MHA to cut main visa categories from 13 to nine

NEW DELHI, NOV 4 (PTI): The Union Home Ministry is set to overhaul India’s visa regime by reducing the number of main visa categories from 13 to nine and trimming visa application forms by 70 per cent as part of an exercise to simplify the process, officials said on Wednesday. As part of a comprehensive review of the Visa Manual, 2019, amendments are likely to be made to various chapters and appendices, limiting the number of categories in which visas can be issued, officials said. A meeting was held in August to introduce amendments to various chapters and Appendices I and II of the Visa Manual, 2019, during which it was decided to rationalise and simplify the Indian visa regime. It was decided to reduce the number of main visa categories from 13 to nine and sub-categories from 49 to 23, the sources said. The Centre has also decided to make visa application forms leaner by doing away with 70 per cent of the fields in the form, they said.