India requires visas for non-Muslim communities from Afghanistan Bangladesh Pakistan
India just announced that people from six non-Muslim communities, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians who came from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, or Pakistan before the end of 2024 will now need a visa if they're living in India without valid documents.
This move mainly affects those who arrived due to religious persecution and whose paperwork has expired.
Visa manual issued, CAA exemptions preserved
While these new rules are in place, exemptions under the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019 still align with the exempted categories for these groups.
Plus, there's a new "Visa Manual" for document requirements for Indian citizens traveling to Nepal or Bhutan and Nepali and Bhutanese citizens entering or exiting India.
Tibetan and Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who entered under the specified permits and are registered, and registered Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who took shelter in India up to January 9, 2015, keep their current protections.
The update also requires long-term residents facing issues like being unable to renew foreign passports to obtain an appropriate visa to stay in India.