Panaji, Mar 12 (IANS): Visa for Indians, particularly Goans, settled in Pakistan in the pre-partition days has become easier with the union home ministry streamlining visa clearances, Eduardo Faleiro, commissioner of Goa non resident Indians (NRI) cell, said Friday.

Speaking at a press conference here, Faleiro said constant lobbying with top home ministry officials had resulted in easier visa procedure for persons of Indian origin residing in countries like Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Nigeria and Somalia.

"At present Indian missions abroad should make prior reference to the home ministry every time people settled in these countries needed an Indian visa, which is a long process," said Faleiro, a former union minister of state for external affairs.

"Now after our efforts, a clearance from the ministry in this regard will be valid for three years," Faleiro said.

Earlier, every time they applied for a visa, the ministry used to refer the application to the local intelligence bureau and the state police for verification. This process was long and cumbersome," he said.

Faleiro said that several thousand Goans, who had migrated to Pakistan in the pre partition days and had later migrated to Europe or America in the post 1947 years, also faced similar hassles because they were officially known as persons of Pakistani origin, despite having their roots in Goa.