Re: Visa help.
 

Re: Visa help.
 

I've moved two and half pages of posts to a different thread. Please keep this thread for visa related topics only.

Thank you.

Re: Visa help.
 

Re: Visa help.
 

Directive at VFS Bangkok, don't know if this will apply elsewhere :

"Within effect from 22/01/13 onwards all applications need to filled address of place of stay/hotel in India on application form. Hence the India Embassy request to attach the booking flight and booking hotel to apply all the visa" (sic)

This was supplementary to the standard question on the application form, they really did know where you were going to stay. If you didn't know they wanted an explanation.

I didn't have to sign one of those "Sole Purpose" forms declaring I am a tourist only and not owning property...........

I did have to write to the Consul about my whereabouts in India and why I didn't have a hotel booking confirmation receipt.

Re: Visa help.
 

I spoke to someone else today who had to fill the same form......

I understand this is specific to Thailand,



How can they expect you to show evidence of flight out of India when you`ve just flown from india to Thailand with a return to India!!

Re: Visa help.
 

Yes, thank you Sue. I, like most expats I am sure, avidly follow specific threads which interest them most - visa issues being a very important one.

We are almost all either tourists or expats in some form or other, and I found the reference to illegal immigrants most offensive.

Thanks again.

Iain

Re: Visa help.
 

Just read on the VFS website :-

Important Notice - India Visa Application Centre in Victoria, London will close for operations effective from 01 July 2013. All visa & Passport Surrender applications can be submitted to the nearest centre in Goswell Road, near Barbican Station. Please find the map attached for directions to Indian Visa Application Centre, Goswell Road, London.

Re: Visa help.
 

Thanks for highlighting that, I usually go to Victoria and as I tend not to read the blurb on the site I could have just turned up at Victoria.

Re: Visa help.
 

Me too, as Victoria was so handy for me. At least Barbican is on the Circle Line - wonder how long the walk is from Barbican Stn? Happy Days!!!!

Re: Visa help.
 

Good exercise Iain !!!! :D

Dread - x

Re: Visa help.
 

It's called a Business Visa and costs $295 a year.
message moved for Tuvula

Re: Visa help.
 

Victoria was so handy as just 5 min walk from the coach station and it had a sainsbury's just opposite for cheap food and drink. I'm gutted!

Re: Visa help.
 

I personally always use hayes as a 45 drive from Oxford and normally pretty quiet.

Also then en route to Ikea at wembley for some retail therapy!!!:thumbsup:

Re: Visa help.
 

Some friends who live full time in Goa recently applied for a 6 month tourist visa cos they didn`t want hassle of interviews etc possibly needed for a 2 yr T visa and were told that being as they were on back to back visa they did not qualify for T visas and should be applying for Entry visas????????
He also told them that next year they were introducing finger printing and eye scanning and throughly checking you met the criteria of the visa you were applying for.

Re: Visa help.
 

Well if they have property in India they are not entitled to a T visa (as you know).
The advanced visa system (or some such name) has been on the cards for several years.
Did they tell your friends what documents to supply to get the X (Entry) visa?

AndyD 8-)₹

Re: Visa help.
 

The above has got to be related to this:

http://www.hcilondon.in/pdf/RFPoutsourcing.pdf

Quite a long & boring read - it would be interesting to know if a new 'service provider' would take this lot on based on the amount of complete & utter nonsense & bureaucracy that is nailed on to be involved.

H.

Re: Visa help.
 

They are not property owners and I believe this "job worths" put in their application for T visas.

Re: Visa help.
 

I cannot understand the mentality of this tit for tat visa mess that the British government and the Indian government have got them selves into. £92 for a six month visa is a step too far as far as i am concerned.Talk about shooting themselves in the wallet....India has a genuine hard currency crisis on its hands and cannot even afford to pay for its gas and oil from Iran. you would think that they would promote tourism instead of hindering it but then The Congress Party have never been noted for intelligence, just loyalty to their collective wallets.Air fares are up due to the stupid tax they have imposed.It must be the only tax in history, bar the one the Nazis imposed in 1936 on Jews leaving Germany, for leaving a country ! average tickets to Goa are now costing £800 plus £92 for a visa ! The Russkies only pay £30.......seriously taking the p**s with this measure and now they have re-started the confiscations it looks like India is emulating the Nazis too.Talking about biting the hand that feeds them !

Re: Visa help.
 

Courtesy of Goan Voice UK

Time for India to hit back at UK's irrational visa barriers

1 Aug: Business Standard. It now appears from press reports that London wants to go ahead with demanding from an unspecified range of Indian visitors to the UK a £3000-bond (around Rs 275,000), as surety that the visitor will leave their country, and not become an illegal migrant… Former ambassador to Germany argues why India should reciprocate by imposing a bond on British visitors on a matching basis .

Complete article here:-
http://www.business-standard.com/art...3101228_1.html

Re: Visa help.
 

Simple, 99.999% of UK visitors to India leave on, or usually before, the end of their visas. We do not have a massive network of family and friends to disappear into, never to be seen again. If we did, we would be earning a pittance compared with the UK, and would most certainly not be economic migrants. We would receive no assistance, benefits, health care or education (not that we get any of those during a legal stay).
No matter how we wangle it, we can never be citizens, or realistically even residents as we stand out a mile.

Now........... reverse all that, and ask yourself why the idea of this deposit might have occurred to OUR government.

And yes its just an idea, not a plan, a white paper, a green paper, or a bill for consideration. We have open government and free speech and if an idea like this is mooted we get to hear about it.

When the BJP/Congress/RSS etc come up with their fascist plans, do we get to hear?

And if our concience wishes to offer the usual "other side", please do. As usual these days I will have no problem ignoring it and not responding.


