Indian Visa

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

US issues record 1.4 mn visas for Indians in 2023, reduces wait time by 75%

The US Consular Team in India processed a record 1.4 million US visas in 2023, which is higher than ever, and has brought down the visitor visa appointment wait times by 75 per cent.The US Embassy and Consulates in India said that Indians now represent one out of every 10 US visa applicants around the world."In 2023, the US Embassy and Consulates in India processed a record-smashing 1.4 million US visas. Demand across all visa classes was unprecedented, with a 60 per cent increase in applications compared to 2022. Indians now represent one out of every ten US visa applicants around the world," the statement read.Visitor visas (B1/B2) have rebounded to represent the second-highest number of applications in the US Mission's history -- over 7,00,000.Process improvements and investments in staffing have brought the appointment wait time for visitor visas down from an average of 1,000 days to only 250 days around the country with minimal wait time in all categories.The US consular team in .

India has issued fewer visas to Canadians so far in 2023, shows data

India vehemently rejected these allegations, dismissing them as "absurd" and "motivated"

Process for streamlining visa approvals for Chinese professionals framed

The government has formulated a standard operating procedure for streamlining visa approvals for Chinese professionals whose expertise is required by vendors under the PLI scheme, an official said on Wednesday. Some players had flagged the visa issue in a stakeholder consultation meeting on the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme in August. The government at that time stated that it was trying to sort out visa-related matters where vendors require Chinese professionals' expertise. "We have resolved the visa issue in the sense that we have created an SOP (standard operating procedure) for PLI units. For their visas, we have a system under which their visa approvals will be streamlined," the official said. The PLI scheme was announced in 2021 for 14 sectors such as telecommunication, white goods, textiles, manufacturing of medical devices, automobiles, speciality steel, food products, high-efficiency solar PV modules, advanced chemistry cell battery, drones and pharma with an ..

Pak team issued last-minute visas for World Cup; PCB thanks Indian govt

The Pakistan Cricket Board's statement requests 'stakeholders' to not add fuel to rumours on the matter

LIVE updates: Curfew reimposed in Manipur's Imphal valley, say officials

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Ayush visa introduced for foreigners seeking traditional medicine treatment

To boost India's medical value travel, the amendment was added to include treatments such as therapeutic care, wellness, and yoga

Indian passport 80th most powerful: Visit these countries visa-free

With the Indian passport's rank improving in the latest Henley Passport Index, Indians can now travel to 57 destinations without a visa

Pakistan issues 215 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India: Pak High Commission

The Pakistan high commission on Tuesday said it issued 215 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to facilitate their participation at an event to be held on the eve of 'martyrdom day' of Guru Arjan Dev. Under the provision of a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan every year. Pakistani pilgrims also visit India every year under the protocol. "The Pakistan High Commission has issued 215 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the annual festival scheduled on the eve of Martyrdom Day of Guru Arjan Dev to be held in Pakistan from June 8-17," the mission said. It said the issuance of the visas is in line with Pakistan's commitment to fully implement the bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines of 1974. "On the occasion Charg d'Affaires Salman Sharif wished the pilgrims a rewarding and fulfilling journey. He further stated that Pakistan remains committed to preserving sacred religious places as well as ...