India · Work

India Employment visa (E-1)

Income needed: ₹1.6M+ a year ≈ $17k

Checked against official sources on 12 Oct 2026Record corrected 12 Oct 2026 Change log

Key facts

Employment visa (E-1) is a work route for India. Applicants need income of ₹1.6M+ a year ≈ $17k. You can stay 2 yrs, renewable. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.

Money needed: ₹1.6M+ a year ≈ $17k
First stay: 2 yrs

Cost, time and long term

Shown, not spent₹1.6M+/yr ≈ $17k

INR 1,625,000 a year (≈ $16,900)Gross salary above INR 16.25 lakh (≈ $16,900) a year, counting salary, allowances and quantified perquisites (Visa Manual Annex III, 20 August 2020). The floor does not apply to ethnic cooks employed by foreign missions, language teachers other than English teachers, translators, embassy and high commission staff, honorary workers at registered NGOs, foreign faculty of the South Asian University and Nalanda University, and circus artists. An older Ministry of Home Affairs FAQ states the floor as above USD 25,000 a year.

RenewalRenewable, 5 years max

The visa can be extended year to year by the State Government, FRRO or FRO up to 5 years in total from the first issue, subject to good conduct and continued employment. Income tax returns must be filed.

Ministry of Home Affairs, Foreigners Division

CitizenshipGeneral rule: 12 years of residence

Naturalization needs residence in India throughout the 12 months before applying and at least 11 years of residence in the 14 years before that, plus good character and knowledge of an Indian language.

Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India

Where to applyFrom abroad

The visa must be issued from your country of origin, or your country of domicile if you have lived there permanently for more than 2 years.

Ministry of Home Affairs, Foreigners Division

Why this route may not fit

Check this before you apply.

Time on this route is capped at 5 years in total
Applications are made from outside India, not after arriving
Needs a job offer from an employer in India
Not open to passports from Pakistan

What you'll need

Who can apply4

The applicant is a highly skilled or qualified professional engaged by a company or organisation in India, or by a foreign firm on an Indian project.
The visa is not granted for jobs for which qualified Indians are available, or for routine, clerical or secretarial jobs.
The employment visa is not granted to citizens of Pakistan.
The visa is issued from the country of origin or a country of domicile with more than 2 years of permanent residence.

What you must show6

Gross salary is above INR 16.25 lakh (≈ $16,900) (INR 1,625,000 (≈ $16,900)) a year, counting salary, allowances and quantified perquisites such as rent-free accommodation.
An older Ministry of Home Affairs FAQ states the floor as a salary above USD 25,000 a year.
The floor does not apply to ethnic cooks employed by foreign missions, language teachers other than English teachers, translators, embassy and high commission staff, honorary workers at registered NGOs, foreign faculty of the South Asian University and Nalanda University, and circus artists.
A lower floor of INR 9.10 lakh (≈ $9,490) a year applies to foreign faculty at assistant professor level and above in the listed central higher education institutions.
For a visa of less than one year the minimum salary is worked out pro rata.
Tax liabilities are met.

Documents2

The sponsor is named on the visa.
Proof of employment, qualifications and company registration is required.

Steps1

The visa is not available as an e-visa.

After you arrive1

When you become tax resident

How India decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.

Stay on this route

Up to 5 years in total

Tax residence

More than 729 days in a preceding seven tax yearsPresence above 729 days (together with residence in two of the ten preceding years) makes an individual ordinarily resident; 729 days or less gives RNOR status
At least 182 days in a tax year (1 April to 31 March)Resident in India
At least 60 days in a tax year, together with 365 days or more in the preceding four tax yearsAlternative resident test
At least 120 days in a tax year, together with 365 days or more in the preceding four tax yearsAlternative test for citizens or persons of Indian origin with Indian income above INR 15 lakh (≈ $15,600)

Foreign-source income

RNOR relief

A resident individual who is 'not ordinarily resident' in India is taxed on income received or accruing in India, and on foreign-source income only when it comes from a business controlled in or a profession set up in India.

