The Union Home Ministry has issued a notification to allow the entry of foreign journalists and their families who have valid visas into India. This decision came after the government decided to relax visa and travel restrictions for more categories of foreign nationals who want to travel to India.
Now, those foreign nationals who hold Journalist (J-1) visas and their dependents holding J-1X visas will be allowed to enter India. If they have J-1 or J-1X visas, which have been suspended, such visas shall stand restored with immediate effect to facilitate their entry into India.
"It has been decided to permit foreign journalists holding Journalist (J-1) visa and their dependents holding J1-X visa to enter India...It has also been decided that the existing restrictions on incoming passenger traffic into India through the Immigration check posts will not apply in respect of these categories of foreign nations,” the government said.
However, the home ministry said if the validity of such visas has expired, they may obtain fresh J-1 or J-1X visas, as the case may be, from the Indian missions or posts concerned.
The foreign nationals will have to adhere to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health when it comes to quarantine and all other health and COVID-19 related matters.
The government had on August 7 allowed overseas citizens of India (OCI) cardholders from various countries like the UK, German, France, US, Kuwait, with whom India has signed an ‘air bubble’ agreement. Other foreign nationals from these countries have also been allowed to avail Indian visa facility for business, medical and employment purposes.
On March 25, in view of the nationwide lockdown, the government had restricted the travel of foreign nationals to India.