New Delhi, March 25 The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a five-year extension of the Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration and Tracking (IVFRT) Scheme, committing Rs 1,800 crore to modernize and secure the country's immigration system through March 2031.
The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the continuation of the scheme from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2031, a government statement said.
The continuation of the scheme is not just a "technical upgrade, but a strategic transformation" aligned with the government's vision to promote international mobility through a world-class immigration and visa issuance system, it said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the cabinet's decision to continue with the scheme for five years is a decisive step towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for making immigration to India simpler.
"It will further modernize the visa-granting process and make travel and business within India seamless for our guests, while safeguarding India's security goals," he said on 'X'.
The IVFRT Scheme was first approved in May 2010 by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, with an outlay of Rs 1,011 crore and a duration until September, 2014. It was extended in 2015, 2017 and 2021.
In January 2022, the Cabinet extended the scheme through March 31, 2026, with an allocation of Rs 1,365 crore.
The latest extension follows the enactment of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, which has heightened the need for a stronger, more adaptable IVFRT system to address evolving travel demands and future challenges in immigration control and foreigner management, including illegal migration.
The next phase will focus on three areas-- emerging technology innovations, transformation of core infrastructure, and technology and service optimisation.
Planned measures include mobile-based services, self-service kiosks and unified digital platforms to improve efficiency and user experience while maintaining robust security.
The government wants to expand and strengthen the scope and capacity of the existing IVFRT Scheme "not only by reimagining and revamping the existing structure, but also by introducing state-of-the-art technological solutions to enhance user experience without compromising the security architecture", the statement said.
The scheme will implement infrastructure upgrades at immigration posts, Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROs), and data centres to create a resilient and scalable nationwide system.
The IVFRT platform will connect and streamline immigration, visa issuance, and foreigner registration in India by modernizing and upgrading immigration and visa services within a secure, integrated service-delivery framework.
The scheme is also expected to support growth in tourism, medical travel and business activity.
Currently, the IVFRT system covers 117 immigration posts, 15 FRROs and 854 Foreigners Registration Offices and police units across India.
The system has significantly improved service delivery and operational efficiency by enabling a fully online, contactless visa process with appointment scheduling and digital payments.
Over the past five years, 91.24 per cent of e-visa applications were processed within 72 hours.
Average passenger clearance time at immigration checkpoints has been reduced to about 2.5 to 3 minutes from 5 to 6 minutes earlier.
The Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme, using automated e-gates at 13 major airports, has further reduced clearance time to about 30 seconds for enrolled users, including Indian nationals and Overseas Citizen of India cardholders, the statement said.