New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry has amended India’s immigration rules, introducing a visa requirement for members of six non-Muslim communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who had previously been exempted from passport and visa requirements under specified conditions.
The affected communities include Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, citing religious persecution or fear of persecution in their home countries.
Under the revised provisions, eligible individuals will continue to enjoy exemption from passport and other travel document requirements. However, they must obtain an appropriate category visa to continue their stay in India.
The Home Ministry issued the notification on Thursday, bringing changes to several provisions governing immigration, passport requirements and cross-border travel.
The amended order also provides relief to certain Pakistani nationals and people of Indian origin who acquired Malaysian or Singaporean citizenship but are unable to renew their expired passports due to the respective countries’ regulations.
Under the revised rules, Pakistani nationals who entered India on or before December 31, 2009, with the intention of permanent settlement may be exempted from passport renewal requirements if they cannot renew their documents due to the absence of a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC).
However, they must fulfil additional conditions, including not having married or purchased property in Pakistan, having immediate family members who remained in India and are Indian citizens, and furnishing a written undertaking that they will not return to Pakistan. Their eligibility will also be subject to police and security clearances.
Similar relief has been extended to certain people of Indian origin who acquired Malaysian or Singaporean citizenship and returned to India on or before December 31, 2009, but are now unable to renew their expired passports.
The notification has also clarified travel documentation requirements for citizens of India, Nepal and Bhutan. Citizens of the three countries travelling directly between them by land or air can use identity documents specified in the visa manual. Immigration authorities, however, may seek additional information when necessary.
Certain exceptions will apply to travellers transiting through third countries, including China, Pakistan, Hong Kong and Macau, for whom passport and visa requirements may be mandatory.
Meanwhile, existing exemptions for registered Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who arrived in India on or before January 9, 2015, and specified categories of Tibetan nationals have been retained.
The revised provisions also continue exemptions for Indian armed forces personnel travelling on official duty, their family members accompanying them in government transport, and crew members of foreign military vessels visiting India for repairs, subject to prescribed documentation.
The Home Ministry’s latest order also clarifies the distinction between the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, and the new immigration provisions.
While the CAA provides eligible Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, a pathway to apply for Indian citizenship, the immigration order primarily deals with exemptions from passport and travel document requirements for eligible migrants who entered India by December 31, 2024.
The two measures, therefore, serve different purposes, with the latest notification regulating immigration and continued stay rather than directly granting citizenship.
