India Makes It Easy for Foreigners, But US Makes It Tougher
| The Indian government has simplified visa rules to make travel easier for foreign nationals. The number of main visa categories has been reduced from 13 to 9, while sub-categories have come down from 49 to 23. Information required in application forms has also been cut by 65-70%. The Tourist Visa has been renamed the Visitor Visa, with two options: V-1 and V-2.
India has made it easier for foreign nationals to visit the country. The government has simplified its visa rules as it reduced the number of visa categories and shortened application forms. The move is expected to save time and make the application process easier for people planning to visit India.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the number of main visa categories has been reduced from 13 to nine. The number of sub-categories has also come down from 49 to 23. The government has also reduced the information required in visa application forms by nearly 65% to 70%.
One of the major changes is the renaming of the Tourist Visa as the Visitor Visa. The new category will have two options, V-1 and V-2.
The V-1 visa is meant for short visits. It covers tourism, business meetings, medical consultations, wellness programmes and short-term courses in Indian languages, music, art and crafts. It will be valid for 30 days with multiple entries.
The V-2 visa is designed for people planning longer visits. It will have validity options of one year, five years and 10 years. It will also cover activities allowed under the V-1 category, along with mountaineering.
The government has also made changes to medical, student and business visas. Medical visas will continue to cover both conventional treatments and AYUSH treatments. Medical visas will generally be valid for one year with multiple entries.
Student visas have been divided into two main categories. One will cover school and higher education while the other will cover PhD students, researchers, visiting faculty and exchange students.
These changes are expected to make India more welcoming to international visitors, students, investors and professionals. Interestingly, while India is making its visa process simpler for foreigners, travelling to the United States has become a bigger challenge for many applicants. Visa procedures, appointments and scrutiny have become important concerns for people planning to visit the US.