New Delhi: The ministry of home affairs on Monday revised its guidelines to allow foreign journalists holding J-1 visas to return to their jobs in the country.The Wire had reported on August 12 that foreign nationals holding J-1 visas were inexplicably not part of the list of visa holders permitted to enter India as COVID-19 restrictions were slowly removed.On Monday (August 17), the MHA issued a new circular that allowed for Journalist (J-1) visa holders and their dependents to enter India.“If they have J-1 or J-1X visas, which have been suspended, such visas shall stand restored with immediate effect to facilitate their entry into India,” said the MHA notice, issued by its Foreigners division.If the visa had expired its validity during this period, foreign journalists would need to obtain a fresh J-1 or dependent J-1X visa from the concerned Indian mission.“It has also been decided that the existing restrictions on incoming passenger traffic into lndia through the immigration check posts will not apply in respect of these categories of foreign nationals,” said the notice.Also read: MHA’s COVID Rules Prevent Resident Foreign Journalists Who Left India From ReturningAs The Wire had reported, several foreign journalists had left India due to personal reasons or to go back home during the lockdown period on repatriation flights organised by their countries in early March and April.Most of them had inquired at the Indian missions in their countries about returning to their posts in the country. The Indian capital is not just a base for most resident foreign journalists covering the country, but also neighbouring South Asian countries.Due to the uncertainty on whether they would be allowed entry, resident foreign journalists who remained in India did not leave the country to visit their families back home, even though global travel restrictions have been eased.The Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia had taken up the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs last month.
