Immigration and Foreigners Bill gets president's assent, becomes law

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday gave assent to the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, which deals with issues related to foreigners and immigration, and it now becomes a law.

The legislation received the assent of the president on April 4, 2025, and subsequently, it was notified through a gazette notification.

According to the law, henceforth anyone found to be using a forged passport or visa for entering into India or staying in or exiting from the country will be punishable with a jail term of up to seven years and a fine to the extent of Rs 10 lakh.

The legislation also provides for mandatory reporting of information about foreigners by hotels, universities, other educational institutions, hospitals and nursing homes to enable tracking of overstaying foreigners.

All international airlines and ships will also be required to submit at a port or place in India to a civil authority or immigration officer the passenger and crew manifest, the advance information of passengers and crew on board such aircraft, vessel or other mode of transport.

"Whoever knowingly uses or supplies a forged or fraudulently obtained passport or other travel document or visa for entering into India or staying in or exiting from India, shall be punishable with an imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than two years, but may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees, but may extend to ten lakh rupees," according to the Act.

It also says that any foreigner who enters into any area in India without a valid passport or other travel document, including a visa required for such entry in contravention of provisions of the law or of any rule or order given in pursuance thereof, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine which may extend to five lakh rupees or with both.

The legislation empowers the central government to exert control over places that are "frequented by any foreigner" and requires the owner to close the premises, permit its use under specified conditions, or refuse admission to all or a "specified class" of foreigners.

The Act is a comprehensive legislation to regulate all matters relating to foreigners and immigration.

Matters relating to foreigners and immigration till now administered through four Acts i.e. the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act, 2000. All these laws have been repealed now.