India’s Passport Gains Rank but Loses Two Visa-Free Destinations in Henley 2026
Social-Media Vetting Drives Spike in U.S. Visa Refusals for Indians
New Zealand Hits Record 1 Million Visas; Faster Processing a Boon for Indian Students and Workers
Latest News
UK Drops Student-Number Targets, Shifts to Overseas Campuses—Implications for Indian Applicants
Britain’s new education strategy drops numeric targets for international enrolment and pushes universities to expand overseas instead. Indian students may face stiffer competition for UK campus places but could gain access to British degrees delivered in India or regional hubs.
Severe fog and pollution disrupt hundreds of flights at Delhi IGI Airport
New Delhi’s combination of dense fog and a ‘severe’ AQI of 418 caused widespread flight delays on 19 January 2026, forcing airlines to activate low-visibility procedures and leaving business travellers stranded. The episode highlights recurring winter disruption risk for companies that route staff or cargo through India’s busiest hub.
‘FIFA visa’ is a scam, warns Canada-based consultant as bogus offers flood Punjab
A Canadian consultant has exposed the so-called ‘FIFA visa’ as fake, warning Indian applicants—particularly in Punjab—not to pay agents claiming they can secure special World-Cup travel visas. The alert highlights persistent visa-fraud risks for Indian travellers.
Holding a Japan visa unlocks visa-free or VoA access to seven other markets for Indians
A valid Japan visa now grants Indian travellers streamlined entry to at least seven other countries, reducing visa costs and simplifying multi-leg business itineraries. Corporates can leverage the rule to cluster regional meetings around a single Japan trip.
Dense fog at Vijayawada International Airport delays key regional business routes
On 19 January 2026 dense fog at Vijayawada Airport delayed inbound flights from four major cities and forced the cancellation of an IndiGo sector to Visakhapatnam. With Andhra Pradesh firms increasingly reliant on fast regional links, the disruption exposed the limitations of non-CAT-II runways and prompted calls for accelerated infrastructure upgrades.
Henley Index 2026: Indian passport climbs to 80th, opening 55 visa-free or VoA destinations
India’s passport now ranks 80th globally, giving citizens visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 55 destinations. The incremental improvement offers greater agility for Indian businesses deploying staff to mid-tier markets, though major Western visas remain time-consuming.
Delhi airspace closure for Republic-Day rehearsal cancels Srinagar sectors
Three Srinagar–Delhi flights were cancelled on 19 January because of Delhi’s Republic-Day airspace restrictions, highlighting how ceremonial closures ripple through India’s domestic network during Kashmir’s peak tourism and project-execution season.