CAA cut-off extended, minorities fleeing persecution till 2024 allowed to stay

Members of minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan — including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians

Who arrived in India up to December 31, 2024, fleeing religious persecution, will be allowed to stay without passports or other valid travel documents, the Union Home Ministry has announced. Under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which came into effect last year, members of these persecuted minorities who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, are eligible for Indian citizenship.

The new order, issued under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, offers relief to thousands, particularly Hindus from Pakistan who came after 2014 and had been uncertain about their legal status.

According to the notification, individuals from these minority groups who sought shelter in India by December 31, 2024 — whether without valid travel papers or with documents that have since expired — will be exempted from the requirement of possessing a valid passport or visa.