Indian Passport Slides to 85th Rank in 2025 Henley Index; Visa-Free Access Shrinks to 57 Destinations
White House Defends US$100,000 H-1B Fee in Court, Citing ‘Fraud’; Indian IT Firms Alarmed
Delhi IGI Airport Terminal 2 Set to Reopen; 100+ Domestic Flights Shift on 26 October
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US Consulate Chennai reopens, restoring full visa and American Citizen Services
The US Consulate in Chennai reopened on 23 October 2025 after a one-day shutdown, allowing visa interviews and American Citizen Services to resume. Applicants whose 22 October slots were cancelled are being automatically rescheduled. The reopening clears a key processing hub for students and workers in South India, but mobility managers should anticipate minor backlogs over the next week.
India makes e-Arrival card mandatory for all foreign nationals and OCI holders
Detailed rules published on 23 October confirm that all non-Indian nationals and OCI cardholders must submit an online e-Arrival form before boarding flights to India. The digital card replaces paper disembarkation slips and is expected to cut immigration wait-times, but companies must update traveller checklists before the six-month grace period ends in March 2026.
UK hikes priority visa and sponsor-licence fees, raising costs for Indian employers and universities
A Home Office fee revision effective 21 October raises UK priority-processing costs by up to 75 %. The 23 October report notes that Indian IT firms and universities—heavy users of Sponsor Management System upgrades—face higher mobility budgets. Companies may need to reassess whether to pay for speed or absorb longer processing times.
IndiGo re-opens Vijayawada–Singapore route; bookings surge for 15 November launch
On 23 October IndiGo opened ticket sales for a tri-weekly Vijayawada–Singapore flight starting 15 November 2025. The direct link restores a seven-year-old route, trims travel time for Andhra Pradesh businesses and plugs the region into the Singapore Airlines network.
BLS International bags Cyprus visa outsourcing mandate in Kazakhstan
BLS International, the Indian consular-services giant, secured a contract on 23 October to run Cyprus visa application centres in Kazakhstan. The deal highlights India’s growing footprint in global visa outsourcing and will shorten processing times for travellers in the region.
SEBI proposes to drop in-India geo-tagging for NRIs during digital KYC re-validation
A SEBI draft circular dated 23 October proposes scrapping the rule that NRIs must be physically in India during video-based KYC updates. If adopted, the change will simplify re-KYC for overseas investors and reduce friction for Indian companies running stock-based compensation plans.