New immigration and foreigners bill on anvil
Apart from movement, stay and visa, there are certain protected areas in India where foreigners need special permit to travel.
The Centre is likely to introduce a bill in the upcoming Budget session for streamlining various services related to immigration and foreigners, including their entry, exit and stay in the country, people familiar with the development said on Thursday.
The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, is expected to be introduced by Union home minister Amit Shah in Parliament, they added. The ministry of home affairs (MHA), however, remained tight-lipped about the contents of the new bill.
The entry, stay and exit of the foreigners from India are currently governed by Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, and the Foreigners Act, 1946. While Indian visas of all categories to foreigners can be granted in physical or sticker form by Indian missions or posts located abroad, the Bureau of Immigration (BoI) grants electronic visas under seven categories to people from 167 countries.
Besides, “visa-on-arrival” is granted by immigration authorities at six designated airports to nationals of three countries -- Japan, South Korea and the UAE (only for such UAE nationals who had earlier obtained e-visa or regular or paper visa for India). The stay and movement of foreigners in India and their exit are regulated by the BoI and state governments and Union Territory administrations.
According to existing laws, all foreigners on long-term (more than 180 days) student, medical, research, employment, missionary and project visas are required to register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer or the Foreigners Registration Officer concerned, having jurisdiction over the place where the foreigner intends to stay, within 14 days of arrival. Pakistani nationals are required to register within 24 hours of their arrival.
{{/usCountry}}According to existing laws, all foreigners on long-term (more than 180 days) student, medical, research, employment, missionary and project visas are required to register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer or the Foreigners Registration Officer concerned, having jurisdiction over the place where the foreigner intends to stay, within 14 days of arrival. Pakistani nationals are required to register within 24 hours of their arrival.
{{/usCountry}}Other laws which cover foreigners in India include - the citizenship act, 1955 – which regulates acquisition and termination of Indian citizenship as well as acquisition and registration of foreigners as Overseas Citizens of India (OCI); passport act, 1967 – which provides for the issue of passports and travel documents, to regulate the departure from India of citizens of India and other persons; and immigration (carriers’ liability) act, 2000 – that makes the carriers liable in respect of passengers brought by them into India in contravention of the provisions of the passport act.
{{/usCountry}}Other laws which cover foreigners in India include - the citizenship act, 1955 – which regulates acquisition and termination of Indian citizenship as well as acquisition and registration of foreigners as Overseas Citizens of India (OCI); passport act, 1967 – which provides for the issue of passports and travel documents, to regulate the departure from India of citizens of India and other persons; and immigration (carriers’ liability) act, 2000 – that makes the carriers liable in respect of passengers brought by them into India in contravention of the provisions of the passport act.
{{/usCountry}}Apart from movement, stay and visa, there are certain protected areas in India where foreigners need special permit to travel including multiple states in the north-east, whole of Andaman and Nicobar, and parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.
According to the latest ministry of home affairs (MHA) data, a total of 98,40,321 foreigners visited India between April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.
