Rajnath launches ‘e-FRRO’ scheme for better visa related services

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Aptil 13, 2018, launched the web-based application ‘e-FRRO’ (e-Foreigners Regional Registration Office) at a function here. Speaking on the occasion Rajnath said that it has been a constant endeavour of the Home Ministry to provide fast and efficient services to foreigners visiting India so that they have a pleasant experience of their stay here.

Rajnath said the e-FRRO scheme is aimed at building a centralized, transparent online platform for the foreigners to avail visa related services and to provide Faceless, Cashless and Paperless services to the foreigners with user friendly experience, according to a PIB release.

The e-FRRO scheme would be a quantum jump in improving the ease of service delivery with respect to foreigners visiting and staying in India. In the new system, foreigners would be able to get as many as 27 Visa and Immigration related services in India from the comfort of their place of stay. Using the e-FRRO application, foreigners can apply online on the portal and obtain the service(s) through email/post without appearing in person at the FRO/FRRO office.

It may be noted that the online services offered by E-FRRO scheme are not available even in some of the most advanced countries in North America and Europe. In 2017, more than one crore foreigners visited India and of them approximately 3.6 lakhs had to visit FRRO offices spread across the country for various visa-related services. With the launch of the online e-FRRO scheme, their physical visit to the FRRO offices has thus been obviated.

The e-FRRO scheme has been implemented on the IVFRT platform with negligible extra expenditure taking a cue from the already successfully running e-Visa scheme. It may be noted that the e-Visa scheme has earned revenue of more than Rs 1,400 crore since its launch in November 2014.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Director IB Rajiv Jain, senior officials of MHA, NIC, MEA and Department  of Tourism were present on the occasion.

Under the present system, foreigners staying in India on Visa duration of more than 180 days have to get themselves registered with their respective FROs/FRROs. Similarly, foreigners requiring different kind of visa related services such as Visa extension, Visa Conversion, Change of address, Change of Educational institutions, Exit permits etc are currently required to visit the FROs/FRROs office.