A foreign national’s exit permit cannot stand absent an established visa-condition breach.

The petitioner, a Taiwanese national, entered India on an Employment (E-2) Visa to work for Maxxis Rubber India Pvt. Ltd. The visa required registration within fourteen days and prohibited entry into restricted or cantonment areas, but did not expressly prohibit pursuing online academic courses.

While employed, he completed online academic programmes and subsequently secured admission to the three-year LL.B. course at Government Law College, Mumbai.

He resigned from employment with effect from 1 July 2025, returned to Taiwan, and obtained a fresh Student Visa valid until 13 August 2028 for pursuing legal studies in India.

After re-entering India on 20 August 2025, he applied online for registration on 1 September 2025, within fourteen days of arrival.

The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (“FRRO”) nevertheless closed the application, demanded a penalty of ₹50,000, and subsequently issued an Exit Permit dated 21 February 2026 directing him to leave India.

The petitioner challenged the Exit Permit and sought directions for issuance of his Registration Certificate.

Whether the petitioner breached the conditions of his earlier Employment Visa by pursuing online academic courses while employed in India, thereby justifying refusal of registration and issuance of an Exit Permit.

Whether the FRRO could impose a ₹50,000 penalty and refuse or close the petitioner’s registration application when the application had been submitted within fourteen days of his arrival, without assigning reasons or considering his representations.

Whether the Exit Permit directing the petitioner to leave India was arbitrary and liable to be quashed, particularly when he held a valid Student Visa and had not breached its conditions.

The Court applied Section 6 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, concerning registration of foreigners after arrival in India, and Section 7(2)(f), which requires foreign nationals to comply with the conditions of their visas.

It also referred to Sections 23–25 of the 2025 Act, which provide for action against violations of the statutory framework or visa conditions.

The Court applied Rule 6 of the Registration of Foreigners Rules, 1992, which required registration within fourteen days of arrival.

The decision in Kasha Elizabeth Vande v. Ministry of Home Affairs & Ors., 2018 SCC OnLine Del 9920, was distinguished because that case involved blacklisting, inaccurate visa disclosures, NGO activities inconsistent with the visa, and overstaying, whereas the present petitioner had obtained a fresh Student Visa through the prescribed process and had not violated its conditions.

The Court held that the petitioner’s Employment Visa contained no express prohibition against pursuing online academic courses while he remained employed; its stated conditions related to restricted areas and registration requirements.

After leaving his employment, the petitioner departed India, obtained a fresh Student Visa from the Indian Embassy in Taiwan, and lawfully re-entered India for education.

The competent authorities’ grant of the Student Visa, valid until 2028, was significant, and there was no allegation that the petitioner had undertaken employment or business after entering India on that visa.

Since the petitioner applied for registration on 1 September 2025, within fourteen days of his arrival on 20 August 2025, no delay-based penalty was legally warranted under Rule 6.

The FRRO closed the application and imposed the penalty without providing reasons or responding substantively to the petitioner’s representations.

The Exit Permit was then issued without considering his explanation, rendering the administrative action arbitrary, particularly because it would disrupt his ongoing legal education.

The FRRO was directed to pass appropriate orders within six weeks after examining the relevant documents.

Pending that consideration, the petitioner was permitted to remain in India and continue his studies under the Student Visa, subject to strict compliance with all visa conditions and a prohibition on undertaking employment, business, or any other unauthorised activity.

The Rule was made absolute, with no order as to costs, and the Interim Application was disposed of.