Indian Visa Question

[BensAdventures]

I've just been given the news that I have to make a flying visit to DEL in 4 weeks time. I'm only there for less than 48hrs, but I obviously need a visa.

I'm in Fiji in 2 weeks for a week, so any visa I obtain I need to get it started ASAP. The Indian visa websites are saying two different things at the moment. One from Canberra says it will take 10 days to process, the other says 5 days.

Any experience here?

Cheers!

 

[simongr]

It has taken four weeks for my team's visas in the past - we actually had to drop someone from the team and bring in someone who had an unexpired visa due to the delays. I would be lodging the request tomorrow morning if you have the documents ready.

 

[SeatBackForward]

In the Sydney consulate, I think you pay significantly more for express processing. Will ask at work tomorrow about what they do.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using AustFreqFly

 

[straitman]

I got a Visa for India last November. At first the process appears quite convoluted but actually works quickly and efficiently.

Go to Visa for India to get all the information you need in clouding processing times.

Fill in the application form and then print it.

Either post or take the form into the nearest office. I took mine in just in (to Melbourne) case there was a problem. There was a photo booth outside the door and there were guys in the next room who were doing photos also. I used the guys as they were the same price ($10) but were happy to take extra photos if the first attempt was no good.

On entry I took the ticket as requested and then got concerned as there were about 45-50 people waiting. Fortunately the process was quite efficient and I only waited about 25 minutes.

You can see the progress of your application on line and my passport arrived back in under one week, complete with Visa.

 

[ChrisGibbs]

In early July I went through the process of renewing my Indian1 year multi entry business visa. I used the VFS India webite. Like you I had a bunch of international travel and only had a 3 day window to submit the application and receive my passport back - hence I submitted my application in person. Checkout IHC Visa Information - Australia - Home - Submit your Application for all the pre-requisites you need to submit with your application. Fill out the online application and also pay for the Visa online. If you are going to India on business make sure you have letters from both your host Australian company and Indian company confirming your requirement to travel and that your salary, expenses and insurance will be covered by your local Australian company. On the letter also indicate your need for a rapid turn around with the visa due to your travel requirements. VFS India won't guarantee that you will receive your visa quickly however I've found that you can get it back within a 3 day cycle. It can also help to provide a copy of your travel itinerary.

One gotcha that all the Passport photo's I had previously used for passport renewals and visa didn't meet their photo requirements. In Sydney they have a photo booth where you pay $15.00 (from memory) and get a photo that meets VFS India's requirements. From a Melbourne perspective it would pay to use the photo facility attached to the VFS India office.

From a Sydney perspective, when submitting the application in person, the queues at VFS India can be long. As previous posters have indicated they churn through the numbers quite rapidly. It can help to arrive at around 11:30am before the lunch time rush and after the initial surge. My wait time on submission was 45 minutes. You can track the status of your visa application via the web. When you see your visa is ready to pick up go into the VFS India office about 1 hour before close. In my experience the lines for pick up at this time are relatively short.

 

[BensAdventures]

Thanks everyone! I'm heading into the Melbourne processing office today!

 

[cmon0005]

I did an application directly in Melbourne VFS back in March on a Monday and by the next day (Tuesday) the website said it had been processed and sent back to VFS on Wednesday was able to pick up. Very efficient and quick.

Just wish they would issue Visa on arrival for Australian passport holders, for short stay business and tourists, would make it a lot easier to travel and increase their tourist numbers. maybe one day?

 

[SeatBackForward]

I did an application directly in Melbourne VFS back in March on a Monday and by the next day (Tuesday) the website said it had been processed and sent back to VFS on Wednesday was able to pick up. Very efficient and quick.

Just wish they would issue Visa on arrival for Australian passport holders, for short stay business and tourists, would make it a lot easier to travel and increase their tourist numbers. maybe one day?

Slightly OT, but I'll recall my last experience in India. I hold whats called an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card. Its a qausi dual-citizenship scheme, without actually conferring citizenship to India. Essentially you can only get it if you were born in India or have a Father (yes a father only!) that was an Indian Citizen.

It basically grants you entry into India freely, I think if you plan on staying in India for over 12months you need to register at a local police station (i'd love to see the faces of the staff if that ever were to happen..a whole new kettle of paperwork to triplicate). You can hold financial assets, businesses etc..I think the only three things you can't do are:

1. Stand for election
2. Own Land, or
3. Vote

All of which I'm more than happy to avoid..

Anyhow, I've had the card for the past five years, but only travelled using it for the first time last March. They issue two documents when you apply for it. The OCI registration card, which looks like a passport only smaller, with your photo ID in the OCI registration card and which looks like an exact copy of an Indian Visa. The other document is the actual LIFETIME Visa stamp onto a page of my Australian passport.

When I arrived in DEL I proceeded to the OCI counter, showed them my Australian Passport and the OCI Registration. Was knocked back and told to go stand in the Foreigners line. I asked why as I had a OCI card. "no you need to show your visa" was what I was told. Well the problem was, the VISA was stuck at the back of my Australian passport that had expired two years ago! Now I wouldn't generally travel carrying an invalid passport, as that itself can raise eybrows, and this time I didn't have it with me either. But no apparently, If I travel to India I need to hold onto my old passports...

The end result, after some ridicule on my part about needing to show invalid passports, they allowed me to walk over to a desk to the left side of the immigraton counters, and for the equivalent of USD$40 I was issued a 7day (I think) Visa upon Entry. Perhaps because I had my OCI registration with me, this was possible? Either way, I had enough INR with me to pay for it with that. So somehow, in the underbelly of Indian immigration it is possible!

 

[BensAdventures]

Well my Visa was ready in less that 3 days! I put it in on Wednesday and it was ready after lunch on Friday. I'm due back in the city tomorrow and I'll pick it up then! I found this visa system quite simple. Thanks all!

 

[SeatBackForward]

Well my Visa was ready in less that 3 days! I put it in on Wednesday and it was ready after lunch on Friday. I'm due back in the city tomorrow and I'll pick it up then! I found this visa system quite simple. Thanks all!

Good outcome! beware, don't expect that sort of efficiency across all of India!