Re: Visa help.
 

Hi all, we went to Visa office yesterday,to pick up our passports. We have stayed in uk for two months, when we applied for new Visa.s we were told it it could be six months or a year, and if we paid for a year and only got six months there would be no refund:frown:. Any how we picked up passport 1 year Visa's two month out stamped in it. We travel back on Sunday can't wait to see our friends and our DOGS.:thumbsup: Lizze

Re: Visa help.
 

Congratulations Lizze ! Just the sort of news I like to hear.Apart from the 2 month stamp. Only been gone from Goa a week but enjoying Penang immensely.

Re: Visa help.
 

Hi msj5 - visited Penang many years ago, and found it very beautiful. I have heard that the Malaysian Government gives Residential Visas to "foreigners" who invest in property purchase. Have you heard anything similar?

Good news Lizze about the 1 year Tourist Visa, but the 2 month gap is still a killer!

Iain:(

Re: Visa help.
 

New tourist visa norms bring some relief
Taken from The Hindu - 5th May 2010

Condition of two-month gap remains before a foreign national can return again,

In a bid to ensure that genuine tourists visiting India were not affected by cumbersome procedures, the Union Home Ministry has issued revised guidelines on granting tourist visa.

The new guidelines provide only minor relief but the condition of two-month gap remains before a foreign national can return again on a tourist visa, making exceptions only in emergent situations.

According to the Home Ministry, tourist visa is granted to a foreigner who does not have a residence or occupation in India and whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sight-seeing, casual visit to meet friends and relatives. The visa was ‘non-extendable and non-convertible' and no other activity was permitted on it, it said.

The revised guidelines and consolidated instructions were sent to all Indian Missions abroad and immigration check posts as well as Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROs) and the Foreigners Registration Offices (FROs) on April 26. The Home Ministry received representations from various quarters, including the Tourism Ministry, about non-implementation of the guidelines in a uniform manner across the country.

Some foreign nationals holding tourist visas, after initial entry into India, plan to visit another neighbouring country and need to re-enter India within 60 days before finally exiting. Such persons may be permitted up to three entries on the basis of their needs by the Indian Missions or Immigration Posts subject to their submission of a detailed itinerary and supporting documentation such as ticket bookings.

Endorsement
“If the foreign national is already outside his or her country of origin, he/she can also get such an endorsement on his/her passport from the nearest Indian Mission or Immigration Post. However, intimation about the grant of permission may be furnished by the Mission/Post concerned to the Mission/Post from where the original visa was issued,'' the revised guidelines said.

According to the guidelines, in a minor relief to foreign tourists, the immigration authorities in all check posts in the country have been empowered to allow such foreign national on tourist visas arriving in India without specific authorisation from the Indian missions/posts to make a maximum three entries into the country [need based] subject to production of travel itinerary and supporting documentation.

However, the total period of stay in the country during the three entries, counted from the date of first entry into the country, shall not exceed the stay stipulation period of 180 days or 90 days, as the case may be.

‘Gap of two months'
“Once such a foreign national finally exits the country after availing the facility of three entries [within the visa validity period or the stipulated period of 180/90 days as the case may be], there shall be a gap of at least two months from the date of final exit before he/she can come again to India,'' the revised guidelines say.

If any foreign national is required to visit India again within a period of two months after his/her last departure availing the facility of three entries due to any exigent situation, he/she should obtain special permission from the Indian Mission/Post only in emergent situations like death or serious illness in the family, non-availability of connecting flights to return to his/her country of origin or travel to another country using India as a transit point or any other exigent situation which be duly justified with proper documentation.

For persons of Indian origin on Tourist Visa where they need to re-enter the country within the two-month period of their earlier departure from India in emergent cases, the FRROs/FROs may exercise their discretion in allowing such passengers to enter the country after getting convinced of the genuineness of their visit.

The guidelines clarified that the restriction of two months gap for re-entering India does not apply to foreign nationals coming on any other type of visa and also to people of Indian origin holding PIO and OCI cards.

