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27 Oct 2026
India Gate in Delhi, a landmark for travelers using the India multiple entry e-visa rule for tourists

India Quietly Fixed the Most Annoying Rule on Its Tourist e-Visa

Categories Visa Updates

India has removed one of the more awkward limits on its most commonly used tourist e-visa. The India multiple entry e-visa change means travelers on the 30-day e-Tourist Visa, officially category e-T1 V, can now enter and leave the country more than twice during the visa’s validity period, according to reporting from Passport Index. The update applies to e-visas approved from 12 June 2026 onward.

What changed with the India multiple entry e-visa

Under the previous rules, the 30-day tourist e-visa capped travelers at two entries into India during the authorization’s validity window. The updated policy lifts that cap entirely for newly approved e-visas, so approved authorizations now simply show “Multiple entries” rather than a fixed count. Crucially, the per-visit stay limit hasn’t moved: travelers are still restricted to 30 days in India counted from the date of each entry. What’s changed is purely how many times a traveler can cross the border on the same visa, not how long they’re allowed to stay once they’re in the country.

Why this is a bigger deal than it sounds

For a single-country holiday, a two-entry cap rarely mattered much. But India sits at the centre of a popular regional travel circuit that includes Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Bhutan, and plenty of travelers build itineraries that hop between India and one or more of those destinations. Under the old rule, a traveler doing India, then Nepal, then back into India for a few more days before flying home would have burned through both of their entries just on that one loop, with no flexibility for an unplanned return trip. The change, confirmed separately by iVisa, removes that constraint for anyone applying from mid-June 2026 onward.

This builds on an earlier adjustment from December 2025, when India extended the window for making a first entry on this e-visa category from 30 to 120 days after approval. That change gave travelers more flexibility on when to start their trip; this one gives them more flexibility on how many times they can come and go once the trip is underway. Neither change affects the underlying 30-day stay limit, which remains the one fixed constraint travelers need to plan around.

What travelers should still check before booking

The 30-day e-Tourist Visa remains non-extendable and non-convertible, meaning travelers can’t apply to extend their stay past 30 days or convert the visa into a different category once they’re in the country. For travelers who know they’ll need more flexibility than even the new multiple-entry rule provides, such as a trip lasting several months with multiple regional side trips, India’s one-year and five-year tourist e-visas also allow multiple entries, though total time spent in the country is capped at 180 days per calendar year under those longer categories.

One step hasn’t changed at all: every traveler using any of these e-visa categories still needs to complete an e-Arrival Card online within 72 hours before landing in India. And approval of the e-visa itself is not a guarantee of entry, since immigration officials retain final discretion at the border regardless of what the visa paperwork shows.

What travelers should do from here

Travelers who already hold a 30-day e-visa approved before 12 June 2026 are still bound by the old two-entry limit for that specific authorization; the new rule only applies going forward. Anyone planning a multi-country South Asia itinerary from this point on should factor the updated rule into their routing, since it removes what was previously one of the more common planning headaches for travelers mixing India with a side trip to a neighboring country.

Frequently asked questions

What changed with India’s 30-day tourist e-visa?
India’s 30-day tourist e-visa, officially the e-T1 V category, now allows multiple entries during its validity period. Previously, this visa category was capped at two entries, even though the stay limit per visit remained 30 days.

When did the India multiple entry e-visa rule take effect?
The change applies to e-visas approved from 12 June 2026 onward. Travelers with authorizations issued before that date were still subject to the old two-entry cap.

Does the India multiple entry e-visa change the 30-day stay limit?
No. The stay limit per visit remains 30 days from the date of entry. What changed is how many separate times a traveler can enter and re-enter India during the visa’s validity window, not how long each individual stay can be.

Why does this matter for travelers visiting more than one country?
The change is particularly useful for itineraries that combine India with short trips to neighboring countries such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives or Bhutan, since travelers can now leave and re-enter India on the same e-visa without needing a fresh application.

