Visa

Visa appoints Suresh Sethi as group country manager for India, South Asia

Visa, a payment gateway provider, on Monday announced that Suresh Sethi has been appointed Group Country Manager for India and South Asia. In this role, Sethi will lead Visa's strategy and operations across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan, the company said in a statement. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who is leaving Visa for other opportunities. Based in Mumbai, Sethi will report to Stephen Karpin, Regional President, Asia Pacific, Visa, it said. Most recently, Sethi served as MD and CEO of Protean e-Gov Technologies Ltd, where he led its transformation into an agile, product-led Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) institution, it added.

As affluence rises, Indians spend more on travel than retail: Visa

Travel is becoming the biggest spending category for affluent Indians, with luxury consumers choosing experiences over retail as wealth and discretionary spending rise

Trump 'gold card' visa granted to only one person so far, says Lutnick

The president has promoted the Gold Card visa program as a critical way of attracting talent to the US. Visa recipients pay $1 million to receive US residency

In uncertain times, travel platform Thomas Cook launches visa insurance

Thomas Cook India launches visa rejection insurance to protect travellers from non-refundable losses amid evolving global travel uncertainties

Visa's Sandeep Ghosh to step down as India, South Asia country manager

Ghosh took over the role of country manager from T R (Ram) Ramachandran in March 2022

VFS Global opens Odisha's first visa application centre in Bhubaneswar

New VFS Global centre in Bhubaneswar cuts travel burden, boosts global access

Cabinet extends IVFRT scheme for 5 years to upgrade immigration services

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the extension for five years of the Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration & Tracking (IVFRT) Scheme, which aims to interlink and optimise functions related to immigration, visa issuance, and registration of foreigners in India. The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the continuation of the scheme from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2031, with a budget outlay of Rs 1,800 crore, a government statement said. The continuation of the scheme is not just a "technical upgrade, but a strategic transformation" aligned with the vision of the government to promote international mobility through a world-class immigration and visa issuance system, it said. "After the recent enactment of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 and its subsequent Rules and Order, it has become imperative to strengthen and modernize the Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration & Tracking (IVFRT) system to effectively meet emerging ...

UK hikes visa fee up to 25%: What students, workers and visitors will pay?

The United Kingdom has announced a sharp increase in visa and immigration fees, with hikes ranging from 6% to 25% starting April 8, 2026.

Atlys raises $36 mn to expand visa platform globally, invest in AI tools

Susquehanna Asia VC leads Series C round as Atlys expands globally and invests in AI tools to streamline visa applications and build infrastructure for cross-border travel

Trump visa changes squeeze rural schools relying on international teachers

Like many school systems facing teacher shortages, South Carolina's Allendale County has looked overseas for help. A quarter of the teachers in the rural, high-poverty district come from other countries. The superintendent praises the international educators - mostly from Jamaica and the Philippines - for their skill and dedication, but she is preparing to lose some of them as the Trump administration reshapes visa programs. Facing higher visa sponsorship costs and uncertain immigration policies, Superintendent Vallerie Cave said it feels too risky to extend some international teachers whose contracts are up or bring on others. "Some of my very best teachers are having to return to their countries," Cave said. For rural schools especially, President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown is pinching a pipeline used widely to fill staffing shortages that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rural districts can struggle to attract American teachers to remote areas that lack plentiful

UK’s new eVisa rules: What changes for Indian travellers | ETA rules for visa-free visitors

The United Kingdom has shifted to a fully digital border system. From February 25, 2026, Indian travellers must now use eVisas, while visa-free visitors need Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

UK enforces digital travel system, mandatory eVisas for Indians

New rules in force from Wednesday will see the UK transition to a digital transit system, including mandatory eVisas for Indian travellers and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for non-visa requiring visitors. The new procedure will replace paper-based visa stickers as part of a phased programme over recent years. While the new system will still involve a physical visit to the application centre for biometric registration, it will do away with the need to leave behind the passport document during the processing period. "I'd urge anyone wanting to travel to the UK to ensure they are travel-ready and have the right permission, to make their journey much smoother," said Mike Tapp, UK Minister for Migration and Citizenship. It will be mandatory for visitors to the UK to have obtained digital permission to travel, which means airlines can prevent passengers from boarding planes if they do not have an eVisa, ETA or other valid documentation. The UK government had launched the eVisa .

Going OTP-less: Mastercard, Visa rolling out passkeys for card transactions

For the first time in India, an at-scale, OTP-less authentication framework will allow users to complete credit and debit card transactions

Explained: Why fewer Indian students are going abroad for higher education

The number of Indian students choosing overseas education has fallen significantly over the past three years. Government data shows stricter visa rules, rising costs, and policy changes in key destina

India-EU FTA boosts Europe's appeal for Indian students amid visa flux

India-EU FTA's focus on mobility could expand choices for Indian students, making Europe a more deliberate study destination even as the US remains key amid uncertainty over visa policies

A fresh transaction: Visa readies India swipe of debit-cum-credit card

Visa plans to bring its dual debit-credit card to India, letting users switch funding sources via a single 16-digit credential, after strong success in Japan

Big US visa freeze: Visa processing paused for 75 nations: Who are affected? | Trump | Immigration

The United States has announced a temporary pause on immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, citing concerns that new migrants could become dependent on public welfare.

India’s passport gets stronger!: What the Henley Passport Index jump really means for travellers

India’s passport ranking has improved in 2026, rising five places on the global mobility chart. But what does that really mean for Indian travellers planning trips abroad this year?

Visa Shock in Germany: Why hundreds of Indian students in Berlin are stuck | Immigration

Hundreds of Indian students studying in Germany are staring at visa cancellations after authorities questioned the status of hybrid courses at a private university in Berlin.

Bangladesh suspends visa services in India, seeks US visa bond exemption

Bangladesh's interim government on Thursday said it has asked its key missions in India, including at New Delhi, to suspend visa services over security concerns. Foreign Affairs Adviser M Touhid Hossain told a media briefing at his office that Bangladesh has also sought reversal of a recently imposed visa bond requirement by the United States. What I have done is that I have asked our three missions (in India) to keep their visa sections closed for the time being. It's a security issue, Hossain said. The adviser's comments came after Bangladesh's Deputy High Commission in Kolkata overnight restricted visa services after identical moves in New Delhi and Agartala keeping business and work visas beyond the purview of the restriction. Bangladesh has diplomatic missions in Mumbai and Chennai as well, where the visa services remained operative. India had earlier imposed restrictions on visas for Bangladeshi nationals after August 5, 2024, citing security concerns. Bangladesh ties with