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Key Points

The Indian government has slashed visa processing time to under a day through simplified categories and digital systems. Two new portals—DPM and FIP—will enhance tracking of foreign nationals while airports get upgraded fast-track clearance. Immigration check posts now feature automated biometric scanning across 114 locations, up from 82 in 2014. Union Minister Sanjay Kumar emphasized grassroots implementation of these reforms for smoother traveler experiences.

Key Points: India Launches 1-Day Visa Service With New Immigration Portals

  • New District Police Module & Foreigners ID Portal boost immigration monitoring
  • Visa categories reduced from 26 to 22 for faster processing
  • Fast-Track Immigration expands to 8 major airports with 1-minute clearance
  • Automated biometric systems modernize 114 Immigration Check Posts nationwide
2 min read

Central government introduces regulatory relaxations to enable issuance of visa in a day

Govt simplifies visa process to 1-day issuance, launches DPM & FIP portals for foreigner tracking, and expands fast-track immigration at airports.

"Average visa issuance has come down from several weeks to less than a day – Foreigners Division officials"

New Delhi, August 13

The Central government introduced regulatory relaxations to enable the issuance of visas within a day, given proper submission of all documents, stated a release.

Furthermore, two new portals--District Police Module (DPM) and Foreigners Identification Portal (FIP) were launched to strengthen the monitoring of illegal immigrants and foreigners overstaying their visas.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Kumar Sanjay, in a review meeting held on Wednesday with senior officials of the Foreigners Division, discussed policies on visa simplification, modernisation of immigration check posts and other related matters.

The minister was also briefed by officials on the steps taken to simplify visa procedures. The number of main visa categories has been reduced from 26 to 22, and sub-categories from 104 to 69.

Furthermore, due to the simplification of the process, average visa issuance has come down from several weeks to less than a day.

As part of the modernisation of Immigration Check Posts (ICPs), facilities for automated travel document scanning and biometric enrolment have been introduced. The number of ICPs has increased from 82 in 2014 to 114 at present (37 Air, 37 Land, 34 Sea, 6 Rail).

Officials stated that the Fast-Track Immigration - Trusted Traveller Program (FTI-TTP) is being implemented at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Ahmedabad airports, where pre-verified travellers can obtain immigration clearance in just one minute.

This facility will soon be extended to Kozhikode, Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Amritsar, Tiruchirappalli, Noida, and Navi Mumbai airports.

So far, about 50 lakh Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards have been issued, and the OCI portal has been revamped to provide more convenient services.

A user-friendly mobile application, "CAA-2019", has been developed to assist citizenship applicants from six specified minority communities in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.

The Union Minister appreciated the officials' performance and directed them to take all necessary steps to ensure that travellers face no difficulties in matters related to visas and immigration.

Sanjay further directed that all decisions and development works undertaken by our esteemed Prime Minister and Home Minister Amit Shah should be implemented at the grassroots level and reach the common people.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While the initiative is good, I hope they maintain proper security checks. We've seen cases where relaxed visa norms led to illegal activities. Balance is key.
R
Rohit P
Finally! I have foreign clients who always complain about Indian visa delays. This will help our IT exports and startup ecosystem big time. Kudos to MoHA!
S
Sarah B
As someone who frequently travels to India for work, this is fantastic news! The biometric enrollment at airports was much needed. Hope the implementation is smooth.
K
Karthik V
What about the common man's issues? While visas are important, I hope the government also focuses on domestic problems like inflation and unemployment.
N
Nisha Z
The FTI-TTP program at major airports is impressive! My NRI cousin used it last month - cleared immigration in 45 seconds flat. More such citizen-friendly initiatives please!
M
Michael C
Good progress, but will this apply equally to all nationalities? Some countries still face excessive scrutiny in visa processing despite having clean records.

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