New York, Mar 17 (PTI) Members of the Indian diaspora here have welcomed restoration of the long-duration tourist and e-tourist visas, which had been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying this will ensure ease of travel to their homeland.

The Government of India has decided to restore old valid long duration (10 years) regular (paper) Tourist Visas for US nationals with immediate effect.

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Fresh issue of the regular tourist visas has also been restored for US citizens, India's Consulate General in New York said in a press release on Wednesday.

In addition, e-Tourist visas under the three options (one month, one year and five years), which remained suspended since March 2020, shall stand restored, it said.

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The current scheme of regular Tourist visa/e-Tourist visa (one month stay only) on gratis basis will also continue, the release said.

New York-based social activist Prem Bhandari welcomed the decision saying this will tremendously ease travel for members of the diaspora who had to face several difficulties and challenges due to the suspension of the visas amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Bhandari, Jaipur Foot USA Chairman, has been taking up the cause of OCI card holders for the past several years and also the issue of easing travel during the restrictions imposed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In November last year, as India had opened its doors for vaccinated foreign tourists after over one-and-a-half years of restriction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bhandari had called on the Indian government to restore the already issued and valid multi-year multiple entry tourist visas to ensure ease of travel for tourists.

At the time, tourist/e-tourist visas were issued as single entry valid for 30 days and the already existing valid e-Tourist Visa/regular paper Tourist Visa, issued before October 6 2021, had continued to remain suspended.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)