During the last few years, the Government under the leadership of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has taken a number of measures to facilitate the stay in India of foreign travelers. In one more step in this direction, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the directions of the Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, has taken another decision which shall help facilitate Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders stayingin different parts of the country. Now, the districts of GautamBudh Nagar and Ghaziabad of Uttar Pradesh, have been brought under the jurisdiction ofFRRO, Delhi for matters relating to receiving and processing of applications for various services in respect of such card holders. These measures are expected to greatly facilitate foreign nationals residing in the National Capital Region (NCR) for availing visa and OCI related services.

So far, GautamBuddh Nagar and Ghaziabad districts of Uttar Pradesh were under the jurisdiction of FRRO, Lucknow for the purpose of receiving and processing of applications for various services in respect of OCI card holders.  This was causing inconvenience to OCI card holders residing in these districts.  These districts are already under the jurisdiction of FRRO, Delhi for various visa related services for foreigners.  Further, the States of Haryana and Rajasthan are already under the jurisdiction of FRRO, Delhi for OCI and visa related services for foreigners. 

Further, it has also been decided to clearly define the jurisdiction of the three FRROs in Kerala for the purpose of receiving and processing of applications for various services in respect of OCI card holders. Accordingly, Kannur, Kasargod, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Wayanad Districts of Kerala will be under the jurisdiction of FRRO Kozhikode.The districts of Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Palakkad and Thrissur and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep will be under the jurisdiction of FRRO Kochi. The districts of Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram will be under the jurisdiction of FRRO, Thiruvananthapuram. This will facilitate the grant of OCI services to foreigners residing in the State of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.

Various measures taken over the last few years include measures such as launching of an e-FRRO module throughout the country bringing various visa related services being granted to foreigners within India on the online platform, permitting foreigners on any category of visa to avail  indoor and outdoor medical treatment up to 180 days without conversion of their visa to Medical visa, delegation of powers of the Ministry of Home Affairs to district level officers like Foreigners Registration Officers (FROs) and to Foreigners Regional Registration Officers (FRROs) facilitating foreigners to get the required visa related services expeditiously, and defining the specific jurisdiction of FRROs with reference to the functions assigned to FROs in various districts of the country.

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