India tightens visa rules, U.S., UK tourists in trouble

By siliconindia   |   Thursday, 24 December 2009, 15:35 IST   |    47 Comments
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India tightens visa rules, U.S., UK tourists in trouble
New Delhi: To fill the gap in the visa system, Indian government has decided to tighten its long-term tourist visas. Tourists who have been in the country for more than five or 10 years will have to leave the country every six months, and will have to wait for two months before they can reenter India, reports NDTV. Earlier, tourists on similar visas could leave India for short trips to Nepal or other close-by countries, before returning to India. The new rules are learnt to be the result of David Coleman Headley case. Headley, a U.S. national, made frequent trips to India between 2006 and 2009, travelling to different cities to allegedly plan terror attacks. Headley was arrested in Chicago in October by the FBI for helping to plan and execute the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai last year. Home Minister P Chidambaram said, "The gaps in the visa system have been exposed in number of cases, the most notable among them being the case of David Coleman Headley. The compelling need to create a fool-proof system cannot be overstated." But will this step of Indian Govt be acceptable for other countries? Both the U.S. and UK have expressed concern over the new guidelines because a large number of tourists and people of Indian origin live in these countries and travel frequently to India. The envoys of both countries have conveyed their reservations. The British High Commission states that while it appreciates the Indian government's right to protect its citizens, it hopes 'genuine tourists' won't be adversely affected. Seven lakh British tourists visit India every year. The U.S. Embassy, on its website, also seems to be critical of the new policy. The website highlights 'inconsistencies' in implementation of new rules that have not been publicized and cites examples of Americans who say they've gone through problems.