NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the continuation of the Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration and Tracking (IVFRT) Scheme beyond March 31, 2026 for a period of five years -- from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2031 -- with a budget outlay of Rs 1,800 crore.
The IVFRT platform seeks to interlink and optimize functions related to immigration, visa issuance and registration of foreigners in India.
The core objective of the IVFRT is to modernize and upgrade immigration and visa services within a secure and integrated service delivery framework. It aims to facilitate legitimate travellers while strengthening national security, according to an official statement.
This project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on May 13, 2010 with a budget outlay of Rs 1,011 crore and with project duration till September, 2014. The budget outlay for the project was revised to Rs. 638.90 crore in 2015 along with extension of the implementation timeline up to March 31, 2017, and further up to March 31, 2021 without any additional financial implications.
An expenditure of Rs 613.28 core was incurred against the total revised outlay of Rs 638.90 crore. The extension of the project for a further continuation for a period of five years from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2026 was approved by the Cabinet on January 19, 2022 with a budget outlay of Rs 1,365 crore, the statement said.
The scheme seeks to expand and strengthen the scope and capacity of the existing IVFRT Scheme not only by reimagining and revamping the existing structure, but also introducing the state-of-the-art technological solutions to enhance user experience without compromising the security architecture. The modernization of the IVFRT project is essential to meet the evolving demands of global travel and address emerging national security challenges, the statement explained.
The continuation of the project is not just a technical upgrade, but a strategic transformation aligned with the vision of the Government of India to promote international mobility through a world-class immigration and visa issuance system. (IANS)
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