India: Immigration

In India today, white-collar crime probes are increasingly relying on extra-judicial travel bans rather than formal extradition proceedings. Investigators issue Look-Out Circulars and Interpol diffusions, or repeatedly summon suspects, effectively freezing them at international borders or off-shore without invoking the usual treaty process.

The hum of the airport terminal is suddenly drowned out by a tightening in your chest. It’s supposed to be the start of a dream vacation, a special birthday trip with your family to Dubai, a celebration of togetherness, laughter, and memories to last a lifetime. But instead, here you are, standing in front of the immigration officer, heart pounding as they inform you that you cannot board your flight.

In this episode of Podcast Bites powered by IndiaLaw LLP, Nikita Dlima and Rahul Sundaram discuss the Gujarat High Court’s decision in Dolly Khilankumar Vadalia Nee Dolly Ketan Barai v. Union of India and Others.

In Directorate of Enforcement v. Joy of India & Ors., Writ Petition No. 698 of 2018, the Karnataka High Court reaffirmed the statutory test for determining whether a person qualifies as a "person resident in India" under Section 2(v) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 ("FEMA").

The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), in force since 15 July 2026, introduces structured, capped mobility categories for professionals moving between the two countries. For employers on both sides, particularly those with cross-border secondment arrangements or client-facing service contracts, these quotas are not a background policy detail. They directly affect how many employees can be deployed, under what visa category, and within what annual limits.

The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which entered into force on 15 July 2026, is often discussed in terms of tariff cuts on goods, but for India's professional services sector, the more consequential provisions lie elsewhere. CETA opens structured, rules-based mobility pathways for IT professionals, consultants, engineers, architects, financial services specialists, and other skilled workers moving between India and the UK. For firms in these sectors, understanding the agreement's mobility framework is now essential to competitive strategy.