e-Arrival Card India for H1B Visa Holders Visiting Family

One thing I'd double-check is your exact visa status rather than assuming that "H1B" itself determines the Indian requirement.

H1B is your US immigration status. It doesn't mean you have a special Indian visa category. For entry into India, what matters is the Indian travel document/visa you hold and the applicable arrival procedures.

If you're an Indian citizen who still has an Indian passport, that's a completely different situation from being a US citizen travelling on a US passport with an Indian visa. OCI holders are also handled differently from ordinary foreign visitors.

For someone travelling on a US passport with an Indian visa, I'd follow the current foreign-traveller e-Arrival Card instructions.

The official Indian Visa Online page currently says foreign nationals and OCI cardholders can submit the e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before arrival, and specifically describes it as arrival information rather than a visa.

So I wouldn't worry about the H1B label itself. Check the Indian passport/visa you're travelling on and follow the current arrival instructions.

I was in a similar situation but travelled from Chicago to Delhi on an Indian visa.

Yes, I completed the e-Arrival Card even though I already had a valid visa. That was the part I initially misunderstood.

The arrival card and visa serve different purposes. The visa gives you permission under the relevant visa category, while the e-Arrival Card provides arrival information.

I used the website because I didn't want to install another app just for the trip. The official site says foreign nationals and OCI cardholders can complete the e-Arrival Card online within 72 hours before arriving in India.

I would use only the official government website. There are quite a few travel websites that come up when searching for Indian visa and arrival information, and I wouldn't enter passport information on a random site.

My experience at Delhi was normal. Immigration still checked my passport and visa as usual.

I travelled from the US to India recently on a valid employment visa and completed the e-Arrival Card before my flight.

The main thing that helped me was understanding that the e-Arrival Card is not a visa application. I already had my Indian visa, and the arrival card was a separate requirement for providing arrival information.

I submitted mine online rather than relying on the mobile app. The official Indian Visa Online website provides the online option, and the current government instructions say the e-Arrival Card can be submitted within 72 hours before arrival.

I saved the confirmation after submitting it and kept it with my travel documents. I didn't have any problem at immigration.

My advice would be not to submit it too early. I had my flight details confirmed, so I waited until I was within the permitted submission window.

Also, if your wife is travelling with you, don't assume one submission covers both passengers. Check the form instructions for each traveller.

I think a lot of confusion comes from the phrase "H1B visa holder."

People often assume H1B status changes the entry requirements for India, but Indian immigration generally looks at your citizenship and travel document.

I visited family in Bengaluru last month while working in the US on H1B. Since I entered India using an Indian passport, I did not need to present any visa or OCI documentation for entry into India itself.

If you're still an Indian citizen and have not become a US citizen or obtained an OCI card, your experience will likely be different from that of foreign nationals or OCI holders who are covered by the e-Arrival Card discussions. Based on recent advisories, the digital arrival process has primarily been aimed at foreign travelers entering India.

My wife is on H4 and I'm on H1B. We traveled from New York to Delhi in April 2026.

We both hold Indian passports and neither of us completed an e-Arrival Card before travel. Check-in at JFK was straightforward. The airline reviewed our passports, visas, and return travel information.

Based on conversations with other passengers, it seemed that the e-Arrival Card was mainly being discussed by foreign passport holders and OCI cardholders traveling to India. Some of them had QR codes or confirmation emails ready for inspection.

Our entry process in Delhi was completely normal.