Spouses of Indian nationals getting wedded overseas will no longer have to face complications in changing their tourist visa to dependent visa as the administration plans to modify prevailing rules.
The decision came after Philipino spouse of Indian national, who married abroad, faced complications in converting a tourist visa to dependent visa as the current guidelines did not permit to do so. The husband had complained to Home Minister of India Rajnath Singh.
“We are doing away with the particular rule and simplifying it so that irrespective of the place of the wedding, the foreign spouse can convert their tourist visa to dependent visa,” a senior Home Ministry official said.
As per the visa manual, tourist visa can be converted to X2 (dependent visa) visa lone when the wedding takes place in India and gets registered within the validity of the existing tourist visa.
Opposing to that, if someone wants to do so has to go back to his or her country and come back on an X2 visa.
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With the modification of the visa rules and restructuring the procedure, the conversion of tourist visa to X2 would be permitted even if the marriage takes place on foreign soil.
Yet, the facility will not be obtainable to the nationals of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan and Iraq, and citizens of Pakistani origin and stateless persons.
Addressing the Parliamentary Consultative Committee earlier this week, the Home Minister had said that the government would facilitate safe and convenient entry inside the country to legitimate international travelers and provide all visa-related and consular services to foreigners staying in India in a faster and convenient mode.
By Sowmya
