I have recently applied for reissue of passport. When I went to the passport office they asked for 10th and 12th grade certificates, which I had not brought. So they said my passport would come under the ECR category. Will that be an issue while giving the GRE at the test center? I'm giving my test at the end of March. Please advise.
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1Are you referring to the Graduate Record Exam, used in the USA for admission to graduate schools (Master's programs)?– GiorgioFeb 3, 2018 at 14:35
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1Where are you trying to travel?– Nate EldredgeFeb 3, 2018 at 14:37
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@NateEldredge the OP included the USA tag, so I presume the USA. The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is a standard entrance examination for graduate schools in the USA.– Robert ColumbiaFeb 3, 2018 at 14:45
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Possible duplicate of Can I travel to the US with an Indian ECR passport?– Robert ColumbiaFeb 3, 2018 at 14:49
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1@RobertColumbia: Yes, but one doesn't have to travel to the USA to take the GRE. It's administered at many other places in the world.– Nate EldredgeFeb 3, 2018 at 17:22
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2 Answers
No, having an ECR endorsement in your passport will not be an issue while taking the GRE in India. According to the website of ETS, the firm that administers the GRE, the only valid ID accepted in India is:
Passport with name, photograph and signature
PS: Please be clearer when asking a question. It would have been much clearer and easier for others to have answered your question if you have given some context about the ID requirements for GRE.
PPS: This question is not travel related, so this should probably be closed?
The Emigration Check Required (ECR) notation on an Indian passport is inapplicable to travel to the USA. In this answer by @RedBaron, he quotes the Indian Government's Bureau of Immigration:
Indian nationals travelling abroad require a valid Indian passport and travel authority for the destination country.
The travel authority is normally in the form of Visa, which is obtained prior to the journey, except in case of countries where "Visa on Arrival" is available.
Indians traveling abroad may also note that some countries insist for certain minimum period of passport validity for allowing entry & for this confirmation should be obtained from the Embassy/travel agent.
Indians having the Emigration Check Required (ECR) category of passports require POE clearance from Ministry of Overseas Indians Affairs for certain destinations if traveling on Employment Visa.
He further quotes the Indian Government, specifying the countries that require an ECR check:
United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, Thailand, Iraq (emigration banned).
The USA is not one of the countries listed. Therefore, whether you have an ECR passport or not is not relevant to traveling to or entering the USA.
It appears that you can still transit one of the listed countries. @RedBaron quotes the Ministry of External Affairs:
ECR passport holders going to any of the notified countries (ECR countries) on any visa other than employment visa, are allowed to travel on production of following documents at the Airport:
Valid Passport
Valid visit/residence/study visa etc.
Return Ticket
So, you can even transfer in Dubai (or essentially anywhere else) as long as you do not hold an immigration visa there.
answered Feb 3, 2018 at 14:39
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1My understanding the purpose of the ECR is the large number of Indian unskilled laborers working in near-peonage in the listed countries. The check is an attempt to see that the traveler, if leaving for employment, has a contract, etc. Sufficiently advanced education suggests that travel is not to do unskilled labor. However, this is not a problem in USA/Europe, which is why those countries are not listed. Feb 4, 2018 at 4:40