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Indian Tourism is getting an overwhelming response from travelers all over the world. The number of foreign tourists visiting India increased by many folds, 15 lakh visas were issued between January and May, the decline rate of visa are marginal. Nearly 12 lakh visas were issued in just three days after lodging application. The visa on arrival facility is available for people of 150 countries; presently this permit is valid for one month. Indian Government has plans to extend the stay by three months. The Normal tourist visa will be granted for six months where as the e-tv visa is given for one month. Delhi, Chennai, and Mumbai received good number foreigners during this period.  Since 2014 Indian Tourism has seen a sharp increase of travelers and it is growing tremendously. The initiative by the Indian Government and easy access to visas is allowing a good number of travelers to visit India. e-tv visa scheme issued 9.75 lakh visas to foreign travelers. Approximately 8.5 lakh visas were issued in just 48 hours. Source link

The Vietnamese Government has extended visa-free travel by additional year for the travelers from France, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain and Italy.  The foreign nationals who visit Vietnam can stay for 15 days. Any passport holder from the countries who meet the requirement of Vietnam law can avail the facility of visa exemption.  The visa-free scheme was introduced last year for five countries on July 1 2016. Now it has been extended for one more year.  The Government’s decision aims to boost medical tourism and attract more number of foreign travelers to Vietnam.  Last year foreign travelers’ influx has greatly contributed to the Vietnam Tourism Development.  With the enforcement of visa-free travel to the five Western Europe countries. International Travelers to Vietnam increased by 15 percent over the previous years.    The number of tourists from China, Thailand, South Korea and Hong Kong increased tremendously.  In the first half of the year, Vietnam received 4.7 million international travelers.   Source link

India is riding high on the success of e-tourist visa scheme, after receiving an overwhelming response from the travelers in using the e-visa facility; Indian Government announced the extension of this service to 36 more countries. The proposal has been sent to the home ministry for seeking approval for granting the facility.   If the department approves the proposal, then travelers from 186 countries out of the United Nations recognized 194 countries. The online visa service was introduced in the month of November 2014. The new visa facility was introduced for 36 countries Iran, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria, Italy, Turkey, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Maldives, and Morocco are among 36 countries that have been offered electronic travel visa.  According to the Indian Tourism Ministry, between the period January and June 4, 71,909 tourists visited India. During the same period in the previous year 1, 26,214 visited India; the high growth rate of traveler influx is the impact of the introduction of e-tourist visa.  e-visa facility was mainly used by the tourists from the United States followed by the United Kingdom, China, Australia and France in the month of May 2016.  Source link

To address skill shortage issues in its technology sector, Israel has planned to relax its visa regime to attract skilled foreign workers into its country. The  software firms warned that skill shortages are jeopardizing the country’s multi-billion… Source link

Briefing to the Lok Sabha on liberalizing visa policies, Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the Government has a proposal to introduce a new visa regime to boost the service sector.  The plan will enhance trade services and improve  the tourism sector. To further policy reforms, the Home Ministry is conducting consultation processes with other stakeholders. Changes will improve the supply Services in tourism for medical reasons, Indian general tourism, and educational services.  She also said that her ministry would work with the Home Ministry for liberalized visa policies along with safeguarding measures.  The Indian Service sector is the most important sector as it contributes to 60 percent of Gross Democratic Product (GDP).  The service sector is robust and constitutes 25 per cent of Indian exports. Source link

The Saudi Arabia Government announced new visa fee reforms that will be in effect from October 2nd, 2016.  For a period of two months, a resident needs to pay a revised fee of SR200 for exit and re-entry. SR100 will be charged per month till the end of the permit. SR 500 will be charged for three months, and SR 200 will be charged for every extra month till the end of residence permit. Visa Fees is waived off for the expats visiting Haj and Umrah pilgrimage for the first time. For the second time, they are supposed to pay a sum of SR2, 000. Foreign nationals applying for a six month, one year and two-year multiple entry visas will now have to pay SR3, 000, SR5, 000 and SR8, 000 respectively.  Travelers passing through Saudi Arabia airports will have to pay SR300 for transit visas. The individuals leaving Saudi Arabia through its seaports will have to pay SR50. Source link

Citing security concerns, the Home Ministry of India puts on hold the proposal sent by Tourism Ministry to provide e-visa facility to the delegates visiting the country for conferences and meetings.  According to an  official from Tourism Ministry, “The Home Ministry has raised some security concerns with the e-visa for a conference. It may not get a green signal from the Home Ministry for the time being.” He also mentioned that the provision of availing e-visa facility for delegates will soon be implemented.   To boost the travel industry in India,The Tourism Ministry  had proposed to extend e-visa facility to the delegates who intend to visit India for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition (MICE).  As per the latest release from International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), there have been almost 11,000 major meetings held across the planet. Source link

On Tuesday, the Cabinet of Thailand announced a new visa plan under which the permit to stay, of foreign nationals aged 50 or more, has been increased from one year to ten years. The vice-minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, Colonel Apisit Chaiyanuwat explains that, “the new visa having a fee of 10,000 baht will be valid only for five years initially and then it can be extended for five more years with renewal”.  Eligible foreign nationals are required to a show a monthly salary of minimum 100,000bt or at least 3 million baht bank deposit for a minimum period of one year, which is essential to avail the facilities of new visa plan.  The travellers satisfying these criteria have to report to immigration police on a regular interval of 90 days. In addition, they must be medically insured with at least USD 10,000 per year & USD 1,000 per year for inpatient care & outpatient care respectively.  The new visa plan was announced to promote and boost Thailand’s medical and wellness tourism. The new visa plan is to  target long-stay visitors from various countries across the world that include India, China, Australia, Italy, Japan, Norway, England, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Taiwan, the US, the Netherlands, Germany and Canada, said by Colonel Apisit.  The Thai government estimates that, 107 billion baht of revenue was generated from medical tourism in 2014 and in 2015; Thailand was visited by a huge number of medical tourists which is estimated to be 1.3 million to 1.8 million foreign nationals.  The new visa plan boosts Thailand’s economy and allows the patients seeking medical treatment, to stay in Thailand for a period of maximum 90 days without visa, who are citizens of Middle Eastern countries including China, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. Source link

On Wednesday, a federal high court prevented the President Trump’s led administration from sending back a man of Afghan descent who was attempting to come into the United States with a special permit kept specially for those who have come to the aid… Source link

The nation of India currently tendered a proposal for a worldwide agreement on business facilitation to the departments of the world trade organization.   The completed version of the document is yet to be made available to the general public, though, although reporters have gotten news that the country has advocated for a training charge for permit fees.   The nation has appealed to terminate the partial treatment on salary prerequisites.   It has also put forward to the world trade organization to provide the permit fees to make it more affordable and fair.   New Delhi has also employed the world trade organization to pardon expert workers with a permit from paying additional fees.   For More Immigration News & Updates Follow Us @Facebook Source link