Kamal Ghorui
The Union Cabinet has approved continuation of the Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration and Tracking (IVFRT) scheme for another five years from April 1, 2026, with a budget outlay of Rs 1,800 crore, in a move aimed at strengthening border management and improving services for legitimate foreign travellers, the government said.The extension — not a fresh approval of the project — seeks to build on an existing digital immigration platform that interlinks visa issuance, immigration clearance and foreigners’ registration functions within a secure and integrated framework. The initiative, first cleared in 2010 and extended in subsequent phases, is intended to modernise immigration processes in line with evolving travel demands and emerging security challenges, officials said.According to the government, the next phase will focus on expanding the scope and capacity of the system by adopting “state-of-the-art technological solutions” and revamping infrastructure while maintaining a strong security architecture. The continuation follows the enactment of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, which has increased the need for a more resilient and technologically advanced immigration ecosystem.The scheme will concentrate on three broad areas — emerging technology innovations, transformation of core infrastructure and optimisation of technology-enabled service delivery. Officials said the modernisation will involve mobile-based services, self-service kiosks, unified digital platforms and upgraded data centres to ensure seamless passenger movement and real-time data sharing among authorised agencies.The government said IVFRT has already brought measurable improvements in visa processing and immigration clearance over the past decade. “The system has enabled a 100% contactless and faceless visa process with online appointment scheduling and payment facilities,” it noted, adding that over 91% of e-visa applications have been processed within 72 hours in recent years.Average passenger clearance time at immigration checkpoints has fallen to about 2.5-3 minutes, including biometric verification, compared with around five to six minutes under earlier manual processes. At selected airports, automated e-gates under the Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme have further reduced clearance time to about 30 seconds for eligible travellers, the government said.Coverage under the platform has expanded steadily. The system now spans 117 immigration posts, 15 Foreigners Regional Registration Offices and 854 district-level registration authorities across the country, enabling wider digital integration of immigration-related services.Officials said the continuation of IVFRT is expected to have broader economic implications by facilitating international mobility and improving ease of doing business. Enhanced service delivery and security assurance are likely to benefit sectors such as tourism, aviation, hospitality, trade and medical travel.The government emphasised that the modernisation drive is “not just a technical upgrade, but a strategic transformation” aimed at promoting a world-class immigration and visa system while supporting economic growth and employment generation.Over time, the platform has evolved from offering only a handful of digital services to providing more than 30 immigration-related services, reflecting the growing scale and sophistication of India’s immigration management framework. The extended phase is expected to deepen this transition by further integrating processes and enhancing user experience without compromising national security objectives, the government said.
