Extension of Business Visa

Extending a Business Visa in India

If you are a holder of a business visa in India and you want to extend it, you can do so for up to five years. The extension is granted by the FRRO or the Superintendent of Police. However, you can’t extend for five years right away. The five years maximum extension has to be applied for annually.

As expected, there are guidelines to follow and documents required before your business visa can be extended. For one, there should be proofs showing that the business you have established is indeed flourishing. The gross sales or the turnover from your business should be at least RS 1 crore annually.

A business visa has to be extended initially by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Only after the first extension the FRRO and the other agencies will be authorized to assume the process. During the entire time that the visa has to be extended, all necessary documents have to be submitted.

There are instances that the extension of a business visa will be denied. If this happens, you would have to leave the country before your visa expires. Otherwise, you would be turned away at the immigration and will be required to apply for an exit visa.

Business visa can’t be converted into a working visa either. It should be used primarily as it was intended to. An Indian visa secured for business purposes has applied for if you need to attend business-related discussions and meetings in India or if you want to explore the investment opportunities in the country. It is also what you needed if you want to establish a business along the Indian shores.

To extend a business visa in India, the documents that are required will be your original passport, copies of business contracts, photocopies of your Indian visa, proof of residence, undertaking letter from the PER or SEARO, and four photographs to facilitate the registration process.

Your visa would be noted by the undersecretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs and be duly extended by Foreigners Regional Registration Office or the FRRO. The whole process has to be performed within the remaining 180 days validity of your visa.