Two special category visas – ‘e-student visa’ and ‘e-student-x visa’ – have been introduced for international students by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

In order to avail of the visa benefits, applicants must use the ‘Study in India’ (SII) portal. The visas are meant to enable students from abroad pursue higher education at institutions in the country.

The admission process for international students has been simplified on the SII portal. Those seeking short term and long term courses in India should first register on the portal before applying for an e-student visa on indianvisaonline.gov.in.

While registering on the SII portal, the ID that is generated is mandatory for application verification and tracking of the same. Dependents of the student-applicants are eligible for an e-student-x visa.

The e-student visas, which are valid for up to five years, are issued to students enrolled in recognised degree courses and doctoral programs, and can be extended within the country beyond five years.

The registration process on the SII portal requires filling in basic information such as the name of the student, the country they are from, and a valid email ID. – editor@nrifocus.com