Minorities from neighbouring countries to get five-year visa
New Delhi, Dec 17: Members of the minority community from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will be given five years' visa instead of one-year as part of government's effort to address their grievances and according citizenship in future.
"The central government has decided that henceforth the long-term visa will be granted initially by the Home Ministry for five years at a time on the specific recommendation of the state government or union territory administration instead of one year at present," a Home Ministry statement said on Monday.
Powers have been delegated to Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) and Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) concerned to grant extension for a period up to six months on the short-term visa of the minority nationals from neighbouring countries applying for long-term visa. A time-line of one month for FRRO and FRO and 21 days for the state government and union territory administration has been fixed for processing of such applications.
Children of minority nationals from neighbouring countries staying on long-term visa can now take admission in schools, colleges, universities, technical and professional institutions without any specific permission from the state government or union territory administration, the statement said. Only an intimation is to be given in this regard to FRRO or FRO concerned. The state governments and union territory administrations have also been empowered to grant permission to minority nationals from neighbouring countries staying on long-term visa to engage themselves in employment of purely private nature.
State
governments
and
union
territory
administrations
have
now
been
empowered
to
grant
a
maximum
of
two
additional
places
at
any
given
point
of
time,
in
addition
to
the
place
of
stay,
grant
of
return
visa
for
a
maximum
period
of
90
days
at
a
time
and
permission
for
change
in
mode
of
travel
and
port
of
exit
in
respect
of
minority
nationals
from
neighbouring
countries
living
in
India
on
long-term
visa
or
whose
such
proposal
is
under
consideration.
The
central
government
has
been
constantly
reviewing
the
hardships
faced
by
the
applicants
from
the
neighbouring
countries
especially
the
minorities
in
those
countries
for
grant
of
Indian
citizenship
and
long-term
visa,
the
statement
said.
In continuation of the efforts, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the above measures to streamline grant of long-term visa and facilitate the stay of minority nationals from neighbouring countries on long-term visa, especially the minority communities from Pakistan.
There are about 400 Pakistani Hindu refugee settlements in Rajasthan's cities like Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Jaipur. Many Sikh refugees live in Punjab, Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. There are thousands of Hindu refugees from Bangladesh in West Bengal and Assam. According to an estimate, about one lakh minority community refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan live in India.
PTI