New Delhi: Anyone found using a forged passport or visa for entering, staying, or exiting India will be punished with a jail term of up to seven years and a fine to the extent of Rs 10 lakh if the new immigration bill is approved by Parliament.
The new legislation requires hotels, universities, hospitals, and others to report information on foreigners to track overstaying visitors. Airlines and ships must also submit passenger and crew manifests at Indian ports.
"Whoever knowingly uses or supplies a forged or fraudulently obtained passport or other travel document or visa for entering into India or staying in or exiting from India shall be punishable with an imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than two years but may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to a fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees but may extend to ten lakh rupees," according to the bill introduced in Lok Sabha on March 11.
It also says that any foreigner who enters into any area in India without a valid passport or other travel document, including a visa required for such entry in contravention of provisions of the law or of any rule or order given in pursuance thereof, shall be punishable with an imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years with a fine which may extend to five lakh rupees or with both.
The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, empowers the Centre to control areas frequented by foreigners, allowing authorities to close premises or restrict access. This comprehensive legislation regulates all aspects of foreigners and immigration in India.
Matters relating to foreigners and immigration are presently administered through four Acts-the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act, 2000. All these laws are now proposed to be repealed.
"The Bill will help in tackling the problem of illegal migration into India and facilitate tracking of the movement of overstaying foreigners within India. It will also help in reducing the compliance burden," an officer said.
Indian visas can be granted physically or electronically to foreigners. The Bureau of Immigration offers e-visas under 7 categories to citizens of 167 countries. Visa-on-arrival is also available at 6 airports for nationals of Japan, South Korea, and the UAE (under certain conditions). The Bureau of Immigration, state governments, and UT administrations regulate foreigners' stay, movement, and exit from India.
According to existing laws, all foreigners on long-term (more than 180 days) student, medical, research, employment, missionary, and project visas are required to register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) or the Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) concerned, having jurisdiction over the place where the foreigner intends to stay, within 14 days of arrival.
Pakistani nationals are required to register within 24 hours of their arrival.
Other laws that cover foreigners in India include the Citizenship Act, 1955, which regulates the acquisition and termination of Indian citizenship as well as the acquisition and registration of foreigners as Overseas Citizens of India (OCI).
Apart from regulating movement, stay, and visas, certain areas in India require special permits for foreign travellers. These protected areas include multiple northeastern states, the entire Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
According to Union Home Ministry data, 98.40 lakh foreigners visited India between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024.
(inputs from PTI)