Taken up easing of visa issue with 'concerned govts' for all categories of Indian travelers: MoS Muraleedharan

New Delhi [India], December 8 (ANI): The Indian government has taken up the visa delay issue with 'concerned governments' for all categories of the country's travellers, Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs, V Muraleedharan said in response to a question in Rajya Sabha.
Responding to a question on the delay of the visa issue, MoS Muraleedharan said, "The Ministry of External Affairs is aware of the challenges being faced by Indian travelers in the last two years for obtaining visas for the US, UK, and some other nations, particularly in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic."
"The Government of India has taken up with the concerned Governments the easing of visa issuance for all categories of Indian travellers," he added.
To a question on whether the government has analysed the impact of visa delays on the tourism sector, MoS Muraleedharan said there is no connection between the issuance of visas to Indian nationals and incoming tourist arrivals in India.
Regarding the spike in visa rejection rate among students, who applied for higher education post the Covid-19 pandemic, MoS Muraleedharan said India has been regularly taking the issue of reducing visa processing and streamlining visa-related issues with foreign governments.
"The Government of India does not have information about visa rejection rates for
students for foreign countries. The grant of visa is a sovereign function of a foreign government and its Mission issues visas, including student visas, on the basis of policy/criteria set by the former. The ministry has regularly taken up this issue with authorities concerned regarding the need to reduce processing time and streamline visa-related issues," he said.
"Instances have been reported from some countries where accommodation available for Indian students abroad post-Covid has become costlier and in few instances, paucity of accommodation has also been reported. The Government of India, through its Missions concerned, has already taken up the matter in these countries with either the host government or other organizations for resolving the issue," the MoS replying to question on Indian students, living abroad, facing the problems post-Covid. (ANI)