India PRS · Foreign investor

Permanent Residency Status for foreign investors under the FDI route who bring in at least INR 10 crore (≈ $1,040,000) within 18 months or INR 25 crore (≈ $2,610,000) within 36 months and create jobs for at least 20 resident Indians each financial year; the investor first holds an investor business visa for 18 or 36 months. ^{1 2 3 4}

What you must show

• An investment of at least INR 100,000,000 (≈ $1,040,000) · Foreign direct investment brought in within 18 months. ^{1 2}
• An investment of at least INR 250,000,000 (≈ $2,610,000) · Alternative: foreign direct investment brought in within 36 months. ^{1 2}

Requirements

• The investment goes through the FDI route and generates employment for at least 20 resident Indians in every financial year. ^{1 2}
• Top management executives are excluded and use the Employment visa. ^{1 2}
• The route is not applicable to Pakistani citizens or third-country nationals of Pakistani origin. ¹
• Foreign direct investment of INR 100,000,000 (≈ $1,040,000) or more is brought in within 18 months. ^{1 2}
• Alternatively foreign direct investment of INR 250,000,000 (≈ $2,610,000) or more is brought in within 36 months. ^{1 2}
• The applicant first holds an investor business visa for 18 or 36 months, without stay stipulation or FRRO registration; the Visa Manual of 20 August 2020 calls it the B-4 Visa (Investor). ⁴
• The applicant then applies online for PRS to the FRRO/FRO. ¹
• The PRS holder files Form FC-GPR and the annual return on foreign liabilities and assets each year. ¹
• The PRS holder files the RBI acknowledgement and the income tax return each year. ¹
• An employment-generation certificate by the statutory auditor is also filed each year. ¹

Stay

• Investor business visa for 18 or 36 months, then PRS for 10 years with multiple entry, renewable for another 10 years; no stay stipulation or FRRO registration.
• Initial permitted stay: 18 months.
• Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.

Nationality

Excludes Pakistani citizens and third-country nationals of Pakistani origin. Not open to: Pakistan.

Work

Multiple-entry residence without stay limit; the holder may buy one residential property for dwelling; spouse and dependants may take private-sector employment and study without a Student visa.

Family

Spouse and dependants receive PRS or B-4X visas on the same terms; spouse and dependants may take private-sector jobs without the salary floor.

Fine print

The investment amounts, the 20-jobs rule and the first-step visa come from the Cabinet release of 31 August 2016 and the Visa Manual of 20 August 2020. The Bureau of Immigration's current visa list still shows PRS for foreign investors but gives no figures, and it now uses the code B-4 for the Production Investment Business Visa, granted only as an e-visa, so the first-step visa may have a different code today.

Checked 2026-10-12 · partly verified

Official sources

1. Details of visas granted by India (Visa Manual extract, Annex III) · Ministry of Home Affairs, India · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2018-02-01
2. Cabinet approves grant of Permanent Residency Status to Foreign Investors (PIB, 31 Aug 2016) · Press Information Bureau · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2016-08-31
3. List of Visas (B, E, F, S, X, T categories) · Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs · checked 2026-10-10
4. Details of visas granted by India (Visa Manual Annex III, 20 August 2020) · Ministry of Home Affairs, India · checked 2026-10-12