The Home Ministry has made visas mandatory for members of six non-Muslim communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India without valid travel documents or whose documents have since expired. This applies to those who entered before December 31, 2024.

The amendment is part of broader changes to travel rules, which also include provisions for Indian, Bhutanese and Nepali citizens, as well as relaxed norms for some Pakistani citizens. The rule change does not apply to Muslim communities.