadani Darbar visit

Earlier, in a statement on November 22, the Pakistan High Commission had informed, "Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued 87 visas to Indian Hindu pilgrims for their visit to Pakistan

Delhi police arrested 203 in immigration scams in 2024, cases surge by 107%

Delhi Police expose agents using fake visas, 'donkey routes', and identity theft schemes; warn the public against fraudulent promises of easy migration

US missions to India issue over one million non-immigrant visas again

According to the statement, the US Mission to India provided over 24,000 passports and other consular services to American citizens living and travelling in India

Engine fire grounds flight in Kuwait, passengers claim visa discrimination

Gulf Air flight engine fire: In the absence of transit visas, many India passengers were unable to step out of the airport premises and had to endure the long wait on the terminal floor

Initiative to expedite visas of Chinese workers helping PLI firms: Official

The government's initiative to expedite visas of Chinese technicians, whose expertise is required in Indian manufacturing firms in the PLI sector, is providing relief to such companies, a senior government official said on Wednesday. Earlier lot of firms used to flag the issue of delay in getting visas for Chinese technicians, who are required for works like installation or repair of certain machines, besides training workers in India. "Now that pendency has come down. Lot of improvement is there. There is a relief in this for those companies. The Ministry of Home Affairs has taken action pro-actively. In the last two months, things have improved a lot," the official said. A portal to facilitate these business visas was started to streamline the process. The PLI (production linked incentive scheme) scheme was announced in 2021 for 14 sectors, including telecommunication, white goods, textiles, manufacturing of medical devices, automobiles, speciality steel, food products, ...

100,000 visas for free! How foreign tourists can get them under Chalo India

India has been working to recover tourism numbers that dropped sharply during the pandemic

New Australian working holiday-visa has 40k Indian applicants for 1k spots

About 40,000 applications have been submitted in just two weeks for 1,000 spots under Australia's new Working Holiday Maker visa program, Australian Assistant Minister for Immigration Matt Thistlethwaite said on Monday. The visa, which allows Indians aged 18 to 30 to live, work, and study in Australia for up to 12 months, marks a key step in strengthening ties between the two nations, he said at the launch event of Australian Working Holiday Maker program. The visa ballot process opened on October 1 and will close by the end of the month. Afterward, successful candidates will be randomly selected, and those chosen can begin their stay in Australia early next year, he said. Thistlethwaite noted that the visa offers young Indians an opportunity to immerse themselves in Australian culture and gain work experience across various sectors. "The great thing about the Working Holiday Maker visa is that there are no restrictions on the jobs you can do. Till now, 40,000 applications have bee

'Visa at Your Doorstep': Here's how you can complete the process from home

Visa at Your Doorstep enables applicants to complete their visa application process from their homes or offices

Indian visa application centre in Dhaka resumes limited operations

The Indian visa application centre here resumed "limited operations" on Tuesday, days after Bangladesh saw violent clashes which led to the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India last week following widespread protests against her Awami League-led government over a controversial job quota system. In a press release, the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) announced the resumption of limited operations in its Dhaka centre. "IVAC (JFP) Dhaka has resumed limited operations. Messages will be sent to individual applicants regarding (the) collection of passports," the press release said. It requested applicants to arrive at the centre only after receiving a text message to collect their passports. "Because of limited operations, the process may take longer. We request your understanding," it said. Last week, the IVAC announced the closure of all visa centres in the country until further notice due to the unstable situation after the fall of the

Portal to facilitate business visa for Chinese technicians started: Govt

A portal to facilitate business visas for Chinese technicians, whose expertise are required in Indian manufacturing firms in the PLI sector, has started functioning, a senior government official said on Wednesday. The move assumes significance as some domestic manufacturing firms have flagged the issue of delay in getting visas for Chinese technicians, who are required for works like installation or repair of certain machines, besides training workers in India. "The portal started last week only. It is to streamline the process where business visas will be given to Chinese technicians in the PLI sector," the official said. The official added that the home affairs ministry has held interaction with different departments to sensitise and train them in how the portal will be used. Normally, these experts require a visa for 3-6 months for works like installation of machines and training workforce to use those machines. The PLI scheme was announced in 2021 for 14 sectors, including ...

5 countries with updated visa policies; here's how Indians will be impacted

Many countries recently updated their visa policies and requirements which will have a potential impact on Indians. Anyone planning for foreign trips needs to stay informed about the latest updates

Indians lost over 12 million euro on rejected Schengen visas in 2023

Schengen states rejected a total of 1.6 million euros visa applications in 2023, out of which a staggering 151,752 Indian nationals were denied

Demand high, plan visa application early: VFS Global senior executive

Doing so increases chances of timely decision on an application, says Yummi Talwar

Deadline to documents: What you must know about visa application process

The time a country takes to process a visa application depends on volume and seasonal demand

Visa free travel between Russia, India likely by year end, says Russian min

Consultations between Russia and India on a bilateral agreement to ease travel will begin in June, a Russian minister has said, adding that Moscow and New Delhi were set to strengthen their tourism ties by launching visa-free group tourist exchanges. "India is at the final stage of internal state coordination," Nikita Kondratyev, director of the Russian Economic Development Ministry's Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects, was quoted by RT News as saying on Wednesday. The minister at the sidelines of the International Economic Forum Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum 2024 in Kazan said the first discussion on a draft agreement was scheduled to take place in June, and a signing was expected by the end of the year. "Russia and India are set to strengthen their tourism ties as they gear up for the launch of visa-free group tourist exchanges. The first round of consultations between the two nations is scheduled for June, with an aim to finalise a bilateral