The process of granting a visa to foreign nationals has not been altered, clarified the External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In fact, the Indian Government has speeded up the process of issuing visas to relatives of victims of the Delhi Attari Express blast in February this year.
The Indian Government is pondering over a bilateral visa agreement
with Pakistan to relax the prevailing visa rules. The Minister
also made clear that no visas were being denied to Indians abroad
who wanted to visit India.
Indian nationals living abroad do
not need a visa to enter India, but persons of Indian origin
do, as they hold the nationality of another country.
The issue of visas is complicated only in case of those who have
taken asylum abroad, and those cases restricted by the Passport
Act, 1967.
A list of persons who are denied visa or to be granted
visas subject to the Indian Government’s clearance is maintained by the embassies and High Commissions.
Foreign nationals need to apply to the Indian Mission in their
country of residence for a visa. All categories of visas - tourist,
collective (for group tours), and transit visas are issued by
the Indian Missions abroad. Any stay longer than 180 days requires
a registration at the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office in either of the locations in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, or at the office of the Chief Immigration Officer in Chennai.
