User:Userceg/Immigration Visa, Foreigners Registration and Tracking MMP

 Immigration Visa, Foreigners Registration and Tracking Mission Mode Project

Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration and Tracking (IVFRT) is a Central Mission Mode Project(MMP) under the National e-Governance Plan.

Objective
Over 5 million foreigners visit India each year, with 5.167 million international visitors coming to India during 2009. Among these visitors, there have been some who have have been found in violation of the law and one such visitor David Headley, who is being prosecuted in USA for links to terrorists, did a recce for his terrorist handlers prior to the terrorist incident 26/11. The David Headley case has given a push for this immigration modernization project, as it is expected to boost the level of security for international visitors.

Features
The integrated ICT system, that coordinates with the Passport system, which will provide convenience to international travelers while improving security through registration and tracking. . The project will improve the processes of foreigner’s registration, visa issuanace, and immigration as well as to enhance security by improving governmental capabilities for tracking foreigners 169 Missions, 77 ICPs, 5 FRROs, and Foreigners Registration Offices (FROs) in the States/District Headquarters will be covered under the project. The project will cost 1011 crores and will include a range of core and other services to improve security and facilitation.

“Advanced passenger information system of airlines will be linked to the database and biometric systems will also be part of the project. National Informatics Centre will implement this project while the Ministry of Home Affairs will be responsible for the project. . The project will be implemented in phases from April 2010 to September 2013, synchronizing the connectivity and infrastructure  of locations with the capacity building, communication and training. It is planned to implemented the project at 3 FRROs (Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi,), 4 ICPs (Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, and Haridaspur) 2 Missions (London, Dhaka) by June 2011.

Status
Certain components of the system like Online Visa application have been introduced for U.K, Bangladesh and Pakistan. “An Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) mandating all airlines flying into India to provide passenger particulars electronically in the prescribed format, within 15 minutes of their take off from the port outside India, to the concerned immigration authorities has been implemented in Phase-I at 6 International Airports namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Cochin from April 2008. All airlines operating at these six international airports have become APIS compliant.