New Delhi: Foreigners who enter India on a visa valid for 180 days and intend to stay beyond this period will now have to register with the competent authority before the expiry of their visa, instead of the earlier norm that allowed them to register within 14 days of visa expiry, according to reports.The Immigration and Foreigners (Amendment) Rules, notified by the MHA on Monday, also introduce a “only in emergency circumstances” clause for extension of stay for people with visas beyond 180 days, with a stay not exceeding 180 days.Birth notification is exempted from visa rules if one of the parents is an Indian citizenSuch registration petitions must be filed before the expiry of 180 days of stay.Under the amended rule, foreigners seeking extension of their 180-day stay visa will have to register with the Foreigner Registration Officer or Foreigner Regional Registration Officer (FRO/FRRO) before the expiry date. Such registration can be done through a dedicated mobile application or by filing Form-I before the registering officer through the online foreigner registration portal.Owners of premises which have been completely or partially closed for hosting illegal immigrants or criminal foreigners can now file an appeal with the Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration in electronic mode, within 30 days of the direction of the civil authority. Earlier this appeal had to be filed with the Central Government.On children born to foreigners, the rule requiring the FRO/FRRO to be informed within 30 days for availing visa services has been removed where one of the parents is an Indian citizen and wishes to retain the Indian citizenship of the child under Section 3 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.Another amendment to Rule 18(6) orders medical institutions to send details of departure of any foreigner to the registering officer as soon as possible, but not more than 24 hours.