If a foreigner is married to someone whose domicile is in India one cannot apply for a spouse visa as there isn’t any scope to avail the visa. The question then arises as to how a foreigner spouse can enter India. The visa category for Indian citizens with foreigner spouses is an X visa which is essentially entry visa exclusively for taking up residence in India. The X visa is not in lieu of a work permit and one is barred from working with an X Visa and if one does work then one would be violating the law and working illegally.
Those visiting India along with their spouse on a tourist visa, it is convertible into X visa or Entry visa so as to remain in the country for longer timescale. The X-visa is for individuals accompanied by their spouse visiting India on the student, employment or any other type of visa for the long term. If one is in India already and intends on transforming one’s visa from tourist to Entry, then, in that case, one most definitely can while be residing in India. The process, however, is long-drawn and therefore the conversion ought to be planned accordingly.
Besides, if one has an Indian lineage, one can extend one’s stay in the country by applying for this visa.
Eligibility criteria for conversion to Entry Visa from Tourist Visa
Every person visiting India on a tourist visa is not eligible to apply for the X-visa however there are a few criteria that need to be fulfilled to ascertain whether one is eligible for the conversion. and they are:
Steps for Converting Indian Tourist Visa To Entry Visa
Process Alteration
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) used to regulate the conversion of tourist visas to X-visas at one time. In 2012 all of that changed and since then the applications are reviewed by the Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO) of MHA.
These days a visit to the nation’s capital is unnecessary as the application has to be sent online through the FRRO official website: https://indianfrro.gov.in/eservices/. Once the application is submitted a verification will be done by the concerned FRRO authorities and an appointment scheduled to one’s local FRRO. The status of the application can be tracked online quite seamlessly.
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