Centre Okays Continuation Of Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration And Tracking Scheme; Why Is IVFRT Significant?

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the continuation of the Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration & Tracking (IVFRT) Scheme beyond 31 March, 2026 for a period of five years from 01 April, 2026 to 31 March, 2031 with a budget outlay of Rs 1800 crore.

How Does IVFRT Platform Help People?

The IVFRT platform seeks to interlink and optimise functions related to immigration, visa issuance and registration of foreigners in India. The IVFRT modernises and upgrades immigration and visa services within a secure and integrated service delivery framework. It aims to facilitate legitimate travellers while strengthening national security.

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This project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in 2010 with a budget outlay of Rs 1011 crore and with project duration till September, 2014. The budget outlay for the project was revised to Rs 638.90 crore in 2015 along with the extension of the implementation timeline up to March 31, 2017, and further up to March 31, 2021, without any additional financial implications. The expenditure of Rs 613.28 crore was incurred against the total revised outlay of Rs 638.90 crore. The extension of the project for a further continuation for a period of five years from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2026 was approved by the Cabinet on January 19, 2022 with a budget outlay of Rs 1,365 crore.

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The scheme seeks to expand and strengthen the scope and capacity of the existing IVFRT Scheme not only by reimagining and revamping the existing structure, but also by introducing state-of-the-art technological solutions to enhance user experience without compromising the security architecture. The modernisation of the IVFRT project is essential to meet the evolving demands of global travel and address emerging national security challenges.

IVFRT System Detects Illegal Migration

After the recent enactment of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 and its subsequent Rules and Order, it has become imperative to strengthen and modernise the IVFRT system to effectively meet emerging requirements and future challenges in the domain of immigration control and foreigner management, including illegal migration.

The continuation of the project is not just a technical upgrade, but a strategic transformation aligned with the vision of the Government of India to promote international mobility through a world-class immigration and visa issuance system. The next phase would focus on three broad areas: (a) emerging technology innovations, (b) Transformation of Core infrastructure, and (c) Technology and service optimisation.