Government forms task force to expedite visas and citizenship for Hindu Pakistani nationals

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? India’s Ministry of Home Affairs has formed a task force to speed up processing of long-term visa and citizenship applications for Pakistani nationals who are Hindu and face religious persecution at home.

What does the change mean? Citizens of Pakistan who are Hindu may obtain faster processing.

• Implementation timeframe: Immediate and ongoing.
• Visas/permits affected: Visas, residence permits, citizenship.
• Who is affected: Hindu citizens of Pakistan.
• Impact on processing times: The task force will expedite processing times for eligible applicants.
• Next steps: The task force will be led by the Ministry’s joint secretary for foreigners and will begin to monitor and review applications.

Background: Generally, India tightly curtails visas to Pakistani nationals. The new program will only impact Hindus claiming refugee status based on religious persecution.

BAL Analysis: The task force has not yet announced whether it will create special procedures for fast-track service to affected Pakistani citizens. BAL will update clients on further developments as they are announced.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in India. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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