Special regime

Foreign-source income largely outside tax · Tax relief

All tax rules for India Tax records checked 12 Oct 2026

Official site

Full official text

Visa for highly skilled professionals engaged by a company or organisation in India (or a foreign company executing a project in India) on contract or employment basis. Not granted for jobs for which qualified Indians are available or for routine, clerical or ordinary jobs. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6}

What you must show

Income of over INR 1,625,000 a year (≈ $16,900) · Gross salary above INR 16.25 lakh (≈ $16,900) a year, counting salary, allowances and quantified perquisites (Visa Manual Annex III, 20 August 2020). The floor does not apply to ethnic cooks employed by foreign missions, language teachers other than English teachers, translators, embassy and high commission staff, honorary workers at registered NGOs, foreign faculty of the South Asian University and Nalanda University, and circus artists. An older Ministry of Home Affairs FAQ states the floor as above USD 25,000 a year. ^{6 5}

Requirements

The applicant is a highly skilled or qualified professional engaged by a company or organisation in India, or by a foreign firm on an Indian project. ⁵
The visa is not granted for jobs for which qualified Indians are available, or for routine, clerical or secretarial jobs. ⁵
The employment visa is not granted to citizens of Pakistan. ⁶
The visa is issued from the country of origin or a country of domicile with more than 2 years of permanent residence. ⁵
Gross salary is above INR 16.25 lakh (≈ $16,900) (INR 1,625,000 (≈ $16,900)) a year, counting salary, allowances and quantified perquisites such as rent-free accommodation. ⁶
An older Ministry of Home Affairs FAQ states the floor as a salary above USD 25,000 a year. ⁵
The floor does not apply to ethnic cooks employed by foreign missions, language teachers other than English teachers, translators, embassy and high commission staff, honorary workers at registered NGOs, foreign faculty of the South Asian University and Nalanda University, and circus artists. ⁶
A lower floor of INR 9.10 lakh (≈ $9,490) a year applies to foreign faculty at assistant professor level and above in the listed central higher education institutions. ⁶
For a visa of less than one year the minimum salary is worked out pro rata. ⁶
Tax liabilities are met. ⁵
The sponsor is named on the visa. ⁵
Proof of employment, qualifications and company registration is required. ⁵
The visa is not available as an e-visa. ^{5 2}
Register with the FRRO/FRO within 14 days of arrival when the visa is valid for more than 180 days. ^{5 2}

Stay

Up to 2 years or the term of the assignment, whichever is less; IT software and IT-enabled sector up to 3 years; experts under a bilateral or government-approved collaboration agreement up to 5 years; extendable year by year to 5 years from first issue (Visa Manual Annex III, 2020). The Indian Visa Online table gives 1 year or the period of the contract.
First stay: up to 24 months, decided case by case.
Visa validity: 24 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.

Nationality

Not granted to citizens of Pakistan. Not open to: Pakistan.

Work

Employment with the named sponsoring employer.

Family

Family members receive X visas co-terminus with the principal holder's visa.

Fine print

Two Ministry of Home Affairs documents state the salary floor differently. The Visa Manual extract (Annex III, dated 20 August 2020) says a gross salary above INR 16.25 lakh (≈ $16,900) a year; the work visa FAQ, a file created in 2010, says above USD 25,000 a year. The figure shown here is the one in the more recent document. The length also differs between two official pages: the Visa Manual extract gives up to 2 years (3 years in the IT sector, 5 years under government-approved agreements), while the Indian Visa Online table gives 1 year or the period of the contract. Ask the Indian mission that will issue the visa which applies to you.

Checked 2026-10-12

Official sources

List of Visas (B, E, F, S, X, T categories) · Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs · checked 2026-10-10
e-Visa (categories, durations, documents, FAQ) · Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs (indianvisaonline.gov.in) · checked 2026-10-12
Details of visas granted by India (Visa Manual extract, Annex III) · Ministry of Home Affairs, India · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2018-02-01
Visa provision (period, entry, extension by visa type) · Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs · checked 2026-10-12
FAQs relating to work related visas issued by India (Business and Employment visas) · Ministry of Home Affairs, Foreigners Division · checked 2026-10-12
Details of visas granted by India (Visa Manual Annex III, 20 August 2020) · Ministry of Home Affairs, India · checked 2026-10-12
The Citizenship Act, 1955 (sections 5, 6 and Third Schedule) · Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India · checked 2026-10-11

Employment visa (E-1) and its alternatives

Route	Money needed	Stay	Work
Employment visa (E-1)	Needs income of ₹1.6M+ a year ≈ $17k	2 yr, renewable	–
Consultant visa (E-1)	Needs income of ₹1.6M+ a year ≈ $17k	2 yr, renewable	–
NGO employment (E-2)	–	1 yr, renewable	–
Intern visa	Needs income of ₹780k+ a year ≈ $8,130	1 yr	–
Research visa	–	3 yr, renewable	Limited

Questions people ask

How much money do I need for the Employment visa (E-1)?

