Home Ministry keeps passport exemption for persecuted Hindu and other minority refugees, but asks them to take a visa to stay
The amended order covers those who fled religious persecution and entered India up to 31 December 2024, ten years past the CAA cut-off.
- ThePrint (PTI)
- The Hindu
The Union Home Ministry has amended the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, through a notification dated 4 November. The change covers Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
It applies to those who entered India on or before 31 December 2024, fleeing religious persecution or fear of it. They remain exempt from holding valid passports or visas at the time of entry, The Hindu reported.
That exemption was first granted through a notification of 2 September 2025. The new proviso says each such person must obtain "an appropriate category of visa" for continued stay in India.
This applies to those who came without documents and to those whose documents have expired. The order also covers some Pakistani nationals who entered by 31 December 2009 and meet set conditions, PTI reported.
Registered Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who arrived up to 9 January 2015 keep their protection from penal provisions. The notification also restates the identity rules for travel between India, Nepal and Bhutan.
The reports did not give a figure for how many people are covered.
Key data
6 communities from 3 countries; entry cut-off 31 Dec 2024; earlier exemption dated 2 Sep 2025; Pakistani settlers' cut-off 31 Dec 2009; Sri Lankan Tamil refugees' cut-off 9 Jan 2015.
Why it matters
Many Hindu families who fled Pakistan and Bangladesh after 2014 fall outside the CAA but now have a defined route to stay lawfully. The order grants residence through a visa, not citizenship.
GK: did you know?
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 offers a faster path to citizenship for the same six communities from the same three countries, but only for those who entered India on or before 31 December 2014.
