INDIAN GOVT ASKS FOREIGN EMBASSIES TO START VISA SERVICES - DETAILED REPORT

A request has been made to the diplomatic missions in India to resume visa processing services “in view of lifting of the COVID lockdown.” It was taken forward by the external affairs ministry.

As the nation is looking to return to normalcy in a calibrated manner. The government is yet to take a decision on international flights after seeing the situation of the pandemic in the country. The ministry wrote, “This ministry is receiving a number of requests from Indian nationals/trade bodies/ other organisations regarding difficulties being faced by bona fide Indian nationals in obtaining visas of foreign countries due to continued suspension of such services by some diplomatic missions in India… Several of them intend to travel to foreign countries for various reasons including emergency/ compelling reasons to re-join family members residing abroad, resumption of education…”

“In some cases, their visas have expired and they need to re-apply at foreign diplomatic missions in India to travel back to their country of residence. In few cases, Indian citizens who had submitted their original passports to foreign diplomatic missions in India for processing of their visa applications before lockdown have not yet received their passports back,” the letter read,

Responding to these queries the Aviation minister H S Puri on Saturday said, “We can start regular international flights when our domestic traffic reaches about 50-60% and other countries open to international traffic without present conditionalities. Once the situation evolves in that direction we will consider a calibrated opening.”