‘X' visas
The Home Ministry also explained that spouse and dependent family members of a foreign national coming on long term visas like Employment, Business, Research may be granted only ‘X' visa [not tourist visa] co-terminus with the period of the principal visa holder, Also, persons of Indian origin (PIO), his/her spouse and dependent children may be granted only ‘X' visas subject to producing proof of the PIO status, marriage certificate and birth certificate in respect of children.

Keywords: Tourist visas, Union Home Ministry

Thanks J5 for putting this on another thread thought I would print it out
fully in case anybody missed it.

Re: Visa help.
 

http://epaper.mailtoday.in/Details.a...suedate=652010

Govt gives visa rules breather to tourists

By Pratul Sharma in New Delhi

THE UNION ministry of home affairs ( MHA) has revised the tourist visa guidelines, following representations and objections from several quarters over the stringent tourist visa rules.

Those who raised objections included the tourism ministry, industry stakeholders and diplomatic channels.

The new visa guidelines give reprieve to tourists visiting India. They can now reenter the country three times within the visa period.

However, the cooling- off period of two months before a foreign tourist can be issued a new visa stays. But the restriction does not apply to foreign nationals coming on any other visa or People of Indian Origin ( PIO) holding PIO or Overseas Citizenship of India cards.

The latest set of guidelines was issued by the MHA on April 26, asking the Indian missions abroad and the immigration authorities within the country for uniform implementation.

The P. Chidambaram- led home ministry had last year formulated ‘ strict’ visa rules for tourists after the role of terror suspect David Coleman Headley in Mumbai attacks came to light. The visa guidelines stipulated a cooling- off period of two months before a tourist could visit India again.

However, under the new guidelines, if a foreign national holding tourist visa, after initial entry, plans to visit another country in the neighbourhood and then wants to re- enter India within 60 days, before finally exiting, he can do so up to three times.

This would help those tourists who plan to visit many countries using India as a transit point. Now, a tourist just needs to show his itinerary and ticket bookings to Indian mission abroad, or if he/ she had already been out of his country, then to the nearest Indian mission for availing facility of three- time re- entry. The mission would issue an authorisation to the tourist.

The revised rules even authorise the immigration authorities in the country to allow tourists to re- enter up to three times, even if they do not carry authorisation by the Indian missions abroad. The tourists again need to show some documents supporting their travel plans and ticket bookings in different countries.

The visa rules also say the total period of stay during the three entries cannot exceed the stipulated period of 180 days or 90 days, as the case maybe.

Coming back to the cooling off period of two months, the guidelines say if the tourist has availed the three re- entry chances or has completed the visa term, then there has to be a gap of two months from the date of final exit.

However, in emergency cases where the tourist needs to visit India within the cooling- off period, then he has to seek permission from the Indian missions abroad. The Indian missions can only issue visa in emergencies such as death, serious illness in the family, non- availability of connecting flights and on the basis of proper documentation. Even foreign regional registration offices can also allow entry in emergency situations.

Also, the Indian missions have been asked to be strict in granting tourist visa for the purpose of recreation, sight- seeing or casual visits. No other activity such as work or business is permitted on this visa.

Spouse or relatives of foreign nationals already on employment or business or research visa, can only be issued X- visa and not the tourist visa. Similar rule will apply to PIOs and foreign nationals married to Indians. They can only be granted X- visa.

Re: Visa help.
 

This subject has been receiving some attention over on IndiaMike

http://www.indiamike.com/india/india...dians-t109153/

Now if this is true, and if it is applied world-wide and not just in the USA (where all info is coming from at present) it would, in the eyes of certain parts of the Indian Government, solve a lot of problems.
A lot of the flak they have been receiving for the tightening of restrictions on Tourist visas has come from their own people, who have habitually used T visas to return to the "old country". It would therefore radically reduce the number of objectors to such things as the "two-month rule" etc. A side benefit would be a reduction in the number of Indians with foreign citizenship but still holding an Indian passport illegally.
Just as a side issue, to obtain PIO or OCI a reasonably complicated procedure of proof has to be followed. I wonder how one would prove entitlement to the "Entry visa"?
Surely not just on your say so, or being called Patel, or having a slightly darker skin?

Re: Visa help.
 

Hi J5 and thanks for pointing us to the link :thumbup:

I think Nick-H sums it up wonderfully in the post a couple below yours !:rofl:

K-C

Re: Visa help.
 

