Re: Visa help IMJPORTANT
 

K-C

As the '2 month rule' only applies to tourist visas, I'd be interested to know for certain if the '30 day application rule' applies to other categories of visa. . . . . X, business, employment etc etc.

H.

Re: Visa help IMJPORTANT
 

yes, I'm still hoping that someone can answer my #162.

AndyD 8-)#

Re: Visa help IMJPORTANT
 

Hi H,

Unfortunately I have no idea as this came from M****ch and relates only to tourist visas

It as as per usual clear as River Mandovi mud

K-C

Re: Visa help.
 

To start with – this may be long and boring if you are not involved but these are the facts we encountered yesterday on our way to Goa without the required 2 months gap. OK yes we did know about them but were travelling elsewhere and did not have the time to sort it out. Read on forums that yes they were implementing the rule or no they were not.

We left Indian towards the end of December and had a return flight booked and a one-year multiple entry visa in place for returning on 9th February. Whilst we were away this 2 month rule came into force but if we had not been on the internet whilst we were away we would not have known anything about it – no info from VFS or IHC who know who has what visas.

Jet desk yesterday after booking in on line to try and avoid any complications the girl on there just took our booking and gave us a boarding card and off we went. We are always very early so sat in departure lounge for about 4 hours then we were called to the bun fight they call getting on the plane. No row numbers just all get in line and get on. Took our boarding card and passport to the person on the desk – he looked at it and said “have you been to Indian in the last 2 months” – No OH said. We were not there in last 2 months, (Not Jan and Feb but were there in December but 2009 not 2010 must have helped). I carried on through (legged it) but it was a good 3 minutes before OH appeared behind me – he said they were checking his passport and chatting to each other but let him through.

Get to Mumbai and go through customs – everything ok – stamped passports and then as we are going away she shouts us back (s**t) and re looks at both our passports – smiles at us and says on your way. Blimey thought a 50 pound note might have to change hands at this point.
Anyway we are there and have done it – heart stops beating off the scale and we go to collect our luggage – first on last off as usual except that last off is our suppa duppa Samsonite we bought in Goa a couple of years ago with the zip bust and goodness knows what is missing – did not want to declare the Stilton and the 6 boxes of Cadburys Heroes we have brought for the kids on our complex but have to go and sort it out with Jet and had no problems they were very good and wrapped our case up in cling film and off we went to our Goa flight.

Another time we would have said sod it to all this hassle but principles come in to this and as well we had booked a holiday in Mumbai for friends in Goa who have never been before and felt sad they would miss out their holiday as we have booked and paid for it (yes msj5 it was our money) but we had the tickets in our flat. All in all it came out ok but would never ever do it again.

(On flight down to Goa OH hands me a sheet that was on the Jet desk – the rules re the 2 month issue but did not tell me about it and he removed it from the desk whilst the girl was writing in a book so that I did not see it)

Re: Visa help.
 

Whilst in Dabolim we had lots of time to wait for the taxi as the plane was early so went looking for the "returnees room" we had read about on the internet. Could not find it unless it is an unmarked cupboard. :lol:

Re: Visa help.
 

A friend left Goa on Sunday. He holds a 5 year x visa with 3 years to run. They stamped it at Mumbai with the do not return for 2 months.

Re: Visa help.
 

There was always the risk this would happen - after all the differences between a T X B etc. are minimal. Did he get the impression this was automatic, or were they in fact aware it was an X?

AndyD 8-)#

Re: Visa help.
 

Another piece of confused media reporting, this time from Israel

http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=168384

It does make it clear that our Semitic cousins consider it quite right and proper to run businesses on a tourist visa. No wonder you are all having problems....

Re: Visa help.
 

He said they studied his visa and then asked to see his resident book and then stamped the visa. So he must have been aware that it was not a tourist visa.

Re: Visa help.
 

think you`d have found it in the international terminal! not the domestic!

Re: Visa help.
 

Hi, I said I would let you all know what happened with my husbands application to come back which he submitted to the High Commission (London) on Monday before traveling north for his mothers funeral. Well he arrived back home late Thursday night hoping to find a message on the answerphone to say his passport was ready, (they said they would ring) but no such luck. Anyway, with his flight being Friday night he had no option but to travel up to the High Commission in the hope that it would be ready. Luckily it was so he carried straight on to Heathrow. I could not get him booked on the same flight as the family so the next best thing was one that left Heathrow a little earlier with a connection that got him into Dabolim about the same time so they all arive together later today.

Re: Visa help.
 

Hi All

I picked up this posting from the INDIAMIKE website

"Further to my posting of 10 Feb, Today on our return to the Indian High Commission in Birmingham (UK) we successfully got the magic stamp in our passports that allow us to return in under 2 months as per our plans & prebooked tickets from last July. They certainly didn't make it easy and they made quite sure we were aware that it was a 'concession'! Told to come back today (Friday) at 3pm we arrived a bit before 3 but were left waiting (along with a couple of other Europeans) until just before the time they 'shut' at 4.30 before being seen to. After a while it became obvious that all the applicants for OCI & PIO status were dealt with first. C'est la vie! About 4.15pm we were told that my husband's passport was done but mine was in the process of 'being done'. Was a bit hard to bite my tongue as to what they had been doing with it all week :-( When we finally got them we were given a stern warning that this was a one-off permission. Also that when our visa expires (we have one year tourist visas) in September we must leave it a full month before we can apply for another - even if we haven't been in India for well over the two month 'gap'. Ok for one year but as it will move our visas on by a month each year with soon will become problematic. Just another little regulation which they are sliding in.

Lots of luck to other travellers & hope our experience may be of use to someone. But for now... Yipppeee we go back end of February!!!! ;-)))

Does this mean that the waiting time between NEW visa applications is ONE month? I am now totally confused:confused::confused:

Can anyone advise on this please.
regards
Iain

Re: Visa help.
 

You have two separate issues here Iain,

1) Regardless of your current visa status, whenever you leave India you must stay out for 60 days, unless you subject yourself to this demeaning procedure at the Indian High Commission.
(this of course is the same IHC that following the farming out of visas to VFS was going to have absolutely nothing to do with the general public ever again)
It should also be noted that having gone to all this expense, forget the £7 per head fee, the requirement to attend in person is where the costs arise, there is still no guarantee that you will be granted permission and many are being refused.

2) The one month gap is from expiry of your current visa, until you are permitted to apply for a new one. Unsurprisingly, totally pointless, as the 60 day rule described above will kick in as soon as you leave India in advance of your visa expiring. So if you are maximising your visa time, you will be waiting as late in the 60 day period as you dare to re-apply anyway.

Even if you can get one (I did last year), a one year visa is now pointless, as you will have to leave after 180 days, stay out for 60 days, return for 120 days, leave for..........
And then the much rumoured 90 day visa limit? Just remeber how the 60 days out rule started............yes rumours and misinformation.

Administratively, India is a total farce, and deserves to be treated like the International Leper it is.

Re: Visa help.
 

Thanks for the info, Johnny Five. Guess we'll wait until March 15th before re-applying for a 6 mth Tourist (hopefully) - as you say, there is no point in having a 12 mth anymore.
I just love it when they say "do not make your travel plans until you have your visa" (or words to that effect) - of course we can ALL afford to make last minute holiday bookings and pay through the nose.............
Can envisage a dearth of tourists to India soon - there are so many other "incredible" places with far less restrictions & hassles!
Cheers
Iain

Re: Visa help.
 

You are welcome, mate!