India Overhauls Visa Regime: Categories Cut to Nine and Forms 70% Leaner
The Ministry of Home Affairs has restructured India's visa framework, reducing the primary visa classifications from 13 to nine and pruning sub-categories from 49 to 23. Under the streamlined guidelines publicized on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, administrative application questionnaires across all 23 streams have been curtailed by 65% to 70%. The Ministry of Home Affairs said the shorter forms make the process easier, faster and more applicant-friendly. This revision builds upon an initial consolidation carried out in October 2025, when central authorities narrowed main categories from 22 to 13 and reduced sub-streams from 63 to 49.
Introduction of Visitor Visas and Short-Stay Streams
Under the updated framework, the traditional Tourist Visa has been renamed the Visitor Visa to encompass diverse activities beyond leisure travel. The visitor stream is structured into two classifications, labeled V-1 and V-2, enabling travelers to choose options aligned with their visit duration. The V-1 stream covers short-duration activities including executive corporate meetings, medical consultations, wellness therapies, yoga retreats, and cultural craft courses. It provides a 30-day validity window with multiple-entry privileges, facilitating smooth travel for visitors combining leisure with professional or cultural programs. The V-2 stream serves extended travel with validities of one year, five years, or 10 years, alongside a specialized six-month multiple-entry provision for mountaineering expeditions. Under the e-B4 visa launched in November 2025, each sponsorship letter carries a unique ID and is authenticated through MCA and GSTN databases, according to SCC Online.
Medical and Academic Pathway Restructuring
The medical immigration architecture preserves distinct pathways for conventional healthcare alongside traditional AYUSH clinical treatments. The M-1 visa covers conventional hospital treatments, while the M-3 visa facilitates care under traditional AYUSH disciplines. Both medical streams, including electronic variants, offer a default one-year validity with multiple-entry allowances to support recurring clinical checkups under the Heal in India mission. Attendants of M-1 and M-3 visa holders receive M-2 and M-4 visas respectively. Student entries are consolidated into S-1 for schooling through postgraduate degrees, and S-2 for doctoral researchers, while Study in India portal enrollees receive up to five-year authorizations.
Corporate Classifications and Digital System Upgrades
Commercial entries are split between B-1 for long-term corporate enterprise establishment and B-2 for short-term contractual assignments including film production and conferences. A specialized Production Investment Business Visa within the B-2 classification accommodates foreign engineers, technical specialists, and industrial installation experts previously processed under e-B4 codes. The nine overarching categories comprise Business, Diplomatic, Work, Journalist, Medical, Official, Student, Visitor, and Miscellaneous visas. E-visas are available to nationals of 172 countries, with technical portal updates scheduled to issue visas under the rationalized structure by the end of 2026, according to NDTV. In December 2025, DPIIT launched an online sponsorship module on the National Single Window System to automate sponsorship letters for the e-Production Investment Business Visa, according to SCC Online.