Nick-H is a great contributor to that forum, I would love to meet him!

There has been a lot of discussion on phraseology and general use of wording, but no-one has even hinted that it may be untrue in principal.

If true it is bad news for most on here (non OCI/PIO British expats!). As we all know, there is strength in numbers, and this action will remove vast numbers from all the persecution being meted out to true foreigners needing a Tourist visa.

Re: Visa help.
 

This surely has to be a mis-statement. I really cannot see that the GOI is going to discriminate against bona fide foreign nationals based on whether or not thay have Indian ancestors; or even that they were previously Indian citizens. It seems more likely this is a mis-reading of the new rules that do require proof of cancellation of Indian passports by former citizens of India before they can apply for PIO, OCI or a visa to visit India.

AndyD 8-)#

Re: Visa help.
 

In many ways I agree, but as the source of this info was Travisa, and they seem to be spreading the theory throughout the USA, Iit makes one wonder?

Re: Visa help.
 

http://www.indiamike.com/india/india...r-you-t110062/

So it clearly is happening in the States, and surprise surprise, its causing a massive backlog of applicants of Indian origin.
People who have already waited a MONTH for their visa are being told this is not excessive and to be patient, it seems?

Lets hope this does not kick off here, just in time for the tourist season......


.

Re: Visa help.
 

If it is of help to anyone else , I applied for a 1 year visa in person at Hayes on Monday, with a covering letter as to why I wanted a 1 year visa and collected it today(wednesday). I did wait until a month had elapsed since the expiry of my old visa but did apply 10 days short of my 2 month exile which I covered by enclosing a copy of my e-ticket for 1st July which is day 62! The 2 month out stamp is there but at least it`s on a 1 year visa which gives one flexibility!!:thumbsup:

Re: Visa help.
 

Great news - you must be so pleased.

Re: Visa help.
 

Why would anyone be pleased with a 2 month out stamp?
The whole issue is a nightmare when you live here full time.

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Know what you mean, but beginning of the year we thought we would not get a 6 month visa, and she did apply 10 days short of her 2 months exile.

Re: Visa help.
 

Are you living there full time on a tourist visa ? :ohmy: I have had a 10 year Business visa, and also an Employment visa in the past. Had some great buddies and pals, but never wanted to stay in BOM or DEL more than a day than was absolutely necessary.

I do not find Goa's beaches particularly attractive :D But then, who would after living in an island with 365 beaches ;)

Re: Visa help.
 

Hi Anuny.
I live here full-time on a tourist visa. There is no other choice at present unless one is still lucky enough to be on a 5 year visa. A friend recently tried to renew a 5 year visa within India as he has done in the past and received a letter telling him to be out of the country in a week.

MsJ

Re: Visa help.
 

Why ? Does not the concept "tourist" itself imply not a full-timer ? Not in ANU, not in GCM, not in NAS, not in St. Lucia, not in Barbados, heck none of the former colonies here in the caribbean allow tourists to stay more than few months. How could Indians be so relaxed to allow this ? My understanding is that IN discourages immigrants, so why suffer the indignities ?
If beaches is the attraction, then St. Maartin, St. Barthelemy & BVI are candidates for long term stay for EU passport holders. Even in BVI one cannot hangout indefinitely. Of course if there are the other reasons, then its another story.

Honestly I am still baffled.

Re: Visa help.
 

I expect you are baffled. India used to allow people to stay for over 6 months in a financial year then get residency status and buy property. But they have changed the rules over the last few years and no longer allow people to gain residency status and changed the visa rules so we can now only get tourist visas and so can no longer own property but in Goa they will not let us sell the property so we just have to take what we can get so that we can continue to get some benefit from our investment.

Re: Visa help.
 

I think you'll got bad advice. All I know from my business trips, and a short stint with E visa in BOM/DEL that it was not possible to buy property. Businesses which have a full 100% FDI in certain industry vertical are very narrowly allowed to buy property which will house their business a.k.a IBM and Oracles of the world.

If the GOI changed ownership rules on you'll could sue - Unless of course you were not legit to begin with. It is quite possible to move the court for being Grandfathered in transactions that preceded the rule change.

