New Delhi, August 9, 2004
IANS
The US has firmly rejected India's request to exempt ministers and MPs
on a personal visit to that country from biometric registration that
requires them to be fingerprinted and digitally photographed.
Confirming that the US had turned down India's request, a senior Rajya
Sabha official said on Monday that the MPs had been informed about the
decision through a bulletin.
"The US embassy has clearly stated that it is not possible for
them to make any exceptions for any category of persons other than those
already made," he said, quoting from a communiqué circulated
by the external affairs ministry.
At present, only children under the age of 14 and adults above 79 as
well as people visiting the US for official purposes on official and
diplomatic passports are exempt from the new visa regulations.
Though ministers and MPs would be exempt from being fingerprinted or
photographed for visas during official visits to the US, they would
be required to follow the procedure on a personal visit.
Ministers and MPs were earlier exempted from personal interview or
visit to the US embassy/consulate.
The government's request followed pressure from ministers and MPs to
have them granted exemption from personal appearance for the registration,
an official said.
"The US embassy has advised us that the entire process may not
take more than 30 seconds and that they were taking steps to ensure
that there was no hardship and delays," Rajya Sabha secretary general
Yogendra Narain said in a bulletin circulated to the MPs.
Introduced in India on July 26, the biometric registration procedure
applies to residents of all countries.
Even Indians holding 'E' (traders and investors), 'H' (professionals),
'I' (journalists), 'L' (corporate workers), 'O' (people with particular
skills) and 'P' (entertainers, artists, athletes) categories of visas
in the US have to be fingerprinted before their visas are renewed.
The US has firmly rejected India's request to exempt ministers and MPs
on a personal visit to that country from biometric registration that
requires them to be fingerprinted and digitally photographed.
Confirming that the US had turned down India's request, a senior Rajya
Sabha official said on Monday that the MPs had been informed about the
decision through a bulletin.
"The US embassy has clearly stated that it is not possible for
them to make any exceptions for any category of persons other than those
already made," he said, quoting from a communiqué circulated
by the external affairs ministry.
At present, only children under the age of 14 and adults above 79 as
well as people visiting the US for official purposes on official and
diplomatic passports are exempt from the new visa regulations.
Though ministers and MPs would be exempt from being fingerprinted or
photographed for visas during official visits to the US, they would
be required to follow the procedure on a personal visit.
Ministers and MPs were earlier exempted from personal interview or
visit to the US embassy/consulate.
The government's request followed pressure from ministers and MPs to
have them granted exemption from personal appearance for the registration,
an official said.
"The US embassy has advised us that the entire process may not
take more than 30 seconds and that they were taking steps to ensure
that there was no hardship and delays," Rajya Sabha secretary general
Yogendra Narain said in a bulletin circulated to the MPs.
Introduced in India on July 26, the biometric registration procedure
applies to residents of all countries.
Even Indians holding 'E' (traders and investors), 'H' (professionals),
'I' (journalists), 'L' (corporate workers), 'O' (people with particular
skills) and 'P' (entertainers, artists, athletes) categories of visas
in the US have to be fingerprinted before their visas are renewed.