Overview

• The e-visa system was revamped in 2020 to streamline online processing and bolster tourism ties, increasing eligible countries from 171 to 181
• Saudi Arabia has allotted India an average annual Hajj quota of 175,025 pilgrims, with the MEA and Haj Committee providing consular support and medical services through its Jeddah office
• Since its 2019 launch, more than 400,000 Sikh pilgrims have visited via the Kartarpur Corridor, although services remain suspended under Operation Sindoor
• Between January 2020 and June 2025, the ministry issued emigration clearance to 1.61 million workers holding Emigration Check Required passports for employment abroad
• As of January 2025, India’s diaspora comprises 17.17 million NRIs, 17.18 million PIOs and 1.88 million students overseas with no discipline- or skill-based categorization