NEW DELHI: India has launched two new types of visas to make it easier for international students to study in the country. These are theĀ e-student visaĀ and theĀ e-student-x visa.
TheĀ e-student visaĀ is for students who want to study full-time in India. This includes courses at undergraduate, postgraduate, PhD, or other formal levels.
TheĀ e-student-x visaĀ is for the family members or dependents of students holding the e-student visa, so they can stay in India while the student completes their studies. Students can apply for these visas through the Indian Visa Online portal atĀ indianvisaonline.gov.in.
To ensure authenticity, students need a uniqueĀ Study in India (SII) ID, which is a required part of the process. This SII ID helps students track their college applications, apply for visas, and manage other education-related tasks in India.
TheĀ SII portalĀ is a project by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. It offers a platform where international students can explore and apply to overĀ 600 educational institutionsĀ in India.
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These institutions provideĀ 800 coursesĀ in a wide range of fields, such as engineering, management, agriculture, sciences, arts, law, and even specialized subjects like yoga and Buddhist studies.
To get started, students need to register on the SII portal by providing basic details like their name, country, date of birth, mobile number, and email ID.
Once registered, they can log in using their SII ID or email to apply for courses and complete formalities. The e-student visa is valid for up toĀ five years, depending on the course duration. If required, students can extend their visa.
