According to an official gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday, foreign nationals coming to India will now have to complete their registration before the expiry of 180 days from arrival in the country if they wish to extend their stay.Taking a strict stance on delayed registrations, the notification said that registration after the stipulated period will be allowed only in emergency circumstances. The new provision replaces the earlier rule which allowed registration within 14 days after the expiry of the 180-day period from arrival in India.The Home Ministry notified the Immigration and Foreigners (Amendment) Rules, 2026 under Section 30 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. The amended rules came into force with immediate effect and revised registration timelines, emergency provisions, reporting requirements and appeal mechanisms.Clarifying the provisions relating to the status of children and citizenship, the notification said that the requirement of registration will not apply where one of the parents is an Indian citizen and wishes to retain the Indian citizenship of the child under the Citizenship Act, 1955.However, if a child acquires foreign citizenship while living in India, one of the parents must inform the registering officer within 30 days of such acquisition.The notification also modifies certain reporting requirements, standardizing compliance timelines to a 24-hour window.In a significant procedural change, the amended rules introduce a digital appeal mechanism. Persons aggrieved by the directions issued by the civil authorities may file an appeal before the Commissioner, Bureau of Immigration within 30 days through a designated online portal.As per the rules the Commissioner has to provide an opportunity of being heard to the party concerned and endeavor to dispose of the appeal by passing a reasoned order within 60 days from the date of receipt of the appeal.The amendments aim to streamline compliance processes, tighten norms for delayed registration, and strengthen monitoring of immigration-related processes.