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Re: Visa help.
 

... anyway isn't this old news? - I'm 90% sure I've read the bond isn't going to be implemented.

If it were to be, and India chose to retaliate they may just as well just cancel T visas.

AndyD

Re: Visa help.
 

Quite agree Andy, in every way, word for word.

But difficult on here to express those emotions in the way I would have wished.

Pretty off topic for Visa HELP too............:thumbdown:


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Re: Visa help.
 

I am in the process of applying for an annual "x" visa but are meeting with problems with VFS,I have enquired " what is the cost " they keep saying I cannot apply for this type of visa and will not answer my question,can you help please,I believe I have the correct documentation to apply.
Slagtip

Re: Visa help.
 

Fees here

Entry Visa Fees (For Passports other than Russian, Sri Lankan, Japanese, Pakistan and Gratis Countries )

Visa Fee Total
Entry Up to Six Months 57 10.20 67.20
One year (maximum stay of 180 days per visit) 82 10.20 92.20

The fee in the table is inclusive of the £2 Consular Surcharge.

------------------------------------------------------------

You can quote this email I received from VFS:
Dear Applicant,



Thank you for your query,



Please note that any foreign Nationals who own a property and have lived here in India for many years as residents can apply for a one year Entry visa if they have the following documents



You need RBI permission – Reserve Bank of India Permission
Local government permission to construct the property
Registration of the property with the Government of India



With all these papers you can apply for a one year entry visa extendable in India, with out the 2 month gap.





Please note - In view of the spread of the Swine Influenza A (H1N1) all passengers traveling to India will be screened at the International Airports in India on their arrival. This will also involve quarantine and even hospitalization, if detected, with any symptoms connected with the flu.



Best Regards,


Information Service Desk

VF Services (UK) Limited

I've already discussed what documents they might accept. You can also point them to http://mha.nic.in/pdfs/ForeigD-PwrdlgtFRROs.pdf
#14 covers X visas for property owners.

If they argue just fill in your form, hand it in with the correct fees, and politely tell them you want it submitted to the High Commission/ Consulate.

hth AndyD 8-)₹

Re: Visa help.
 

As per "Goa buyer beware" post #3837 can this evidence be used for a visa application information evidence.
Slagtip

Re: Visa help.
 

I`m due to apply for a visa in October.

Im in a quandary so i`ve decided to ask VFS what visa they recommend I apply for.......

I have a residence ..not owned .. but on a 5 yr lease....hence entry visa

I do regular social work for a non registered NGO...possibly employment visa...


Tourist visa.....not actually entitled to as I have a residence and friends who apply back to back were told they should apply for entry visas!

Lets see what response I get!

Re: Visa help.
 

I don't think they are in a position to offer advice but if you ask Prince Visa service they may help
We are going to apply for a tourist visa..it's easier

Re: Visa help.
 

see #1264

AndyD

Re: Visa help.
 

For 6 months sure a tourist visa is the easy and cheapest option.For 12month living it gets tedious applying even every yr. And sorry chris I will not entertain these agents.......I`ve been doing my own applications for the past 4 yrs and intend to keep doing so.

Re: Visa help.
 

Hi
We went to Birmingham 29th. July.
As we have deeds we were also advised from VFS to apply for an Entry Visa for 12 months.
We were told that our application was under process (by text) at The High Commission on the 2nd. August.
We have not heard nothing since!!
Has anybody else applied for an Entry Visa, if so, how long did this take.
Thanks :confused:

Re: Visa help.
 

They are very useful for the sort of advice that you need even if you do not ask them to process your application. I see many queries regarding visas but in all the years we have been applying through the agent we have never had a problem so for us it's worth spending the extra money. Good luck.

Re: Visa help.
 

I can't remember exactly but I think it was 10 - 15 working days.

AndyD 8-)₹

Re: Visa help.
 

Thank you Andy for your reply.
We were advised to request, and we applied for, our Entry Visa to India.
After 21 days as we had not heard anything even after we had sent a few emails and had made some recorded phone calls, we decided to return to the Birmingham vfs. to see if there was a problem.
We were told that an Entry Visa from the Birmingham vfs office may take 4-5weeks.
This may not be a problem had we have been told or of course if you had not intended to travel to France Spain etc. for a short break......without a passport!!!!:eek:
We have heard that Hayes London vfs can return visa within 4-5 days:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Re: Visa help.
 

Ask B'ham VFS to escort you to see a Consular official - you may get to see one or you may find you get your visas.
Fingers crossed.

AndyD 8-)₹

Re: Visa help.
 

Just been to London visa office today to try for Entry visa with all the documentation that has been recommended on the site and they passed us from one officer to another, We have registered deeds etc but in the end we saw the Manager who told us in no uncertain terms that their instructions are that foreigners can only have a tourist visa for 6 months even if you do own a property. They didn't look at the files that we took with us and gave us the option of a refund or a tourist visa. What can You say to that, we had spent enough on getting there from the North so had to accept the tourist once again.

Re: Visa help.
 

Their own site says that it's not their decision!
Did you have the MHA 'Powers delegated to FRROs' paper to show them? Or the VFS email which I have posted in a couple of places?
Anyway you could have insisted that they pass your application forward.
Strange that London VFS should know less than Birmingham about this.

AndyD 8-(₹

Re: Visa help.
 

Yes we took a copy of the FAQ and read it too them as they just wouldn't look at any documents, their answer was that they thought that was an old version of what was available 18 month or so ago the rules have now been changed. The manager did suggest that we could email the High Commission to ask them but I have tried emailing a couple of times but not yet had a reply to one of them.

Re: Visa help.
 

Which London visa office was this please?


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Re: Visa help.
 

The VFS Goswell Rd.

Re: Visa help.
 

Thank you


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