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• Validity of visas: All types of visas are valid for the indicated period
from the date of issue (and not repeat
not from the date of first entry into India).
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• Post-dated visas are not issued.
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• Application form and picture requirements: All applicants for Entry and Tourist visas are required
to fill out an
application form and provide one recent
passport size photograph.
Applicants for Business, Research,
Journalist and some other types of visas are
required to submit two forms duly filled in and two pictures.
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• Visas to non-residents: Visas
can also be issued to persons who normally do not live in the jurisdiction
of this
Consulate (this also includes people holding Tourist / Business visas) after
obtaining clearance from the
Indian Mission under whose jurisdiction
the applicant
normally resides. This however takes a few weeks. The
applicant may, however, pay
an additional charge for clearance by fax or telex.
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• Restricted area permits: Persons desiring to go to
a restricted area should fill in special forms and apply well
in advance as clearances are required before a permit
can be issued to travel to these places. It takes at
least 6 to 8 weeks to receive the Government of India's clearances in such
cases.
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• Requirements for student visas: Firm letters of admission
from Universities, recognized Colleges or Educatio-
nal Institutions in India are
required for issuance of Regular Student Visas.
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• Applicants are also required
to produce satisfactory evidence of financial support. In case of admission in a
medical or a para-medical course, the applicant has also to produce a 'No
Objection Certificate' from the
Ministry of Health, Government of India, to obtain a Student Visa.
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• Applicants for Student Visas
who want to pursue graduate or post-graduate studies in Engineering/Techno-
logy are required to produce a similar
'No Objection Certificate' from the Ministry of Human Resource
Development (Department of Education). Provisional Student Visas for a period
of 6 months can however be
issued on production of a Provisional Admission Certificate
issued by a University / recognized Educational
Institution in India. It can be changed to a regular student
visa in India itself subject to completion of the
formalities listed above. However, no change of institute / purpose is allowed.
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• The entry of
foreigners, stay, movements and departure is regulated by the
Acts passed by the Indian
Parliament and rules framed thereunder by the Central Government from
time to time.
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• Foreigners who
enter India should have a valid passport, visa or
other accredited travel documents. All
foreigners should enter India through authorised checkpost or airport only.They
are subjected to immigration
check at the airport or check post.
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• All foreigners
who enter India or depart from India either by air or sea shall furnish a true statement of
particulars setting it out in form 'D' embarkation card.
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• The civil authority
under Foreigners Order 1948 has powers to impose restrictions on the movement of
any
foreigner in India. The authority can also refuse a foreigner entry into
India if he/she does not posses a valid
passport, or is insane or is suffering from
any infectious disease or has been convicted for an extradition
offence or if his/her entry is prejudicial to the interest of the country.
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• All foreigners who
desire to stay in India beyond 180 days have to register themselves
at the Foreigners
Registration Office within two weeks of their arrival. Those who intended
to stay for less than 180 days but
ended up staying longer also have to register themselves.
Any violation of this provision makes them liable
for prosecution under section 5 of the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939.
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• The State Registration
Officer in the State capital functions as the liaison office between the Foreigners
Registration Officers (FRO) and the government. The Foreigner Registration
Officer is the primary agency to
regulate the registration, movement, stay, departure and
also for recommending the extension of stay in
India.
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• A foreigner who enters India
on a valid visa shall report before the Foreigners Registration Officer within two
weeks of arrival and get himself registered. He has to produce 6 sets of
photos, passport copies, visa page,
etc. Thereafter the FRO will issue registration certificate and a residential
permit upto the validity of the visa
period.
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• A foreigner coming to
India on a tourist visa valid for 6 months need not register
his name. However this
depends on the condition noted on the visa.
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• Children of foreigners
under 16 years of age residing in India
need not register their name as they are
exempted from Registration (Exemption) Order 1957. But they will be issued
a residential permit for their stay
in India. They should also obtain extension for their stay from time to time.
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• Foreigners who wish to stay
in India beyond the visa period should apply for extension of stay 90
days
before his Residential Permit is due to expire. The Central
Government has delegated limited powers to the
FROs to grant extension of stay to foreigners and in all other cases the
following documents are to be sent
to the State government.
-- Application duly filled and signed by the foreigner in duplicate.
-- Photostat copy of the valid passport along with visa page.
-- HIV certificate issued by a recognised medical institution.
-- Copy of the registration certificate and residential permit.
-- Financial guarantee given by an Indian citizen on a Rs 10 stamp
paper.
-- Photostat copy of the bank account and remittance and letter given
by the bank manager.
-- Police report in English issued by the jurisdictional police station
where the foreigner resides.
-- Receipt
for having paid the prescribed fee to the RBI under head of account OAS-0070.
-- In case of businessmen, the agreement between the firm and the Government
of India.
-- In case of employment
visa, letter of consent of the firm where the foreigner is employed.
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