Are there longer India e-visa options with multiple entries?
Yes. Travelers who need more flexibility can apply for India’s one-year or five-year tourist e-visas, which also allow multiple entries, though total time in India is capped at 180 days per calendar year under those longer visas.

Do I still need to complete an arrival form before landing in India?
Yes. All travelers using these e-visas must still complete an e-Arrival Card online within 72 hours before arriving in India, and approval of the e-visa itself doesn’t guarantee entry, since immigration officers make the final decision at the border.

For more on visa rules shaping travel this season, see our coverage of the November 2026 US Visa Bulletin and the proposed changes to US work visa extensions.

India Gate in Delhi, relevant to the India multiple entry e-visa update for 30-day tourist visas

27 Oct 2026
A passport stamp document relevant to the USCIS fee increase October 2026

USCIS Is Raising Fees Again on October 16 — Here’s Exactly What Changes

Categories Visa Updates, Work Permits

USCIS quietly raised four immigration fees on 16 October 2026, under a new annual inflation adjustment rule that most applicants have never had to deal with before. The USCIS fee increase October 2026 is small in dollar terms, but it carries a hard deadline: get the new amount wrong and the agency says it will reject the filing outright.

The USCIS fee increase October 2026: what exactly went up

According to an official bulletin confirmed through USCIS’s own notification system, four specific fees changed. The annual asylum application fee rose from $102 to $105. The Form I-131 fee, used for immigration parole documents, rose from $1,020 to $1,050. The Form I-765 fee for an initial Employment Authorization Document, filed by asylum applicants, parolees and Temporary Protected Status holders, rose from $560 to $570. And the Form I-821 fee for Temporary Protected Status itself rose from $510 to $520. As Cronista reported, no other immigration fees changed in this round.

Why these four fees and why now

The increases implement a provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to adjust certain immigration fees for inflation every fiscal year starting with FY 2026. USCIS first laid out these fee categories in a Federal Register notice back on 22 July 2025, and this particular round, covering FY 2027, reflects inflation measured from July 2025 through July 2026. In practical terms, that’s a legally mandated, formula-driven update rather than a discretionary policy choice, which is part of why the dollar amounts involved are modest, ranging from a $3 bump on the asylum fee up to a $30 increase on the parole document fee.

The deadline that actually matters

The fee amounts only matter if applicants get the timing right. USCIS has stated plainly that any request postmarked on or after 16 October 2026 must include the new, higher fee, and that submissions sent on or after that date with the old, lower amount will be rejected rather than processed with a request for the difference. For applicants and their attorneys, that makes the mailing date, not the date the form was filled out, the operative deadline. Anyone who prepared paperwork before the change took effect should double-check the fee amount before it actually goes in the mail.

Who should pay attention

This round of changes is narrowly targeted. Asylum applicants, people applying for or holding Temporary Protected Status, and immigration parolees are the groups directly affected, since those are the categories tied to the four forms involved. Most other visa categories and USCIS forms are untouched by this specific update, so the vast majority of applicants filing green card, work visa or naturalization paperwork won’t see any change from this particular notice.

What this means going forward

USCIS has described these as minor adjustments, but the inflation-linked mechanism behind them means this almost certainly won’t be the last update under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s fee provisions. Expect a similar round of smaller increases roughly every fiscal year going forward, which makes checking the official USCIS fee schedule immediately before filing, rather than relying on a figure from months earlier, the safest habit for anyone navigating these four forms.

Frequently asked questions

Which USCIS fees are increasing in October 2026?
Four fees rise effective 16 October 2026: the annual asylum application fee from $102 to $105, the Form I-131 parole document fee from $1,020 to $1,050, the Form I-765 initial work permit fee from $560 to $570, and the Form I-821 Temporary Protected Status fee from $510 to $520.

Who is affected by the USCIS fee increase October 2026?
Asylum applicants, immigration parolees, and Temporary Protected Status holders and applicants are affected, since the increases apply specifically to the annual asylum fee, parole document requests, initial work permit filings tied to these categories, and TPS applications.

