New Delhi: The Indian government has taken a major step towards simplifying and streamlining the country’s visa system, reducing the number of main visa categories from 13 to nine and subcategories from 49 to 23.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has updated its IT systems to implement the changes, with the process of issuing visas under the new framework expected to begin by the end of this year.
Visa application forms have also been comprehensively revised. The number of fields required across the 23 categories and subcategories has been reduced by 65% to 70%. This means foreign nationals will have to provide less information while applying, saving time and making the process more efficient.
The government expects the changes to improve administrative efficiency and speed up the processing of visa applications.
Nine main visa categories
The revised framework includes nine main categories: Business, Diplomatic, Employment, Journalist, Medical, Official, Student, Visitor and Miscellaneous visas.
The previous ‘Tourist Visa’ category has been renamed ‘Visitor Visa’ and divided into two subcategories: V-1, for short-term visits and business meetings, and V-2, for longer stays and mountaineering.
Changes to medical, student and business visas
The new medical visa framework provides separate provisions for allopathic treatment (M-1) and AYUSH treatment (M-3). Visa facilities will also be available for patients’ attendants, supporting the government’s ‘Heal in India’ initiative.
Student visas have been divided into two categories: S-1 for school and college education, and S-2 for research and PhD programmes.
Similarly, business visas have been split into B-1 for long-term business ventures and B-2 for short-term contracts and technical experts.
The overall objective of the reforms is to make the visa process clearer, simpler and more transparent for foreign travellers, students, patients and business professionals.
