The story so far:
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently notified Rules, Order and Exemption Order, which made the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 operational. Parliament passed the legislation to regulate all matters relating to foreigners and immigration in April. It repealed and replaced several Acts, the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Immigration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.
What was the rationale?
The Government said a new legislation was required to avoid multiplicity and overlapping of laws on passports or other travel documents in respect of persons entering and exiting from India, and to regulate matters related to foreigners’ visa, registration and immigration issues. Though most provisions in the newly notified Immigration and Foreigners Rules, Immigration and Foreigners Order, Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order were there in notifications issued in the past, certain new clauses and conditions have been added, considering the vast changes that have occurred after the original pre-Independence Acts came into existence.
What does the Immigration and Foreigners Rules say?
