According to news reports, the FRO (Foreigner Registration Office) of Pune city, in India, has started a new ‘online registration system’. This new scheme which was initiated at the beginning of this month (May), will send a communication which will either be an e-mail or SMS to the aliens living in the city that will update and inform them of the imminent expiry/lapsing of their visa, five days before the due/last date. A similar notification/notice will also be sent/communicated to the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (FRO), simultaneously. According to the present DCP (FRO), Sanjay Patil, this kind of a new arrangement/system, will greatly reduce the possibility of a foreigner overstaying on his/her visa, illegally.
Mr. Patil further revealed that as of now, for every new registration at the FRO, there are three registrations which are up for renewal. So and but, when the new system is put into place, both the foreigner and his office would receive a communication simultaneously a few (5) days before the expiry of any alien individual’s visa. So, according to the DCP, Mr. Patil, their office personnel would/could easily get in touch with the concerned foreigner/alien and take up with him/her the status of his/her visa.
According to Mr. Patil, there are a few other advantages with the new set-up. He stated that these following are some of them. Thus, along with keeping track of the foreigner whose visa is about to expire, he and his office can also keep track of the officers who are handling these matters. So also, his office can also get relevant information about the owners of lodges or homes where the foreigners are staying, as the owners also have a legal responsibility/duty of filling up a form called as ‘C Form’ which is available online.
According to the records of the FRO, in all, 8,500 foreigners were registered in the city of Pune last year, out of which 4,200 were students. And, 175 individuals were given a 'Leave India notice' and 65 individuals were deported.