In the Caribbean, former colonies, some do allow property ownership by foreigners and some dont.

Re: Visa help.
 

You are talking total B*ll*cks and clearly have no idea what the situation is in India (and more specifically in Goa that thinks it is a law unto itself), at the present time.
The scenarios you are quoting are so out of date it defies belief, and such concepts as;

Come on, get real! Sue the hyper-corrupt Goan Government? Or the government of India? How many lifetimes do you have to spend? The Oh so Obvious criminally negligent situation in Bhopal just got a typical brush it under the carpet response,,,,,,,why? Because Indian babus have absorbed most of the compensation...........typical!

Probably things are very different in the Carribean, but you are posting on a Goa, India, Asia, long way from the the Carribean, forum...................so please tell usJust re-read that gibberish.............what exactly are you trying to get over here? What is "Grandfathered" ?
And more importantantly, please give us a hint as to any idea what "Businesses which have a full 100% FDI in certain industry vertical are very narrowly allowed to buy property which will house their business a.k.a IBM and Oracles of the world." might possibly mean?

Re: Visa help.
 

From your reaction I gather you have been had :) My sympathies. Obviously something don't compute here :) Either you are a legal resident or you are not. If you have to leave every 180 days then you are just a tourist :)

If Government of India changed the rules after you'll bought the property, you could be grandfathered. My company was kicked out of India in 1977, it was allowed to sell and dispose of assets (and that was a reactionary government) We came back in '92 and I am sure our legal team in Delhi keeps our interests in mind ;)

I did not know there was a restriction on which sub-forum I could post, is there ? :rolleyes: They are all former colonies, all corrupt, all dislike former colonizers .. so what else is new ? :eek:

Wanna buy the Brooklyn Bridge ? :lol:

Re: Visa help.
 

I have heard that someone has just come back with an employment visa. The got it because they do voluntary work for animal rescue. Any truth in this.

Re: Visa help.
 

More likely to be an X- visa. Yes you can get them for doing voluntary work!

Re: Visa help.
 

What seems unfair is that they are giving them for animal rescue, but not for people working with the local children, which seems :thumbdown:

Re: Visa help.
 

Probably because they seem to put animals before humans !!
Let's face it, they allow the packs of wild dogs to roam and the cow is sacred, yet human life seems cheap.

Dread - x

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Seems that's changed - you now need an 'E' (~£400!) - various threads about it here and on IM.

AndyD 8-)#

Re: Visa help.
 

Well folks, I haven't been on here for a while but seems the visa issue is getting worse. My partner and I applied on the 2nd August for our usual business visa which we have had the past 3 years. To say we got the run-around is to put it mildly. We flitted back and forth from VFS to the consulate. Problems ranged from not knowing which visa we should get to our paperwork not being right (supplied all relevant papers including latest accounts). Eventually, after 5 days solid of been knocked from pillar to post they agreed it was a business visa! Brill we thought, until we handed all in to be processed. They accepted mine but refused my partner as they didn't think they would have enough time to process his - he needed his passport back for Saturday which gave them 5 working days! FFS! We even agreed to pay the extra £75 for an urgent visa but they still would not entertain us. I still don't have my passport back but not panicking yet as not flying out until end of the month.
We will not have to worry about it next year as I will be selling up and moving out!:frown:

Re: Visa help.
 

MHA FAQ

I can't find anything on here regarding this reference to Tourist visas and foreigners having a residence. Have I missed it?

Re: Visa help.
 

see my reply to Goangoangone #1706 here

AndyD 8-)#

Re: Visa help.
 

From Lokita at the FCO.

Hi Noni,

We are aware that the Government of India had not accepted the proposed amendments to the Registration Act, 1908 which were sought to be made under The Registration (Goa Amendment) Bill, 2008. What is currently happening in the Goa Assembly is the legislative process to withdraw the proposed Bill. Our understanding of the implication of this is that all registration of property in India, including in Goa, should now be done as per the provisions of the Section 17(1) of The Registration Act of 1908.

We would also take this opportunity to urge British nationals in Goa concerned about issues regarding their property to complete the proforma that has been posted on http://ukinindia.fco.gov.uk/en/help-...ving-in-india/ .The British High Commission can then discuss the generic issues that arise with the Government of Goa's designated representative in a bid to identify potential measures to resolve these issues.


