Well, it's actually my father. But, he did note that (according to him), this used to be the requirement (perhaps the mixup involved the fact that TN used to be pretty much no-carry at all for a long time).
I'm finding that some of the most pervasive "urban legends" about gun law are perpetuated by our venerable "old timers" like fathers, grandfathers, and retired LEOs. My dad and my father-in-law are both life-long gun owners and NRA members. Both have serves in the military. Both are avid sport and hunting shooters, and both have had permits.
They are also both often wrong on gun law issues, and I've had to point them in the correct direction on several occasions, with regards to things like reciprocity, open carry, prohibited places, vehicle transport, and transfer law.
The laws have been going through a tremendous period of flux over the last 20 years, and if you're not an "activist", a lawyer, or have an obsession with keeping up on gun law, the stuff that folks "knew" back in the 1960s and 1970s has changed a LOT.
It's tough on everyone--new gun enthusiasts look to their elders for advice and education, but many of them are ill-informed. The "old timers" want to be helpful and want to keep the "young-un's" out of trouble, but their advice is often outdated and in some cases is just plain wrong, being based on "everyone knows that"...
I didn't mean to disrespect your father. I'm sure he means well. But he needs to be updated on the law. VA went "Shall Issue" in 1988. Prior to that CC was on a "may issue" basis, but even back then, OC was 100% legal without a permit (but was VERY rare in the urban areas of the state).
To my knowledge, OC has NEVER required a permit in VA--for residents OR non-residents. As long as a person is not a "prohibited person", OCing a handgun in a holster has, to my knowledge, been generally legal in VA (with a few municipal exceptions over the years) since we won the Revolution...