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Headley fallout: India revises tourist visa norms
Press Trust of India, Tuesday December 15, 2009, New Delhi
In the aftermath of Pakistani-American terror suspect David Coleman Headley episode, India has revised its regulations pertaining to entry of foreign nationals holding long-term tourist visas.

In an advisory to its citizens, the US has said India has revised its regulations pertaining to the entry of foreign nationals holding long-term Indian tourist visas and various ports of entry in India have already started enforcing the revised regulations.

"Americans with five-or ten-year tourist visas will no longer be allowed to enter India within two months of their last departure from India if their last visit was longer than ninety days or if they have stayed longer than 180 days during the past year," the advisory on the embassy website said.

The revision of the regulations comes in wake of the arrest of Headley and Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana Hussain by FBI on charges of plotting terror attacks in India. Both Headley and Rana were issued multi-entry visas by India without proper security clearances.

The US advisory also said these restrictions will be enforced whether or not the tourists passport has been stamped to indicate that return is not allowed within two months.

However, the changes will not affect Americans with other types of visas such as tourists with short-term visas, and those who have not stayed in India for the stipulated time period.

Tourists who wish to return within this two-month period can apply for special permission through any Indian High Commission or Consulate, the US embassy said.

It also asked the applicants to clearly state their purpose of travel and that they are not traveling to India for business, employment, study, or research.

There are no standard guidelines for approving these applications but they will only be approved in emergent situations like a death or illness in the family or the need to travel through India en route to another country, the advisory by the US Embassy said.

Tourists, who are given permission to return within two months, will be required to register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within fourteen days of arriving in India.

The updated information also notes that tourist visas are intended for recreation, sightseeing, and short-term visits with family and friends and other travelers should apply for an appropriate visa based on their purpose of travel, whether business, employment, medical, or other.
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Tags: Headley, India, visa
Comments
Posted by S Kumar on Dec 15, 2009
On this pretext, everything that is possilbe will be done to cause maximum discomfort to the genuine Visa applicants. Instead of taking one month, the Vissa process will now take more than two months, but no action will be taken to find out how the Counsulate issued Visa to an individual of Pakistani origin, without going through his antecedents. No efforts will be made to find out how is it that the genuine Federal Government employees of USA take more than a month to get their visa for attending a meeting in India and how a business man, with shady business interest and of Pakistani origin was provided Visa will all the urency.
Posted by Balu on Dec 15, 2009
David was born in Pakistan, thiough citizen of USA. It is hard to believe that Consulate in Chicago properly analysed his case adequately.
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