*QUOTE from Peter Beckingham
Thank you for your email of 22 August. I understand the diffficulties
and anxieties you and others face over the property disputes in Goa.
I know that our High Commissioner met a group of affected UK representatives earlier this year; I would be happy to do the same if I have any more information about developments to give to those concerned. I know that our High Commission believed that the pro-forma you refer to might be useful; I was sorry to hear that you doubt its value. - Peter "

Re: Visa help.
 

I think they're being wildly optimistic here because:
i) The Amendment Bill never even became law.
ii) The Registrars were refusing FN registrations well before the Bill was drafted
iii) I won my case against the Registrar in the Fast-track Court but the govenment of Goa have just appealed this to the High Court - they would hardly do that if "registration of property ... should now be done as per the provisions of the Section 17(1) of The Registration Act of 1908."
Sorry, but none of this explains why we should fill in the pro-forma - a large number of people have already given the BHC details of their cases, and they have already discussed 'generic issues' with the Chief Minister.
I am quite prepared to fill in the pro-forma if someone will just tell me what's in it for me/ us!

AndyD 8-)#

Re: Visa help.
 

I understood in your case the Govt. of Goa had missed the deadline to make an appeal, therefore the ruling stood and Kamat had assured BHCI and Sir Richard Stagg personally that he would pursue the matter of enforcement.

So a ruling in the Fast Track Court is now being undermined by an appeal to the High Court, and what of Kamat and the BHCI's promise in all of this?

And the question still remains; when are the Government of India going to issue a category of visa that allows foreign owners of property in India (including leaseholders) to travel to India, or are they all to declare themselves as 'Tourists' which, as presently defined, would not allow them to make transfers of property and may even help invalidate their currently assumed position as owners of property and/or persons resident in India.

"...a Tourist Visa can only be granted to a foreigner who does not have a residence or occupation in India.."

Re: Visa help.
 

Warning to those with a 5 year entry visa issued on basis of Indian origin. The rules have been tightened in last few months. Regardless of how many previous 5 year visas have been held, on renewal you must provide a copy of a relevant old Indian passport, your own or parents, grandparents etc. or a document signed by Gov. of India. The only positive change is that they will now accept an affidavit signed by First Class Magistrate in India re previous nationality.
So without these documents (and many older Indians did not keep copies of their passports) a person of Indian origin legitimately holding owned or inherited property can now only travel to India on a tourist visa. Once there they hopefully can get the necessary affidavit for future use.

Re: Visa help.
 

Yes, they had missed the deadline by several months, but they applied to the High Court to be allowed to appeal anyway ("condonation") and this was granted, at the same time the original ruling was "stayed". It is fairly clear that the State Govt. is not only prepared to take the case right up to the Supreme Court, but also to delay the procedure as long as possible.

When indeed - my MP has asked the BHC to seek an answer to this, but I'm not holding my breath.

I feel quite strongly that when individuals have to take on a foreign government to get their clear legal rights then HMG should be prepared to do something to help!

AndyD 8-)#

Re: Visa help.
 

What do the last 6 posts have to do with visa help????? Off topic me thinks!!!!!

Re: Visa help.
 

msj5 I think my post was very relevant, I have just collected my passport from Birmingham today. Apparently the general rules were tightened up in January 2010. I have had a 5 year visa since 1984 when visas were introduced. Today I have a 1 year tourist!! (Didn't have copy of husband's old Indian passport). It also states that registration is necessary if visa is valid for more than 180 days, this is new. When I pointed out that husband had a 5 year they said he "was lucky" (he renewed just before rule change.)
When I submitted the application I saw other British people being refused a long term visas. My post was to warn people of the latest rules and take all possible documentation with them when they apply for their visas.

Re: Visa help.
 

See my above post

Re: Visa help.
 

Hi Bipat. Your post was very relevant indeed -it was the ones following it and prior that I was talking about.

Re: Visa help.
 

Well not really - it is pre-printed on all visa stickers, so it's been there at least since they started using stickers (and btw it's not true in all cases).

AndyD 8-)#