When expanding your organization to India, you will probably want to bring part of your workforce over to help run your operations. For this, you’ll need to obtain a valid India work visa for every employee.
The process of applying for and obtaining India work visas can be complicated, so it is important that you fully understand the process if you want to avoid unnecessary delays to your expansion.
At Horizons, our global expansion experts offer extensive India work visa services, immigration advice, and customized support, helping foreign organizations of all kinds to expand into India and bring along their valued employees.
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Standard requirements for Indian work visas
The exact requirements for India work visas can vary depending on the type of visa and the specific details of your company’s operation. However, in general, you will need to have an established office in India (or use of one through Horizons’ outsourcing service). Some exceptions include workers for NGOs and workers on special temporary projects in India.
Beyond this, you may also need the standard visa basics for each employee, such as valid travel documents, proof of sponsorship, and any relevant documents like educational qualifications and documentation of relevant work experience. Candidates must now also provide biometric information (such as fingerprints) for Employment Visa (E Visa) applications.
Categories of work visas in India
The process of acquiring work visas for India
The application process for Indian working visas can be followed and paid for online via the website of the Indian government. Generally, you will also need to submit a copy to an Indian embassy along with any supporting documents. Once processed and accepted, the visa will be sent out to you and will usually be valid for one year (although longer terms and extensions are available).
It can take anywhere from several days to several weeks for an application to be processed, so always leave sufficient time to ensure all your employees’ visas are valid in advance of your move to India.
Further considerations for your India work visas
A common additional consideration for workers relocating to India is family members. If any of your employees need to bring along spouses and/or dependent children then you will need separate entry visas for them. These visas will be linked to the work visa and should be valid for the same period of time.
It is also important to note that visas begin from the date of issue, not the date of entry, so this should be factored into your planning.