Why is USCIS raising these fees now?
The increases implement an annual inflation adjustment required under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which directs the Department of Homeland Security to adjust certain fees for inflation each fiscal year starting in FY 2026. This round covers inflation measured from July 2025 through July 2026.

What happens if I send the old, lower fee after October 16?
USCIS says applications postmarked on or after 16 October 2026 that include the outdated, lower fee amount will be rejected outright, so applicants need to confirm the current fee before mailing any affected form.

Are other USCIS fees changing too?
No. USCIS has described this round of adjustments as minor, and the agency says other immigration fees outside these four forms remain unchanged for now.

Where can I confirm the exact current fee before filing?
Applicants should check the official USCIS fee schedule directly before submitting any affected form, since fee amounts can be updated again in future inflation adjustment cycles.

For more on US immigration costs and deadlines this season, see our coverage of the November 2026 Visa Bulletin and the $750 expedited visa interview pilot winding down in December.

A travel document stamp, symbolising the paperwork affected by the USCIS fee increase October 2026 rule

26 Oct 2026
November 2026 visa bulletin US embassy consulate building

Good News for Most Visa Applicants in November — Unless You’re From India or China

Categories Immigration, Visa Updates

The State Department’s November 2026 visa bulletin advances several employment-based green card dates for most of the world. Applicants from India and China, though, face yet another month with almost no movement in their categories.

What Changed in the November 2026 Visa Bulletin

The new dates are based on visa demand reported through October 5, 2026, according to Newsweek. For most countries, Mexico and the Philippines, EB-1 remains current. EB-2’s final action date advances three months to April 1, 2025. EB-3 advances one month to June 15, 2024. EB-3 Other Workers jumps five months to June 1, 2022, for the same group of countries. That is the single largest move in this month’s bulletin.

November 2026 visa bulletin passport with visa stamp

Why India and China Barely Moved

India’s EB-2 final action date stays frozen at November 1, 2013. China’s EB-2 holds at October 1, 2021. China’s EB-1 advances a single month, to August 1, 2023, while India’s EB-1 stays put at February 1, 2023. Both countries’ EB-3 Other Worker categories edge forward by just 14 days, to January 22, 2014, according to Erickson Immigration Group. China’s EB-3 moves separately to January 22, 2022. EB-4 holds at December 15, 2022 across the board. EB-5’s unreserved category stays current for most countries, with China fixed at December 1, 2016 and India at December 1, 2023.

What This Means for H-1B Workers Waiting on Green Cards

Douglas S. Pierce, a former USCIS supervisor who retired in late 2025, told Newsweek the lack of movement is especially significant for Indian and Chinese H-1B workers. “The biggest things that stand out are the lack of movement forward on India employment preference categories,” Pierce said. He added that H-1B workers from both countries are being “profoundly impacted by the lack of movement on these numbers.” Pierce linked the bulletin’s limited progress to other changes this year, including higher H-1B filing fees and changes to the PERM labor certification program and H-4 work authorization.

Filing Dates and What USCIS Will Accept

Separate from the final action dates, the bulletin’s Dates for Filing chart sets a later, more generous cut-off. That date determines when applicants can submit paperwork. For November 2026, the EB-2 filing date sits at March 15, 2026 for most countries, including Mexico and the Philippines. For India, it’s January 15, 2015. USCIS has confirmed it will accept adjustment-of-status applications using the Dates for Filing chart for November. That gives many applicants a few extra months to file before their final action date actually arrives.

How Priority Dates and the Visa Bulletin Fit Together

The visa bulletin’s dates matter because of how the US caps green cards each year. Congress sets an annual limit for each employment-based category. Demand from countries like India and China regularly exceeds that limit, since both countries have large numbers of pending petitions. When demand outstrips supply, the State Department sets a cut-off date. Only applicants whose priority date falls before that cut-off can move forward that month. A priority date is simply the date an employer first filed a petition on the worker’s behalf. India and China send far more petitions than the per-country limits were built to handle. That is why workers from those two countries tend to wait years longer than applicants from almost anywhere else. The imbalance is structural, not the result of any single policy change. It’s the main reason the same two countries land at the back of the queue nearly every month. That is also why India and China are listed as separate columns rather than folded into the “all other countries” category used for most of the world on the same chart. Most other countries move through their categories far faster as a result, since they share a single, much larger pool of available visa numbers each year.

The Caveat Every Applicant Should Know

The State Department routinely warns that cut-off dates can move backward. That happens if demand in a category exceeds the visas available for the rest of the fiscal year. Categories can also become temporarily unavailable altogether. Reaching your priority date on the bulletin isn’t the same as approval. It only means your case becomes eligible for the next stage of processing, which can still take months depending on USCIS workload.

Related Coverage on Tamara News

For more on the policy backdrop shaping these numbers, see our coverage of the DHS proposal to end deference on work visa extensions, the PERM suspension affecting major employers, and the $750 expedited visa interview pilot program.

November 2026 Visa Bulletin: Reader Questions

What is the November 2026 visa bulletin?
The State Department’s monthly update on employment and family-based green card cut-off dates, released in late October 2026 based on demand through October 5.

Did India’s EB-2 category move this month?
No. India’s EB-2 final action date remains at November 1, 2013.

Which category saw the biggest advance?
EB-3 Other Workers for most countries and Mexico, which advanced five months to June 1, 2022.

Can applicants file paperwork before their final action date arrives?
Yes, if their priority date is earlier than the Dates for Filing chart’s cut-off, which USCIS has confirmed it will accept for November 2026.

Why are H-1B workers particularly affected by this bulletin?
Former USCIS supervisor Douglas Pierce says the lack of movement in India’s categories compounds other recent changes, including higher H-1B fees and PERM program restrictions.

Can a visa bulletin cut-off date move backward?
Yes. The State Department can retrogress a date if demand exceeds the visas available for the rest of the fiscal year.

26 Oct 2026
Henley Passport Index 2026 stack of international passports

Singapore Keeps Its Passport Crown, But One Rival Is Closing In Fast

Categories Visa Updates, World

The Henley Passport Index 2026 has Singapore holding the top spot again. The bigger story this year is how much ground the United Arab Emirates has closed on the traditional leaders. The index ranks 199 passports by how many destinations their holders can enter without a prior visa. It shows a widening gap between the most mobile travelers and everyone else.

Singapore Stays on Top of the Henley Passport Index 2026

Singapore’s passport gives holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 192 destinations. That is enough to keep it in first place, a spot it has held for several years, according to Travel And Tour World. No other passport matches that figure in the current rankings.

Henley Passport Index 2026 traveler at airport passport control

The UAE’s Climb to Second Place

The UAE now sits in a three-way tie for second with Japan and South Korea. Each offers access to 187 destinations. A decade ago, the UAE passport ranked far outside the top ten. Its rise reflects years of bilateral visa-waiver agreements the country has negotiated, though Henley’s published summary doesn’t break out the exact year-over-year gain. Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Switzerland share fourth place with 185 destinations apiece.

Where the UK and US Rank in the Henley Passport Index 2026

The United Kingdom sits sixth with 183 destinations, tied with Hungary, Malaysia and Poland. The United States ranks tenth, with access to 179 destinations. Both countries have slipped down the index over the past decade. Gulf and East Asian passports have added visa-free agreements faster than legacy Western powers have. At the other end of the list, Afghanistan ranks last among the 199 passports assessed. Its holders can enter just 23 destinations without a prior visa.

Why the Rankings Keep Shifting

Henley’s index is built entirely from the number of visa-waiver agreements each country has in place. That means it moves whenever governments sign new deals or suspend old ones. It is as much a snapshot of diplomatic relationships as of tourism convenience. A passport’s rank can rise even if its holder’s actual travel habits never change, simply because their government struck a new agreement with another state.

How the Index Has Shifted Over the Past Decade

Henley has tracked passport strength using the same travel-document database for years, which is part of why comparisons across editions are considered reliable. Singapore has sat at or near the top for most of the index’s recent history, while the biggest story of the past decade has been the Gulf region’s rise. The UAE’s jump from outside the top ten to a share of second place reflects a deliberate diplomatic strategy rather than a single breakthrough deal, built instead on a string of bilateral waiver agreements signed over several years. Traditional Western powers such as the UK and US have not lost agreements outright. They have simply added new ones more slowly than Gulf and East Asian governments have, which is enough on its own to erode a ranking even without any country tightening its own rules. The practical effect for travelers is that passport strength has become less tied to a country’s wealth or diplomatic weight alone, and more to how actively its government has pursued waiver deals in recent years. Henley compiles the index twice each year, so a country’s position can still shift by the time the next edition is published.

Which Regions Dominate the Top of the 2026 Rankings

The top tier this year is a mix that would have looked unusual a decade ago. A Southeast Asian city-state holds first place. A Gulf state and two East Asian economies share second place. Six European countries bunch together in fourth. That spread shows the ranking is no longer a story of Europe versus the rest. Gulf states in particular have spent years negotiating reciprocal visa-waiver deals, pushing passports like the UAE’s into contention with the traditional leaders. European passports still dominate the upper-middle of the table, but they no longer have the top spot to themselves.

What the Gap Means for Travelers

For travelers from the top ten, a visa is rarely the obstacle it once was. For those lower down the list, including Afghan nationals, a visa application is still a routine part of almost any trip abroad. That comes with the cost, paperwork and waiting time it always has. The Henley Passport Index 2026 doesn’t just rank convenience. It’s a rough proxy for how unevenly visa-free mobility spreads worldwide.

Related Coverage on Tamara News

For more on how visa access is shifting around the world, see our coverage of Dubai’s record year for golden visas, South Korea’s extended travel exemption, and the US pilot program for expedited visa interviews.

Henley Passport Index: Reader Questions

Which passport ranks first in the Henley Passport Index 2026?
Singapore ranks first, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 192 destinations.

Where does the UAE rank this year?
The UAE ties for second with Japan and South Korea, each offering access to 187 destinations.

How does the UK passport rank?
The UK sits sixth, tied with Hungary, Malaysia and Poland, with access to 183 destinations.

Where does the US passport rank?
The United States ranks tenth, with access to 179 destinations.

Which passport ranks last?
Afghanistan ranks last among the 199 passports assessed, with access to just 23 destinations.

How is the Henley Passport Index calculated?
It is based on the number of destinations each passport holder can enter without a prior visa, drawn from bilateral and multilateral visa-waiver agreements.

25 Oct 2026
Bangkok temple scene representing the new Thailand visa exemption rules for travelers

Thailand Quietly Cut Its Famous 60-Day Visa Exemption — Here’s What Travelers Get Now

Categories Visa Updates

Thailand quietly ended its generous 60-day visa exemption on September 15, 2026. It replaced the old rule with a tiered system that gives most Western visitors a shorter 30-day stay instead. The Thailand visa exemption rules now vary sharply by nationality. Travelers who have not checked the update since booking a trip could be in for a surprise at the border.

How the new Thailand visa exemption rules are structured

According to Thailand’s Tourism Authority (TAT), officials replaced the old 60-day blanket exemption with four separate categories. A 30-day visa exemption for tourism now applies to holders of passports from 60 countries and territories. That list includes Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A shorter 15-day exemption applies specifically to Seychelles and Mauritius. Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Serbia now need a visa on arrival instead of any exemption at all. Existing bilateral agreements between Thailand and individual countries still run alongside this system. Those offer stays of 90, 30, or 14 days, depending on the specific agreement in place.

Airport departure board showing international flights, illustrating travel affected by the Thailand visa exemption rules

Travelers from countries not on the 60-country list face a more complicated set of options. Some fall under the 15-day exemption. Others need to apply for a visa on arrival or a standard visa in advance. The absence of one single rule for every nationality is the central difference between this system and the one it replaced. A quick internet search for “Thailand visa” is no longer a reliable way to confirm entry requirements for every traveler.

A new cap on land border crossings

One of the more consequential changes limits how often travelers can use the 30-day or 15-day exemptions at a land border. Land entries now generally cap at two per calendar year, with exceptions for certain nationalities. That is a real blow to the common practice known as a border run. Visitors cross into a neighboring country and immediately return, resetting their permitted stay. That workaround loses most of its usefulness under the new cap.

Travelers who regularly commute across land borders for work or family reasons, not just tourism, are among those most affected by the new two-per-year limit. Thailand shares land borders with Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar, and crossings for day trips, shopping, or visiting relatives were common under the old rules. The new cap applies regardless of the traveler’s purpose for crossing, which has drawn some criticism from border communities that relied on frequent, informal crossings.

Why Thailand made the change now

The TAT summary does not spell out a single official rationale. It does lay out the timeline behind the Cabinet approvals that built the framework in stages. Officials first published the plan on May 21, 2026. They updated it on July 16, 2026. The final version appeared in the Royal Gazette on August 31, 2026, just ahead of the September 15 effective date. Industry coverage from TTG Asia frames the shift as part of a broader regional pattern, not a move aimed at any single country’s relationship with Thailand. Several Southeast Asian destinations have tightened long-stay tourist exemptions recently.

The net effect looks less generous on paper than the old 60-day rule. It still gives the large majority of long-haul visitors a full 30 days to travel without a visa application. That group includes travelers from North America, Europe, and much of Asia-Pacific.

What travelers should check before booking

Anyone planning a Thailand trip longer than 30 days, under the old assumption of a 60-day stay, needs to recheck their nationality’s category under the new rules. The TAT’s full list covers dozens of countries individually. It does not apply one blanket figure to everyone. Travelers planning multiple short visits using land crossings should factor in the new two-per-year cap too. Exceeding it could mean a turn-back at the border, or needing an actual visa instead of relying on the exemption.

The TAT notes its summary is not the Royal Gazette text itself. Travelers with an unusual itinerary or dual nationality should confirm their specific entry conditions directly with Thai immigration authorities or their nearest Thai embassy before departure.

Travel insurance providers have also started updating their own guidance to reflect the new rules. Overstaying a visa exemption, even unintentionally, can affect insurance claims filed during a trip. Travelers should treat the exemption category as part of their standard pre-trip checklist, alongside passport validity and any required vaccinations.

How Thailand’s move fits a wider regional pattern

Thailand is not the only Southeast Asian destination recalibrating its tourist entry rules this year. Several neighboring countries have revisited their own visa-free arrangements too. Visitor numbers are climbing back toward, and in some cases past, pre-pandemic levels across the region. The shared thread is a shift toward shorter default stays paired with narrower, nationality-specific exceptions. That replaces the broad blanket exemptions that were common only a few years ago.

What this means for digital nomads and long-stay visitors

Travelers who previously relied on the 60-day exemption to work remotely from Thailand for extended stretches face the biggest practical adjustment. A 30-day limit, combined with the new land-border cap, changes that calculation. Quietly extending a stay through repeated border runs is far less workable than it used to be. Anyone planning a longer stay should look instead at Thailand’s dedicated long-stay visa categories, which operate separately from the tourist exemption system covered here.

What happens next for Thailand’s tourism rules

The tiered system is now more than a month into effect. Expect Thai immigration authorities to clarify edge cases as more travelers encounter the new rules in practice. One open question is how the land border cap interacts with layover or transit travel. Thailand has adjusted its visa exemption framework more than once already in 2026. Further fine-tuning before the next peak travel season would not be a surprise.

For more on how entry rules are shifting across Asia, see Tamara News’ coverage of South Korea’s K-ETA exemption extension and China’s visa-free entry deadline.

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