Here are some popular visa types available for India:

1. Tourist Visa:
   • Purpose: For leisure travel, sightseeing, and visiting friends or family.
   • Eligibility: Open to tourists from most countries.
   • Validity: Typically issued for 6 months or 1 year, allowing multiple entries.
   • Process: Apply through the Indian embassy or consulate in your home country.
2. Business Visa:
   • Purpose: For business-related activities such as meetings, conferences, or exploring investment opportunities.
   • Eligibility: Requires an invitation from an Indian company or organization.
   • Validity: Varies based on the specific purpose.
   • Process: Apply through the relevant authorities.
3. Employment Visa:
   • Purpose: Allows foreign nationals to work in India.
   • Eligibility: Requires a job offer from an Indian employer.
   • Validity: Initially issued for 1 year and renewable.
   • Process: Apply through the Indian embassy or consulate.
4. Student Visa:
   • Purpose: For pursuing education in India.
   • Eligibility: Requires admission to a recognized educational institution.
   • Validity: Depends on the study program duration.
   • Process: Apply through the Indian embassy or consulate.
5. Medical Visa:
   • Purpose: For medical treatment in India.
   • Eligibility: Requires a recommendation from a recognized hospital or medical institution.
   • Validity: Issued for the duration of medical treatment.
   • Process: Apply through the Indian embassy or consulate.

To apply for a visa to migrate or work in India, follow these steps:

1. Determine the Type of Visa:
   • India offers two main types of work-related visas:
     • Business Visa (B Visa): This visa is suitable for business-related visits, such as attending meetings, conferences, or exploring business opportunities.
     • Employment Visa (E Visa): If you’re moving to India for employment purposes, you’ll need an employment visa. This type of visa allows you to work legally in India1.
2. Apply for the Appropriate Visa:
   • Visit the India Visa Online portal, which is the authorized platform for visa applications. You can apply for either a regular/paper visa through an Indian Mission/Post or an eVisa through the Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs
   • For regular/paper visas, apply through the Indian Mission/Post.
   • For eVisas, apply through the Bureau of Immigration.
3. Additional Considerations:
   • If you plan to stay in India for more than 90 days, you’ll need to apply for a residence permit and register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO)
   • Keep in mind that only categories exempted under bilateral arrangements may not require a visa. For persons of Indian origin, an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card is mandatory

Visa that allows you to work

1. Employment Visa:
   • The most common type of work permit for expats coming to India for employment purposes is the employment visa.
   • It is typically tied to a specific job and employer and is issued for a specific duration.
   • To be eligible for an employment visa, certain conditions must be met:
     • The applicant should possess high skills or qualifications and be hired by an Indian company, organization, industry, or undertaking on a contract or employment basis.
     • Employment visas are not issued for positions that qualified Indian candidates can fill, nor for routine, ordinary, or secretarial/clerical roles.
     • The foreign national aims to work in India for an Indian-registered company or a foreign company involved in a project within India.
     • The foreign national being sponsored for an employment visa in any sector must earn a salary exceeding US$ 25,000 per annum and comply with all legal obligations, including tax payments.
     • The employment visa must be obtained from the applicant’s country of origin or country of domicile if they have resided there for over two years.
   • Additionally, certain categories of foreign nationals are also eligible for employment visas in India, including foreign consultants, artists, coaches, sportsmen, self-employed professionals, language teachers, interpreters, specialist chefs, engineers, and technicians1.
2. Project Visa:
   • Project visas are granted to foreign nationals employed by foreign companies engaged in specific projects in India.

Visa that allows you to migrate

1. Determine the Type of Visa:
   • India offers two main types of work-related visas:
     • Business Visa (B Visa): This visa is suitable for business-related visits, such as attending meetings, conferences, or exploring business opportunities.
     • Employment Visa (E Visa): If you’re moving to India for employment purposes, you’ll need an employment visa. This type of visa allows you to work legally in India1.
2. Apply for the Appropriate Visa:
   • Visit the India Visa Online portal, which is the authorized platform for visa applications. You can apply for either a regular/paper visa through an Indian Mission/Post or an eVisa through the Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs2.
   • For regular/paper visas, apply through the Indian Mission/Post.
   • For eVisas, apply through the Bureau of Immigration.
3. Additional Considerations:
   • If you plan to stay in India for more than 90 days, you’ll need to apply for a residence permit and register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).
   • Keep in mind that only categories exempted under bilateral arrangements may not require a visa. For persons of Indian origin, an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card is mandatory.