MHA launches online security clearance for visa to attend conferences

The Union Government has launched an online “event clearance system” for grant of security clearance to foreigners wanting to visit India to attend conferences, seminars or workshops.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba has launched the online Event Clearance System (https://conference.mha.gov.in) for grant of security clearance to the conference/seminar/workshop organized in India. This will enable the Indian Missions abroad for issuance of Conference Visa to foreign nationals/delegates intending to attend such events organized by a Ministry or Department of the Government of India, State Governments or UT Administrations, Public Sector Undertakings, Central Educational Institutions, Public Funded Universities or private institutions or NGOs.

“With the introduction of the online module, the whole process has become paperless and standardized resulting in effective monitoring and timely disposal. Various officials involved in the process can access the online application and documents and take a proper decision to facilitate the organizers and participants of such conferences,” Rajiv Gauba said after launching the online system.

Prior to the introduction of online module, obtaining clearances for organizing a conference/seminar/workshop for issue of Conference Visa to foreign delegates was an offline procedure. The organizers were required to apply for the clearances in the physical form along with documents. The processing of event clearance was also an offline procedure. Clearances were being issued by the Ministry in a physical format.

Gauba complimented officials of the Foreigners Division for bringing out recently several successful initiatives relating to FCRA, FRRO, OCI etc that made the work processes faster, transparent and paperless. He urged them to continue to work in the same direction.

Indian Missions are authorized to issue conference visas to delegates on production of an invitation to a conference/seminar/workshop being organized in India. However, prior reference is required to be made to the Ministry of Home Affairs before granting conference visas to foreigners participating in conferences/ seminars/ workshops etc. in India in the following cases:-

(i) If the participants are nationals of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Sudan or foreigners of Pakistani origin or Stateless persons; and/or

(ii) If the participants of conferences /seminars/workshops are required to visit ‘Restricted’ or ‘Protected’ areas in India, or areas affected by terrorism, militancy and extremism etc. viz. Jammu & Kashmir and the North Eastern States (other than the States of Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland).