Re: Visa help.
 

FACT: An Average of 600 Indian Girls go 'missing' from Goa every year through trafficking (millions yes millions across india)......maybe if the Indian authorities would spend more time and resources into finding them instead of preventing a mother and her well guarded kids from travelling to their 'family orientated' no 1 holiday destination then i might begin to understand their 'concern' for children!!!!

'Incredible' innit.

Re: Visa help.
 

HI Remy

Have been following your problems with visas. Hope all is resolved very quickly.

VFS are sometimes helpful, sometimes not.

I have the contact name, tel no & e-mail address of the Operations Manager at VFS in Victoria if you (or anyone else) would like that info. Saves dialling the call centre number at 0.96 a minute, and they can't tell you anymore than you can see for yourself on their tracking screen.

Cheers
Iain

Re: Visa help.
 

Iain i would appreciate that number, if you could PM it to me i would be obliged. If the passports are returned again without visas then i will need to get talking to someone at VFS as a matter of urgency.

Kind Regards,
Remy

Re: Visa help.
 

Still no visas for me Remy and I go a week Sunday. It's been 2 weeks now. :(

Re: Visa help.
 

and they obviously know that your travelling a week from Sunday!!!
Im sorry, i don't know what else to say except :fingerscrossed:

Re: Visa help.
 

Well as you say Remy, they ask for email address and never use it so I'm wondering if they read ANY info on the visa form. Fingers crossed

Re: Visa help.
 

On the letter VFS sent me there are a number of paragraphs and i have already highlighted the two that affect me regarding the kids.

On calming down and reading the entire letter low and behold it says the following:

"Letter of undertaking on company letterhead is required for Police Officer/ Armed Forces/ Photographers/ Actors/ Airline Staff/ Journalist/ Media Related Professionals entering India for Tourism (If Freelancer: A letter of undertaking is required stating the visit is purely for tourism)"

If i had a scanner i would scan and provide the letter in its entirety but i haven't got that facility here.

This paragraph further confirms what Dreadsoc was saying earlier.

Regards,
Remy

PS. At the bottom of the letter in small print it says;

Please note this list is not exhaustive and does not guarantee a visa. The High Commission of India or its Consulates reserve the right to ask for additional documents if required.

Re: Visa help.
 

Visas are here - phew !

Re: Visa help.
 

Congratulations Heidigirl pressure off.....ours are away back again to VFS so :fingerscrossed:

Re: Visa help.
 

Good luck Remy :fingerscrossed: & Congrats Heidi:thumbup:

Re: Visa help.
 

Just realised I have made myself a problem with getting our visas I had it in mind to take them up to the Victoria office this week but I have just realised that if I do that I will probably not get our passports back in time for our trip to Switzerland on Dec 3rd so I am just going to have to take them up when I come back and hope they are ready before Christmas. Does anyone know how long visas are taking if you deliver and collect from Victoria?

Re: Visa help.
 

If you fill in your visa applications on-line and book an appointment to take them to Victoria. They should normally be ready for collection 2-3 working days from receipt at Victoria, and you can track them on-line. Check on the website in case there are any holidays in between submitting and hoping to collect.

Have you been out of India for for the FULL minimum 2 months? I made that mistake when putting ours in at Victoria - they were accepted and payment taken, but I was a couple of days early, even tho' we were not planning to travel till after the 2 months out. Processing did not start until the day after our full 2 months out, but they were ready for collection on the 3rd afternoon.

Also, on the third day, the tracking status did not change from "being processed" to "available for collection" until nearly 11.45, and that was for one passport - second was about 10 minutes later. Got to Victoria at about 12.45 and was No 70 in the queue to collect.

Good luck............

Re: Visa help.
 

P.S. That was the situation at the beginning of November - we finally got visas on 11th November & arrived back on 13th. Cheers Iain

Re: Visa help.
 

Hi,
We applied for visas on line on Sunday 14th November but were unable to make appointment to take in the paperwork because VFS computer system was undergoing changes. Paperwork delivered by hand to VFS office on
Monday 15th am - office was very busy but I did not experience a long wait.
Visas ready for collection on Thursday 18th. Excellent turnround considering that the office was shut for an Indian Bank Holiday on one day in between.

Hope this helps
Veri

Re: Visa help.
 

Copied from a different forum (with thanks to Goangoangone!)

New Visa Application Process

"A new version of the Online Visa Application Form, aimed at upgrading the visa services and improve the application process, will be in effect on and from 23rd November 2010. The existing Online Application Form and downloadable versions will no longer be available on the website after this date. It is mandatory to complete all applications through the new system before submission at the India Visa Application Centers. Applications made before 23rd November will still be accepted at the Centers for an interim period only. More information can be obtained by visiting our website (http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/index.html) and then clicking on the Important News and Notices link ‘New Visa Application Procedure."

This was a reply to a query with VFS. Did anyone elso know about this? How many times are they going to make changes with absolutely zero notice?

In case it didnt jump out at you, that means no more handwritten forms taken in person to VFS........Everything will be online!

One very disturbing addition to the new form is a question as to your religion.
Yes, your religion..........
What on earth do they want to know that for?
Perhaps the next planned discrimination will be by religion, like Visas for Hindus £20, visas for Christians £60?

What the hell do these imbeciles think they are doing? Do they think the standards of common decency observed by most of the rest of the world dont apply to them?


.

Re: Visa help.
 

Read your post with horror as no way we could do our applications on line; what about the documents. On further reading it is not quite that bad, you are meant to fill in the form on line and then print it, then paste on 1 photo and pin on another and sign it. You can then take it in person.
As to the religion question they are also asking about education (obviously gathering data). You can answer 'other' for religion and 'illiterate' for education.
How can they check what you answer? So wouldn't seem much point in asking.

Re: Visa help.
 

UN-BLOODY-BELIEVABLE!!!

Another thing that bugs me is this statement;

'All visa seekers are recommended to confirm their travel plans only after obtaining the visa.'

In my families case they requested a copy of our itinerary. How could we provide a copy of our Invoice if we hadn't went firm on our flights?

BTW...still no visas.:(

Re: Visa help.
 

Thats how it has been since VFS took over! But with all due respect Bipat, you dont have to go through this rigmarole every year do you? Thought you were PIO/OCI so would not know?

The whole point of this NEWS is that prior to tomorrow, one could obtain a printed visa form by several means (including turning up at a VFS office), filling it out with a black ballpoint and handing it in at the counter. Alternatively, the filled in form could be placed in an envelope and posted to Hayes.

AS OF TOMORROW, THIS CAN NO LONGER BE DONE!

It is computerised for all, whether you like it or not...........

And this was the point, apart from ludicrous questions about religion and education, of course.

Interesting that one can claim to be illiterate on a form that MUST be completed on-line, only India could do that!
.

Re: Visa help.
 

J5, is it VFS Global making these changes or is it coming from HCI London?
The Indian Embassy in Dublin have none of these changes or amendments in force therefore it would appear that these rules are being applied to British visa seekers only!!!

I know one thing for sure...i will be dealing with HCI Dublin from now on and never intend to use VFS Hayes again? My nerves are wrecked!!!

Re: Visa help.
 

One has to assume it is HCI driven. VFS have a vested interest as they have to do less work for their fee, but cant see why they would insert the stupid questions, also Indian referee has been reduced to one, so sounds like HCI must be involved? Right at the beginning they ask for your Sur Name and Given Name......prepares you for whats to come I suppose?


.

Re: Visa help.
 

Actually J5 I do go through it most years as each of us has a renewal of our 5 year (not PIO/OCI husband has no copy of old passport) at different times. Why me? the usual; you're used to it you go!! At Birmingham our nearest place, there were originally no chairs or tickets and at first 2 queues 1 for handing application, 1 for money.
I hate to disagree with you but you can attend in person with the new form and you can send it by post. You print out the competed form. It is clearly on the site you have put a link to in your post. So yes the info. is filled in on line and you can't use a biro and sit at a table but that is the only difference, of course you can't use the old ploy of filling in more than one form in a different way and see which is acceptable.
If illiterate someone else can do it for you, and presumably a thumbprint on the form.
One small off topic point; the difficulties that Indian tourists to UK and their hosts used to go through puts the above into perspective, it has improved a lot over last 2 years. Won't bore you with the details. I have suggested that it might be easier for both sides if they strapped themselves to lorries but they were not keen.

Re: Visa help.
 

Sorry, cant be bothered to argue with you any more, besides as highlighted, you are doing it yourself.......

And yes, black is white, if you say so.


.

Re: Visa help.
 

Sorry but I can't give up on an argument, perhaps then someone else can explain why typing your info. on to a form on line then printing it on to your own paper. Carrying the form to the centre in your own hands or putting the wretched form by hand into an envelope and putting it into a postbox is DOING IT ALL ON LINE. Yes a computer is used but you used one to download the old forms and any handwritten info was recorded on line and kept.:confused:

Re: Visa help.
 

Oh frabjous day kalloo kallay!!! beaut - well spotted!

AndyD 8-)#

Re: Visa help.
 

Thanks, I do everything that I can online and I have been out of India for more than 2 months so I am ok that way. I was just concerned as I read reports that postal applications were taking 3 weeks and the post office is not that slow so I assumed it was the visa processing that was taking the time.

Re: Visa help.
 

I'd be interested to know what 'hoops' UK hosts & Indian tourists have to jump through in order for the Indian tourist to secure a visa to visit the UK?

By the way, no complaints about VFS or CGI Birmingham this year. Visa applied for & paid for on line, delivered by hand two days later, application passed to CGI by VFS the following day & visa ready for collection on the fourth working day later. Collected in person & got the visa I applied & paid for. :thumbup:

H.

Re: Visa help.
 

Originally for their side it was an interview in somewhat humiliating atmosphere
with questions such as "why do you want to visit your brother, you visited two years ago?" On host side a standard letter agreeing to cover expenses any medical bills etc. this had to be signed in presence of a notary public. This meant travel to a notary willing to do this work.
Later the notary requirement dropped and signed letter adequate.
Suddenly about 3-4 years ago (not sure which year) strict again. B in law had to provide 3 years of tax returns at the interview, we had to send the usual letter and a copy of the entry in the land registry concerning our house. (What happened to people who rented I don't know.)
Finally last 3 years or so (again not sure of date) all became civilised, Indian travel agents do everything now (no interview), we sign the standard letter and fax it to the travel agent.

Re: Visa help.
 

Very interesting - thanks for taking the time to type it. Reading other forums, the process for a UK citizen to obtain a visa to visit India seems to range from:

a walk in the park - don't know what all the fuss is about.

to:

a total bloody nightmare - won't be sodding well doing that again & will be going somewhere else.

I guess the reasons for this could be:

A) Personal circumstances/situation & background of visa applicant

B) Competence at form filling/following instructions of visa applicant

C) Interpretation of 'rules' by VFS agent and/or Consulate Visa Officer

D) Mood on the day of VFS agent and/or Consulate Visa Officer

Regards

H.

P.S. - A friend submitted their visa application at a VFS office recently & witnessed a 'dispute' between what appeared to be a VFS 'suit' & a male customer of South Asian origin - during the heated dispute, one half of the apparently pretty full waiting room could not have failed to hear the 'customer' refer to VFS staff as "bloody Indians" :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Everyone is entitled to think what they like, but there are certain things in certain environments that, if said are only going to make life very awkward, difficult, unpleasant etc etc - I reckon the man's visa application would have at best suffered an extremely long delay, even after being mysteriously lost the first few times it was submitted!

Re: Visa help.
 

Did you ever visit the old New Street Consulate building? Entry by the side of Spud-u-like, lino covered stairs, I didn't see anyone dare to take the decrepid lift. Inside 2 queues for 1 visa application, 1 for payment. No chairs, no info desk, to get forms had to push in front of the queue. At the beginning 2 police officers playing cards. I always seemed to be behind the Thomas Cook's man with an armfull of applications. I used to think it was like being already in India!! I always went afterwards to the MacDonalds near the station as a 'reward'. Apologies for nostalgia. B

Re: Visa help.
 

The cover letter that was sent to us with our 'returned passports minus visas' requesting more info states the 'extra' rules that apply when seeking a visa for india. These 'extra' rules are not on their website and they are not applying these rules uniformly. The fact that this 'extra' information isn't widely available or known causes excessive delays in obtaining a visa. Why don't they put this info on their website then visa seekers would know ALL the requirements BEFORE applying!!!

The lady that i talked to in the post office hit the nail on the head i think when she said to me and i quote, "When applying for a visa it all comes down to whose desk it lands on"

PS. still waiting on visas!!!

Re: Visa help.
 

Over two weeks now from the visa applications where re-submitted and still nothing.......very slow service indeed, kicking myself for not using Dublin HCI.

Re: Visa help.
 

Read on another forum about a change in photo size, has anyone else heard about this?


.

Re: Visa help.
 

It would appear to be true, look here;

http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/touristvisa_photospecs.html
(with thanks to Mike Cork on IndiaMike)

So yet again, the total cretins in charge of these things change the rules with no warning, and it seems are already sending applications back due to this.

The smaller size is called a "passport photo" with good reason, most of the world, civilised or not, uses it for passport and visa purposes
.....except India now.

Do you think they are obsessed with jerking foreign visitors around just because they can, or is there a darker reason?


.

Re: Visa help.
 

Afaik "the standard" the world over for passport photos is 45mm x 35mm as photos to be submitted with india visa applications previously were. Now 50mm x 50mm or 2 inch square photographs - what's all that about really????

I can't see there being a 'dark reason' behind it, just some detached from reality bureaucrat in an MHA office in Delhi changing a photo size specification because the only other thing they can change is a form & they've done that, so now they can claim to have 'overhauled' the visa application process when all they've really done is inconvenience people & piss them off even further - mission accomplished then!

Regards

H.


.[/QUOTE]

Re: Visa help.
 

UN-BLOODY-BELIEVABLE !!!
I wouldn't be surprised if the Charters did pull out of Goa next year......the seats are just not selling and the whole visa process has a lot to do with it.
Although i think a lot of the visa problems appear to be VFS being over zealous in implementing stupid rules and not using the common sense approach. I say this because this outsourcing agency has asked us for things that neither London HCI or Dublin HCI ever did before.

Re: Visa help.
 

I much prefer cock-up to conspiracy, but the fact that they are apparently returning applications because of this inclines me to your suggestion - I am beginning to believe quite seriously that the Indian govt are indulging in quasi-judicial persecution of foreigners.

AndyD 8-)#

Re: Visa help.
 

I think they must be trying to stop tourists visiting India, when Remy said about letters from parents for childrens visas I thought it could be that he had a different surname to the children but I have now found the info below copied from the VFS website. I am just glad I saw it before I go up to Victoria for the visas as I get the grandchildrens visas also.

Quote 'For Minor Child (Under 16 Years of age)

A copy of the child’s birth certificate showing both the parents names.
Consent letter signed by both the parents.
Photocopy of Parent’s passports along with the copy of their current Indian Visa, if already holding one.
In case of Divorce, Child Custody Letter from court in respect of the child is required.
In case of Single Parent, Solicitor’s Letter and Child Benefit letter will be required.
' quote


what are they playing at!

Re: Visa help.
 

I tend to agree with you, Andy.

If you look up VFS sites in other countries, the photograph sizes required for Indian visa if you are resident of said country are listed as :-

France - 35x45mm
Switzerland - 35x35mm
China - 40x35mm
Canada - 35x35mm
Australia & USA - 2x2 inch (now UK too it seems)

But if you are an Indian, applying for an Indian passport, according to the Gov't of India Passport Division, the passport photo size required is 35x35mm, tho' I have spotted the following on the web :-

"Indian Passport Photos

* Photo sizes are specified as 35mm x 45mm, 50x50mm or 35mm x 35mm depending on which Indian Government agency web site you look at
* Indian Passport photos require a white or off white background
* You must look straight into the camera and your head must not be tilted
* No profile or three quarter views of the head are allowed in Indian Passport Photo"


What hope do we have getting any further logical information out of BHC meetings. India now dictates its own rules and will continue to make off-the-cuff changes depending on whichever country has pissed them off in the previous 24 hours.

:thumbdown::thumbdown::thumbdown:

Re: Visa help.
 

I checked the various 'passport photos' I have had done in India - they are:- 35 x 45; 35 x 40; and 35 x 35.
All have been accepted by various authorities in India including the MHA.
N.B. In the UK I recently had to submit new photo's for my driving licence - I went to Max Spielman with my usual photo on a memory stick - their machine refused to accept it because there wasn't enough white space around the head**. They did me another free of charge but if these machines are that fussy what is the chance of getting 2" x 2" photo's out of them?

** I then submitted the 'official' colour 35 x 45 photo with space round the head as required by DVLC and I got back my new licence with the image trimmed to remove the space round the head and printed in black & white!!!
The insanity is international.

AndyD 8-)#

Re: Visa help.
 

I'M GETTING TOO OLD FOR ALL THIS:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: