India – Permits Foundation Asks New Cabinet To Allow Expat Spouses To Work

04 August 2014

Following the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, Permits Foundation has written to the PM as well as the Ministers of External Affairs and Commerce to urge them to give policy support for a change to the regulations on employment visas for intra-corporate personnel and their spouses.

Over the past five years, Permits Foundation has been promoting the right to work of spouses of highly skilled intra-corporate transferees (ICTs) in India. Though few in number, these employees are important to India as organisations make their investment plans while having in mind the international skills that they need to complement local talent.

Currently, the spouses of ICTs are allowed to change status from a dependent visa (X Visa) to an employment visa (E visa), if they meet the conditions for an E visa. However, this falls short of the best practice in a growing number of countries where a spouse may take up employment or self-employment during the assignment, once they have their dependent visa.

Read more:

Letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Letter to Minister of External Affairs Ms. Sushma Swaraj

Letter to Minister of Commerce Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman

Read our latest proposal for a new visa category for intra-corporate transferees, allowing spouses to work

Read our full representation on the right to work of spouses of expatriate intra-corporate transferees in India