Is Travel Outside During an X1 Visa Extension Process Possible?

If a foreign national is staying in India on an X1 visa, which is also known as the Entry visa. These are commonly used by the foreign nationals' spouses, or children's dependents of Indian citizens or OCI cardholders.

However, a common question arises in the mind of the travellers, whether they, as an OCI cardholder, can travel outside during the X1 visa extension process.

The answer is 'No' legally and practically, because if you leave India during the X1 visa extension process, then your application will be cancelled.

In this blog, we will see if individuals travel outside India during the X1 visa extension application process. Along with,

• The complications of travelling
• What are the risks you will face for travelling outside India during the X1 visa extension process?

Why You Should Not Travel Outside India During the X1 Visa Extension Process?

Here are some of the major reasons given below that you should avoid travelling outside India during the X visa extension process. 

1. Your Application May be Cancelled
   • If you leave India, then it may result in the cancellation of your X1 visa extension application. 
   • Once your application is cancelled, you need to reapply. 
2. FRRO Jurisdiction applies in India
   • The FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) in India handles all the visa extension applications in India. 
   • For this, you must be present in India; your application may be rejected. 
3. You may not be able to re-enter India
   • If your X1 visa or Entry visa expires while you are out of India, then it may lead to
   • Restriction on re-entering India. 
   •  To again get entry in India, you need to apply for a new visa application. 
4. No Exit Permission
   • To get out of India, you will need to obtain special permission in case of any emergency from the Indian government. 

Consequences of Leaving India During the X Visa Extension Process

Leaving India while your X visa extension is still in process can lead to many legal consequences. See the points given below for not being physically present in India and exiting the country during the mid-application process. 

1. Application marked as Abandoned
   • Leaving the application process incomplete will mark your application as abandoned. 
   • Your application process will be closed automatically by the system because of not physically present in India. 
   • It means you need to reapply the application from the start. 
2. Your visa may have expired
   • If you leave India, then your visa might expire, which means you will not be able to enter India with the same visa. 
   • To again enter India, you need to apply for a new visa through the online Indian visa service website. 
   • This will also lead to many problems, like a delay in your visa application, which will affect your travel plans in India. 
3. Re-Entry is not Assured
   • If you travel outside India during the application process, even if your visa is valid at the time of exit. The immigration authorities will question you for leaving India. 
   •  You are not allowed to get an extension on your visa. 
   • You may also face some legal consequences while renting in India. 
4. FRRO Processing Complications 
   • All the Visa extension applications are handled by the FRRO, which can create a hindrance to leaving the country during the application process.
   • Your visa may be interrupted during the verification process.
   • You can face delays or an invalid status for your visa application. 
5. Additional Delays 
   • Going outside India while your visa extension is still in process can also lead to major consequences, such as:
     • You need to pay the re-application fees. 
     • You need to provide all the documents again, duly self-attested. 
     • Your visa may be delayed and delivered to you in a long time. 

When Foreign Nationals Can Travel Outside India During X Visa Extension Processing?

Generally, an individual is not allowed to travel outside India during the Visa extension process. However, there are some specific criteria under which an individual can travel outside India legally during the Extension Visa process. 

1. When your visa extension is approved 
   • If your visa extension application is approved, then you can travel outside India. However, you need to ensure that your applications are fully updated and approved.
   • After the approval, you can fully travel to India without facing any visa restrictions under the validity of your visa. 
2. Getting special permission from the authorities
   • If you are in any case of emergency, such as a medical emergency or any family emergency.
   • You have to take special permission from the authorities to travel outside India, such as the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) or the Foreigners Registration Office (FRO). 
   • The approval of the permission also depends on a case-by-case basis, the documents which you have provided, and there is no guarantee that you will get approval from the government. 
3. Withdrawal of visa application or Exit
   • If any of the applicants has requested the withdrawal of the visa application, then he or she can leave India. 
   • If an applicant has exited India before the expiry of the valid visa.

Risks You Should Be Aware of in the X Visa Extension Process

Applying for a visa extension process can be very important. Forgetting or not applying for the visa extension application can lead you to some of the following points given below. 

• If your visa has expired and you are staying in India, then you will face the visa violation penalties. 
• Going out during the visa extension process can result in the cancellation of your application or abandonment. 
• If you visit outside India during the extension process, then you need to reapply for the visa application by submitting all the documents and information, and the fees for the application. 
• Leaving India while your X visa extension is in process can result in a delay in your future visa applications. 
• An individual may also face immigration complications for leaving India during the visa extension process. 

Also Want to Know About How to Build Strong Travel History for Visa? Check Now!

Precautions for Travelling Outside India During the X Visa Extension Process

Here are some of the points given below that will help the applicants to leave India and avoid getting trouble while applying for a visa extension application in India. 

• An individual should wait for the application approval before travelling outside India. 
• You need to track the status of your application regularly, so that you will not face any legal complications. 
• Keep all your documents ready and arranged for the smooth application process. 
• For more information, you can contact the FRRO for assistance if the travel is necessary. They will provide you with permission in any case of emergency. 

Final Thoughts

If a foreign national who is staying in India, and near the expiry of the X Visa Extension, then he or she needs to apply for the Visa extension application from the FRRO or FRO office. Going outside while your visa extension is still in process can lead to application cancellation.

For a smooth application process, you can take assistance from the Visament website, where we will provide a smooth application process and handle all the documentation. To solve any query or mistake related to your visa application, you can contact our official Visament website, where you get active support services 24/7.