India Set for Simple US Immigration

Passport holders in India who want to travel to the US will soon find the immigration procedure easier than ever, according to Bharath Kumar Kuthati, the Regional Passport Officer (RPO) in Bengaluru. Kuthati says that the new arrangement comes in the wake of a memorandum of understanding between the US and India, which enables citizens of certain nations to enter the US free from hassle.

India has only recently been included on that list, a decision made during the recent trip to the US by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The scheme, referred to as the Global Entry Program (GEP), began in July 2017 but has progressed at a sedate pace due to the fact that several different agencies need to provide clearance.

Kuthati notes that the immigration procedure for Indians looking to travel to the US has previously been rather cumbersome but that the GEP will ensure Indian passport holders can enjoy a hassle-free entrance into the country.

Existing passport holders can become part of the program by putting in an application that will be scrutinized and processed by a variety of agencies before given clearance, but once that clearance is given, entry will be easier than ever. The RPO in Bengaluru is working on other methods of increasing the issue rate of passports with the decision to open further Post Office Passport Seva Kendras, 12 of which have already been in operation since the beginning of last year.