ROW2Aisle

This news article talks about a confusing new reentry restriction for tourist visa holders. I could not find a prior related post on this topic on FT.

Does anyone on this board have first hand experience on this new rule? Chatting with a friend this morning he told me that there are cases of US passport holders of Indian origin (NRIs) who were born in India being turned back at the arrival airport in India when trying to re-enter within 60 days of a prior trip even with a valid 10 year visa.

If this new rule is enforced then I'm not sure how it impacts tourist who enter India and make a short side trip to Nepal, Sri Lanka, or Maldives, etc.

d3vski

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...ow/5376000.cms

panic over, immigration officers at Indian airports will grant you two or three entries if you can provide written itinerary of all side trips.

In any case, the restrictions would not affect bona fide tourists as the majority come with 6 month multiple entry visa. According to earlier instructions, the restrictions only applied to holders of long term visas. It was probably to do with stopping expats and alike living in India in places like Goa on long term tourist visas and making the odd side trip to sri lanka to revalidate. Apparently as they are technically tourists, they do not pay tax etc etc.

Most countries have these restrictions, you cannot live in a foreign country on just a Tourist Visa.

GUWonder

More likely than hitting tourists, it's aimed to hit people who are working in India in violation of the restrictions applicable to their visa/immigration status. It's also going to hit people who visit relatives (and/or friends) in India more than a couple of times a year, thus pushing more of them to apply for POI, OCI or some other alternative status with regard to visiting friends and relatives multiple times a year.

ROW2Aisle

My understanding is that the restriction applies to POI & OCI holders as well.

It'll hit me hard as I have three trips planned in the next three months to attend functions in India in Jan, Feb & Mar 2010 and I have already purchased the airline tickets for those trips. In addition I have at least two more trips planned for later on in the year. Oh! what a pain!

d3vski

These restrictions can not apply to PIOs and OCIs as they are permanent residents in India and have legal status in India. Im guessing that these restrictions are aimed at preventing people residing in India on Long Term (2, 5, 10 year) tourist visa who retire or go open bar or guest house in a tourist location and have NO residency rights or status.

Its more to do with lost tax revenues then any terrorism related reason despite what the indian media are reporting.

GUWonder

POIs and OCIs indeed are not to be worried about this for themselves. POIs and OCIs, along with Indian citizens, ought to have concerns about what may happen to their family members as a result of these changes.
It actually has to do at least as much -- if not more -- to do with paranoia about terrorism allegedly facilitated by Indian visa-holders as/than it does have to do with the tax revenue collection interests of the Indian government.

This is the "hitting two birds with one stone" approach by an Indian government reacting to the opposition-fueled hysteria about a US citizen of Pakistani origin acquiring a US passport and thereafter an Indian visa
while formally using the name his American mother and her family had for him as a child and even long thereafter.

It's no surprise that a former finance minister of India who is now in charge of "home" security would keep in mind increasing revenue collection at the same time as trying to emulate the worst aspects of "homeland security" as instituted and promulgated in the US by his advisors (from the US and/or who look at the US as a sort of divinity).

cj001f

Any word on how strictly this is being enforced? And is it 2 months, 60 calender days or what exactly?

Seems like this would cut down dramatically on the large number of long stay travelers in India. Quite a few of those; can't think of any traveler who owns a legitimate business like guesthouse/bar/etc, but have met more than a few long termers employed illegally (drugs mostly)

pirossalma

indiamike.com - a very popular India travel site has a long thread about this issue, with personal experiences.

http://www.indiamike.com/india/india...please-t96729/

The thread long, but here is one post, quote:
My wife is a US citizen with a 10-year multiple entry Indian Tourist visa. She left India on Dec 26, 2009, after a 25-day visit to India (her previous visit was one year earlier in Oct2008, also for under 30 days). Her passport was still stamped with "No reentry for 60 days" when she left on Dec 26, 2009. So, length of stay (single stay, cumulative within the past one year, etc.) in India seems to be irrelevant

The thread gives advices - from first hand experiences - how to get permission.

As a very frequent India visitor I feel your pain.

par8thed

Does anyone here know if transit passengers are exempt from the 2-month restriction? Does staying in the airport count as "entry"?

For example, spending a few weeks in Delhi, then making a side trip to Nepal. To get home, flying Nepal-Delhi, staying in the airport, then catching the flight back to the US.

jh3327

That is almost the same trip I am doing in March.
When I applied for my visitor visa yesterday, I had to fill out an additional form and pay $25 more to re-enter India after a 3 day trip to Nepal.
They wanted to see the etickets for the flights to and from Kathmandu and an itinerary from the tour company.
I will find out tomorrow if they approve it.

aniruddh77

This is ridiculous !

cj001f

To this asinine policy! Way to kill the budget gravy train India!

par8thed

(bold emphasis mine...)

So is staying in the airport considered "re-entering" India? This is what I'm confused about. Is there a difference in Delhi's international terminal for connecting (through) passengers, as opposed to those that wish to enter the county and go through immigration?

Mr. Bean

so you have a multiple entry visa and they want to charge you separately for using your multiple entries.

what a refreshing idea

hauteboy

I was worried about this on our recent trip to India; we have 10 year visas issued in 2006.. our last visit was in Dec 2006. On Dec 19, 2009 we arrived in Delhi for 2 days, then Dec 21st flew to Bhutan for 10 days, then back to India on Dec 30th for another 5 days. When we came back from Bhutan the immigration officer asked us our last visit to India previously.. when we said 2006 he said OK and stamped us in (we didn't have to show our Bhutan itin). I will have to check the original stamps to see if they say no reentry for 60 days.