The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 1 June 2026 notified the Immigration and Foreigners (Amendment) Rules, 2026, overhauling several provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 through a Gazette notification that came into force with immediate effect. The amendments revamp registration timelines for foreign nationals, introduce child citizenship exemptions, tighten emergency registration norms, and restructure the appeals process.

Key Changes to Registration Timeline

One of the most consequential amendments concerns Rule 12, which governs how long foreigners have to register after arriving in India. The revised rule allows registration to be completed 'any time before the expiry of the said period of one hundred and eighty days' — a significant departure from the earlier provision, which required registration 'within fourteen days after the expiry of one hundred and eighty days' of arrival.

This shift gives foreign nationals greater flexibility to complete their registration obligations, while keeping the outer 180-day window intact. Alongside this, the amendment tightens norms for late registration: any registration beyond the prescribed period will now be permitted 'only in emergent circumstances', raising the bar for exceptions considerably.

Children With Indian Parents: New Exemption

The MHA has introduced a notable exemption for children who may have dual citizenship claims. Under the amended rules, the registration requirement will not apply where either parent is an Indian citizen and wishes to retain the child's Indian citizenship under Section 3 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

However, the notification adds a disclosure obligation: if a child subsequently acquires citizenship of a foreign country while in India, 'either of the parents shall intimate the position to the Registration Officer within 30 days' of the child acquiring that foreign citizenship. This closes a potential gap in the earlier framework where such changes in a child's citizenship status went unreported.

Rule 18 Correction and Reporting Norms

In a technical but legally significant correction, the government amended Rule 18 relating to reporting timelines. The phrase 'but beyond twenty-four hours' has been replaced with 'but not beyond twenty-four hours' — a drafting fix that reverses the original meaning and aligns the rule with its intended intent of capping the reporting window at 24 hours.

Revamped Appeals Mechanism

The amendment also restructures the appeals process for owners or keepers aggrieved by directions issued by civil authorities under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. Appeals must now be filed before the Commissioner, Bureau of Immigration, within 30 days through a designated online portal — replacing what was previously a less formalised process.

The Commissioner is required to provide a reasonable opportunity of hearing and pass a reasoned order, with a mandate to 'endeavour to complete the proceedings ordinarily within sixty days' from receipt of the appeal. The move toward a time-bound, online-first mechanism is aimed at reducing procedural delays and improving transparency.

Legal Basis and Broader Intent

The amendments have been issued under powers conferred by Section 30 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. According to the MHA, the changes are aimed at streamlining compliance procedures while strengthening regulatory oversight of foreign nationals residing in India. This comes amid broader efforts by the Centre to modernise immigration governance, with the 2025 Act itself having consolidated several older, fragmented statutes.