Emegration Clearance Status

I was recently issued a passport at PO Shimla. Despite my submitting the relevant documents, there is no ECNR endorsement. Should I submit my passport for correction ?

This is not a mistake. As per our new guidelines, a "Blank" page 2 on your passport is deemed to have been ECNR endorsed..

If the status is "Emigration Check Required (ECR)", it will be specifically mentioned on your passport by means of an endorsement. The Ministry of External Affairs has informed the immigration authorities about this change in guideleines.

Which are the countries for which an ECNR endorsement on the passport is compulsory?

“Emigration Check Not Required” is automatic for the following countries, irrespective of the
emigration status endorsed on your passport:

Pakistan, All countries in Europe(except Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS),
North America, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, South Africa, & Singapore.

For the rest of the countries,  if you do not have permanent clearance on the passport (a  "Blank" page 2 on your passport is deemed to have been ECNR endorsed)  you have either to get the entire stamp deleted,
or if your are not entitled (categories listed on our website),  you may get a temporary “Emigration Suspension”
before leaving India.

What are the minimum documents required for an ECNR endorsement?

One of the following documents:

a)      Matriculation (SSLC)/PUC-II / Degree Certificate

b)     PAN Card

c)     Annexure ‘I’ if person  has stayed abroad for more than 3 years.
Please refer the next question for urther details.

Note: Persons above 50 years of age are utomatically eligible for ECNR

Which are the categories of persons entitled to get ECNR endorsements on their passports?

1.   Gazetted Government servants.

2.   Holders of a PAN card.

3.   Salaried people may submit income-tax deduction statement in Form16 for three years from their employers, along with copy of returns filed in income tax dept.

4.   Persons holding professional degrees such as - Doctors holding MBBS Degrees or Degrees in Ayurveda or Homeopathy, Accredited Journalists, Engineers, Chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants, Lecturers, Teachers, Scientists, Advocates.

5.   Persons staying abroad for more than three years. An affidavit to this effect is to be submitted (as per format at Annexure ‘I’ of the instructions given along with passport application form. To download the format, please click here).

6.       Spouses of the above mentioned categories (except No. 2).

7     Spouses claiming ECNR should submit a copy of their husband's passport  with ECNR status and their eligibility proof under category 6.

8.   Seamen who are in possession of Continuous Discharge Certificate and Sea Cadets.

Also Deck Cadets who:

(a) Have passed final examination of three year B.Sc. Nautical Sciences Courses at T.S. Chanakya, Mumbai, (or)

(b) Have undergone three months Pre-Sea training at any of the Govt. approved Training Institute, after production of Identity cards issued by the Shipping Master, Mumbai/Calcutta/Chennai.

10.   Persons holding permanent Immigration Visas of any country e.g. Green Card in USA.

11. Persons holding diplomas form recognized institutions like Polytechnics or Certificates of vocational training from Government / recognized institutions.

12. Nurses possessing qualifications recognized under the Nursing Council Act, 1947.

13. All children below 18 years of age. (After the age of 18, they will be freshly evaluated for their eligibility for ECNR).

14. All persons above the age of 50 years.

15. All holders of Diplomatic / Official passports.

16.  Persons holding educational qualification of Matriculation (10^th class) or above.

Note: Even if you do not have ECNR status on your passport, you can visit Bangladesh, Pakistan and all countries in Europe (except the Commonwealth of Independent States), North America, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, without emigration clearance.

The Protector of Emigrants can grant emigration clearance to certain categories of skilled / semi-skilled workers for a period of six months, if an application is made through the recruiting agent and there is a valid employment visa.

In case the person concerned is leaving the country for non-employment purposes, he can obtain suspension of emigration clearance for the specified country and for the specified period from PO Shimla.

How can I get an ECR suspension?

Note: If the applicant's age is above 50 years, he/she can directly apply for ECNR. The procedure for ECR suspension is not required.

If the passport was issued at PO Shimla:

1.     Apply in ECR Suspension form.

2.     Applicable Fee: Rs. 300/-

3.     Submit your present passport along with a copy of it

4.     Attach photocopy of visa

5.     Attach photocopy of your confirmed return travel tickets

6.     Attach Sponsorship Declaration attested by Indian Mission / Consulate (for Middle-East Countries)

 7.    F T S (for other than middle-east countries)

In case of passports having been issued by other Passport Offices:

1.   In addition to the requirements listed above, submit Passport Application    Registration Form.

10 tips for staying safe while shopping online

Stay away from fishy-looking sites

You can't always tell when a website isn't legitimate, but red flags include poor design, a strange or nonsensical Web address, and multiple pop-up windows that you can't close. If you notice any of these suspicious signs, stop shopping and close your browser windows.

Avoid clicking on hyperlinks embedded in emails

The Better Business Bureau warns that legitimate businesses don't send emails asking for follow-up financial information. If an email, even one that claims to be from a familiar retailer, asks you to visit an outside site, don't do it--it could be redirecting you to a scam site. Instead of clicking on a hyperlink, type in the Web address that you want to visit into your browser manually.

Shop on secure websites only

Adam Levin, founder of Credit.com and Identity Theft 911, suggests looking for "https" instead of just "http" in the address bar. Also, he adds, be sure your computer's anti-virus software is up to date, since you can come across some unwanted viruses when surfing online for deals and good buys.

Take advantage of the automatic identity-theft protection that comes with many credit cards

That's one reason to use your credit card instead of debit cards or cash for your holiday shopping. If you see erroneous charges on your statement, you can call your credit card company, which should investigate on your behalf.

The Better Business Bureau points out that credit card companies are required to allow shoppers to dispute charges, and many companies cover charges made on stolen cards. Don't forget to check your credit card statements frequently (don't just wait until you get your monthly bill) because many card companies have time limits on when customers can dispute charges.

Change up your passwords

With consumers asked to remember dozens of passwords for various retailers, banks, and accounts, it's almost impossible to remember them all, especially since they often include mixes of numbers and letters. Either keep careful track in a secure document, rely on mnemonic devices to boost your memory, or come up with some other clever strategy--but don't stick with simple passwords that are easy for strangers to guess.

Review your rights The Better Business Bureau reminds shoppers that if products aren't shipping on time, consumers have the right to cancel the order and get a refund. They can also reject merchandise they deem defective or misrepresented.

Wield that cell phone carefully

Security firm BitDefender reports that shopping with mobile devices--as 6 in 10 shoppers plan to do this year--can come with its own set of security challenges, since shortened URLs can more easily trick shoppers into visiting harmful sites. Also, public Wi-Fi access is convenient, but it can also leave your personal information accessible to hackers, so avoid entering passwords and credit card numbers while in public hotspots.

Avoid strangers on social media

While this rule applies the rest of the year, too, it's especially important around the holidays, when many retailers use social media to drum up business. Fraudsters also send malicious messages through social networks. BitDefender recommends treating messages from strangers as spam--just ignore them.

Don't click on fake holiday eCards

Festive e-greetings are ubiquitous this time of year, but the security firm AppRiver says fake cards can spread viruses. At the risk of being Scrooge, the firm recommends that consumers just delete cards that come from unknown addresses.

Never, ever give your PAN number to anyone online.

If a site asks for it during the checkout process, it's probably a scam site, says Levin.