Income of over INR 1,625,000 a year (≈ $16,900). Gross salary above INR 16.25 lakh (≈ $16,900) a year, counting salary, allowances and quantified perquisites (Visa Manual Annex III, 20 August 2020).

How long can I stay on the Employment visa (E-1)?

Up to 2 years or the term of the assignment, whichever is less; IT software and IT-enabled sector up to 3 years; experts under a bilateral or government-approved collaboration agreement up to 5 years; extendable year by year to 5 years from first issue (Visa Manual Annex III, 2020).

Can I work on the Employment visa (E-1)?

Employment with the named sponsoring employer.

Can I bring my family on the Employment visa (E-1)?

Family members receive X visas co-terminus with the principal holder's visa.

Who can apply for the Employment visa (E-1)?

Not granted to citizens of Pakistan. Not open to: Pakistan.

Is there a tax break for Employment visa (E-1) holders in India?

Not ordinarily resident (RNOR) status: foreign-source income largely outside tax: A resident individual who is 'not ordinarily resident' in India is taxed on income received or accruing in India, and on foreign-source income only when it comes from a business controlled in or a profession set up in India. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.

Tax

Special regime

Not ordinarily resident (RNOR) status: foreign-source income largely outside tax

Tax relief

Foreign-source income: RNOR relief

Details

On: Income received or accruing in India
Limit: ₹1.5M/yr ≈ $16k

Taxed on

Income received or accruing in India, plus foreign-source income derived from a business controlled in India or a profession set up in India.

Who it applies to

Resident in India for the tax year but non-resident in nine of the ten preceding years, or present in India 729 days or less in the seven preceding years.
Indian citizens or persons of Indian origin who visit India for 120 to 181 days with Indian-source income above INR 15 lakh (≈ $15,600) are treated as not ordinarily resident.
Indian citizens deemed resident because Indian income exceeds INR 15 lakh (≈ $15,600) and they are liable to tax nowhere else are treated as not ordinarily resident.
From tax years beginning on or after 1 April 2026 the rule is section 6(13) and section 5 of the Income-tax Act 2025; the criteria match the 1961 Act.

Exclusions

Ordinarily resident individuals (more than 729 days in the preceding seven years and resident in at least two of the preceding ten years) are taxed on worldwide income.

Limits

INR 1,500,000 a year (≈ $15,600) · Indian-source income (other than foreign-source) above which a citizen not taxed elsewhere is deemed resident, as RNOR

Days in the country

More than 729 days in preceding seven tax years · Presence above 729 days (together with residence in two of the ten preceding years) makes an individual ordinarily resident; 729 days or less gives RNOR status

Tax residence

RNOR status is annual and tests look back to years governed by the 1961 Act.

Visas

Visa type is irrelevant; status depends on days of presence and past residence.

Other taxes

Goods and services tax, surcharge and cess apply separately.

Checked against official sources on 12 Oct 2026Change log

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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

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An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.

How this was checked

Checked on 2026-10-12 against 7 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.

Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.

List of Visas (B, E, F, S, X, T categories) · Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs · checked 2026-10-10
e-Visa (categories, durations, documents, FAQ) · Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs (indianvisaonline.gov.in) · checked 2026-10-12
Details of visas granted by India (Visa Manual extract, Annex III) · Ministry of Home Affairs, India · checked 2026-10-12
Visa provision (period, entry, extension by visa type) · Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs · checked 2026-10-12
FAQs relating to work related visas issued by India (Business and Employment visas) · Ministry of Home Affairs, Foreigners Division · checked 2026-10-12
Details of visas granted by India (Visa Manual Annex III, 20 August 2020) · Ministry of Home Affairs, India · checked 2026-10-12
The Citizenship Act, 1955 (sections 5, 6 and Third Schedule) · Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India · checked 2026-10-11

Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.