Visa Lawyer Blog
India has expressed its concern to the Chinese government over Beijing issuing visas on a separate sheet of paper to Indian nationals from Jammu and Kashmir instead of stamping them in their passports. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India strongly believes this, as a well-thought-out strategy to question the status of its state Jammu and Kashmir. It has been issuing visas stapled to passports to people from Arunachal Pradesh who have traveled to China since 2007.
MEA spokesperson Vishnu Prakash says “We have conveyed our concern to the Chinese government in this regard. It is our considered view and position that there should be no discrimination against visa applicants of Indian nationality on grounds of domicile or ethnicity.”
It’s not clear when the Chinese started issuing visas on a separate sheet of paper to Indian travelers of Kashmir. The matter came to light when immigration authorities at New Delhi International Airport, India turned away Kashmiris carrying the standalone visas, assuming they were fakes. The Chinese embassy however issued letters confirming that it had issued valid visas. The matter was then brought to MEA’s notice, prompting it to take up the issue with Beijing. Immigration authorities have been directed to treat the standalone visas as invalid.
This is just to brought some Immigration development in other parts of world. We strongly belief that both the Asian neighbors will resolve such issues amicably soon.