e-FRRO a big relief for foreigners, to improve ease of doing business

Foreigners coming to India for a longer duration on employment visa, student visa, entry visa, etc, were earlier required to physically visit the jurisdictional Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO)/Foreigners Registration Office (FRO)/Office of Superintendent of Police for visa and immigration-related services. That may no longer be required.

The government had in the past introduced various measures to make immigration processes online, such as online application, online appointment, etc. However, to address the above challenge and with the objective of providing faceless, cashless and paperless services to foreigners, the government has introduced e-FRRO effective February 12, 2018. This has been launched on a pilot basis at the FRRO in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai and is soon expected to be introduced across FRROs/FROs in India.

The e-FRRO would cover all visa and immigration-related services in India and would offer the following key benefits to foreigners:

1. Faceless - No requirement of a physical visit.

2. Paperless - Online registration, login with valid credentials, online application submission and upload of documents.

3. Cashless - Online fee payment through bank payment gateway.

This would be a welcome change for foreigners arriving in India for various purposes. Earlier, apart from the initial visit for registration within two weeks of landing in India, there was also at least one annual visit required for a visa extension. Further, there were added visits for endorsement of change in address/passport, submission of tax documents, etc.

While the FRRO/FRO had streamlined the processes over the years, it was still a strain, as the foreigners had to travel to the jurisdiction FRRO/FRO office and spend almost a day and in certain locations days till the completion of the relevant process. At times, foreigners had to undertake multiple visits, if they were asked to obtain additional documentation or to amend any documents.

As part of e-FRRO, foreigners would now be updated with the progress, at every stage, through SMS/email alerts. Additionally, foreigners can login and track the status of their applications online. Further, on successful completion of the process, the Residential Permit (RP)/Resident Certificate (RC) would also be made available online. This would be followed by the dispatch of hard copy RP/RC through post. Also, there would not be any need for endorsement on the passport.

The above changes are focused on providing a user-friendly experience. However, it does raise a question as to how the planned mandatory biometric would be implemented for all foreigners entering the country. Hopeful, this may still be addressed through alternative means either at the point of entry or while applying for the visa.

While there could be some teething problems faced by the foreigners as the authorities implement the new process for various services and determine any exceptions to the online processes for various services, the above measure should further improve India's positioning on "ease of doing business".

Alok Agrawal is a senior director with Deloitte India and Suresh Kumar is a director with Deloitte Haskins and Sells LLP