Six non-Muslim communities must obtain visas for continued stay in India
The Ministry of Home Affairs has amended an exemption order for certain minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, requiring members of six non-Muslim communities to secure an appropriate visa for their continued stay in India, according to The Hindu.
The rule applies to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, due to fear of religious persecution.
These individuals may have entered without valid travel documents or possess documents that have since expired. The amendment, notified on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, replaces a previous rule regarding registration requirements.
The new provision aligns the exempted categories with the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019. This act fast-tracked citizenship for these six minority groups from the three neighbouring countries who arrived before December 31, 2014.
The notification also introduces a formal definition for the Visa Manual and revises travel provisions for Indian, Nepali and Bhutanese citizens. Indian citizens travelling to Nepal or Bhutan must now present identity documents specified in the manual.
The amendment also reorganises exemptions for Tibetan refugees and registered Sri Lankan Tamil refugees. It further includes exemptions for members of the Indian armed forces on duty and their families travelling on government transport.