No restrictions on foreign interns

India wants to let foreigners gain professional experience in the country.

HYDERABAD, 22/04/2013: BIG RUSH FOR US VISA: People are waiting in a queue for visa interview at US Consulate General, which is receiving record number of applications, for American visas under different categories in Hyderabad on April 22, 2013. Photo: Mohammed Yousuf

A new ‘internship visa,’ approved by the Union Cabinet to help foreigners gain professional experience in India, does not include a “restricted category” to thwart applications from countries such as Pakistan and China.

A senior official of the Home Ministry said India wanted to open its doors to talent from across the globe and let foreigners gain professional experience in the country.

Young people welcome

Explaining the reason for not having any restricted list for this category of visa, the official said: “We welcome young people from across the world. There is going to be a surge in demand for such visas when foreign companies start operating here. We will decide each application on a case-by-case basis.”

Asked whether this meant there was no blanket ban on applicants from Pakistan and China, the official responded: “We have included a security clearance clause in this category of visa. A final decision would be taken by security agencies.”

As reported by The Hindu , the NDA government removed Iran from the list of countries that were put in the restricted visa category last year. Conference visa seekers from China were also removed from this category.

The restricted visa category means applicants would be issued a visa only when the security agencies have given the go-ahead after background checks. Interestingly, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Yemen are the other countries on this list.

On November 30, the Union Cabinet had given approval to liberalise the visa regime by merging conference, tourist, business and medical visas into one.

The decision to introduce the “internship visa” was also taken the same day. The government also rechristened the electronic tourist visa (eTV) as electronic visa and prospective visitors can apply through the existing online portal.

As per the revised norms, a foreign national visiting India for tourist, business, conference and medical purposes would be able to apply under a single category through electronic means as the tourist only head has been done away with, the official said.