Emigration clearance not required (ECNR) from Oct. 1

Great News for me !
I was even planning to go for the stamp next week.

Emigration clearance required (ECR)

News:
There will be no requirement of emigration clearance from October one for Indians travelling abroad, with the government today admitting that the “retrograde” scheme was a cause of “harassment” and “corruption“.

Making an announcement in this regard in the Lok Sabha, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said the scheme had been introduced with a “good intention” to prevent misuse of visit visa for employment purposes but it has not achieved the objective. The important emigration reform will be implemented from October one, he said.

Under the Emigration Act 1983, a person holding a passport with Emigration Check Required (ECR) stamp is supposed to obtain emigration clearance from the Protector of Emigrants (POE) before leaving for overseas employment. The Emigration Act does not cover ECR passport holders who travel overseas for visits other than for employment. However, for the last two decades administrative instructions have been in force making it necessary for them to obtain Emigration Clearance Requirement Suspension (ECRS), Ravi said.

“The ECRS system has no statutory basis,” said the Minister in a statement laid on the table of the House by him amid uproar created by the opposition NDA over the Indo-US nuclear deal.

“The ECRS system has led to considerable inconvenience and harassment to passengers. It has resulted in corruption in POE offices and a nexus between unscrupulous recruiting agents and middlemen resulting in the exploitation of a large number of poor people,” Ravi said.

Now emigration clearance or suspension of emigration check requirement is necessary only in case of 18 countries in the world. These countries are United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Brunei, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, Thailand and Iraq (emigration banned).

As per the Emigration Act, 1983, Emigration Check Required (ECR) categories of Indian passport holders, require to obtain “Emigration Clearance” from the office of Protector of Emigrants (POE), Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs for going to following 18 countries.

United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Brunei, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, Thailand, Iraq (emigration banned).

However , the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (Emigration Policy Division) have allowed  ECR passport holders traveling abroad for purposes others than employment  to leave the country on production of valid passport, valid visa and return ticket at the immigration counters at international airports in India w.e.f. 1st October 2007.

Nowadays, RPOs are issuing Indian passports either with endorsement of  “Emigration Check Required” or no endorsement of “Emigration Check Required” in the passport.  POE clearance is required only when there is “Emigration Check Required” endorsement in the passport

The following applicants are eligible for Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) status:
a) All holders of Diplomatic/Official passports.
b) All Gazetted Government servants.
c) All Income-Tax payees(including Agricultural Income-Tax Payees) in their individual capacity. Proof of assessment of income-tax and actual payment of income-tax for last one year or copy of PAN card. However, in most cases as an assessment order is not issued separately by the income-tax department, income-tax returns which are stamped by income-tax authorities can be accepted.
d) All professional Degree holdera, such as Doctors holding MBBS degree or equivalent degree in AYURVED or HOMOEOPATHY, accredited journalists Engineer, Chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants, Lecturers, Teachers, Scientists,Advocates, etc
e) Spouses and dependent children of category of persons listed from (b) to (d).Spouses and dependent children of category of persons f)Persons holding 10+2 qualifications or higher Degrees.
g) Seamen who are in possession of Indian or Foreign CDC or Sea Cadets/ or Deck Cadets ;
i) who have passed final examination of three years B.Sc Nautical Sciences Courses at T.S. CHANAKAYA,MUMBAI; and
ii) who have undergone three months pre-sea training at any of the Government approved Training Institutes such as T.S. CHANAKAYA, T.S. REHMAN, T.S. JAWAHAR, MTI (SCI) 7 NIPM, CHENNAI, after production of identity cards issued by the Shipping Master, MUMBAI/KOLKATTA/CHENNAI.
h) Dependent children of parents whose passports have the ECNR endorsement. In the case of such children ECNR classification will be restricted until they attain 24 years of age.
i) Persons holding Permanent Immigration Visa, such as the visas of UK, USA and Australia.
j) Persons possessing two years diploma from any institute recognized by the National Council for Vocational Training(NCVT) or State Council of Vocational Training(SCVT) or persons holding three year’s diploma/equivalent degree from institutions like Polytechnics recoginized be Central/State Governments.
k) Nurses possessing qualifications recognized under the Indian Nursing Council Act,1947.
l) All persons above the age of 50 years.
I) All persons who have staying abroad for more than three years (the period of three years could either be at a stretch or broken), and their spouses, and children up to24 years. This facility will be valid till the minor attains the age of 24 years if the applicant falls into any of the above categories and desiers to have ECNR stamp on his/her passport, please submit the documentary proof of eligibility.

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