Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the establishment of Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROs) in all state capitals by next year. Currently, FRRO offices have been established in twenty States.
The Home Ministry said that there has been a substantial increase in the number of foreigners visiting India for tourism, medical and education purposes and there is a need to appoint FRROs in all states. The Ministry said, this will ensure service accessibility, enhance regulatory compliance and promote India as an attractive destination. It said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is strengthening the institutional framework for management of foreign nationals through expansion of Foreigners Regional Registration Offices.
The Ministry informed that Central government is pursuing the matter of establishing FRRO’s in remaining States namely Bihar, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya. This will help foreigners visiting India obtain various consular services such as visa extension, conversion, immigration compliance and legal safety. The expansion will strengthen local-level institutional capacity, improve coordination with State authorities and facilitate legitimate foreign visitors. The Foreigners Regional Registration Office regulates, tracks and facilitates the lawful stay of foreign nationals visiting or residing in India. It administers post-arrival registration for eligible categories of foreigners and issues a Registration Certificate or Residential Permit upon registration.
