The Government has decided to issue a special class of visa “E” category only for the power or Steel projects. It is to be remembered that visa norms for employing foreign personnel were tightened last year citing security concerns over the presence of large number of Chinese personnel in various projects.
Later, it was observed that power and steel projects using equipment from China had not been able to achieve their targets as visa restrictions forced Companies to hire local unskilled or semi-skilled workers to fill gaps.
The ministry of home affairs has now decided that under the sector-specific dispensation, new power and steel projects may have foreign skilled manpower up to 10% of the workforce employed per million tone or megawatt capacity, or 300 persons, whichever is lower. For expansion projects of existing plants, this number will be 5%, or 150 persons.
Power and cement projects will now also be allowed to employ two foreign chefs and translators/interpreters under the `E' category. Foreign experts or skilled workers will now also get business visa if they are coming for commissioning of a project. However, a person coming on project visa will not be allowed to take up employment in the same Indian company within two years of the commissioning of a plant.
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