Foreigners can now approach Home Ministry if plea for visa extension not heard within 1 month

Issued order also mentions foreigners free to visit MHA in medical emergencies.

Foreigners visiting India may now approach the Home Ministry directly if their applications for extension of visa are not resolved within 30 days.

The Home Ministry has decided that tourists can approach its foreigners division with the grievance if a decision is not taken by the concerned Foreigner Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) or Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) within 30 days of making the request.

The Home Ministry,however,made it clear that foreign nationals must visit the concerned jurisdictional FRRO or FRO first for such visa-related services before approaching the Home Ministry as it involves avoidable inconvenience,waste of time and financial burden to them.

The foreigners can also visit the Home Ministry in cases of medical emergencies,an official order says.

The government also delegated various powers to the FRROs and FROs to offer services to visiting foreigners including registration,visa extension and visa conversion.

If any service is required by a foreign national which is not covered in the above-mentioned delegated powers,even then the foreign national first visit the concerned FRRO or FRO and put in a formal request for the service,the order says.

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