The Ministry of Home Affairs has notified the Immigration and Foreigners (Amendment) Rules, 2026, under Section 30 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, to streamline the tracking of foreign nationals and curb visa overstays through a synchronized electronic system.
Key Provisions
- Registration Mandate: Foreigners on visas ≤ 180 days must register before the expiration of their stay. The 14-day post-expiry grace period is abolished.
- Long-Term Visas: For visas exceeding 180 days, if individual stays are capped at 180 days, registration is mandatory before the 180-day threshold.
- Exemptions: Children born in India to mixed-nationality parents (one being an Indian citizen) are exempt from the 30-day birth notification requirement if Indian citizenship is retained under Section 3 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
- Compliance Timelines:
- Hospitals: Must report medical admission/discharge within 24 hours.
- Hotels/Homestays: Mandatory Form C submission within 24 hours of arrival.
- Landlords: Immediate digital intimation for renting to foreigners.
- Appellate Mechanism: A new paperless channel allows appeals against penalties to be filed with the Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration within 30 days. Appeals must be resolved within 60 days.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Nodal Authority: Ministry of Home Affairs; field implementation via the Bureau of Immigration.
- Statutory Framework: Governed by the Foreigners Act, 1946; Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939; and Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
- FRRO vs FRO: FRROs manage immigration in metros; in other districts, the Superintendent of Police serves as the Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO).
- Form C: Mandatory electronic record for all accommodation providers to track foreign residential footprints.