Advanced Question! Re: Immigration

Surely after you have all spent so much time in India you have made friends there?

After two trips it happens I want someone, an Indian Resident, to visit me in Canada over Christmas. My friend is quite apprehensive about whether he will be selected for a tourist visa, saying that while "whites" and "nris" get visas to India in a snap, it is not the same situation in reverse. Does anyone in India or abroad have stories of friends who visited Canada? Was it hassle-free? Or troublesome? I'd be interested in knowing.

I can understand that there is a fear of illegal immigrants to Western countries, the majority of whom come into the country on visitation grounds. How are these doubts avoided when the situation is genuine?

Thanks a million.

PS - I am a Canadian citizen and will be providing a letter of invitation.

Your friend vaguely understands Supply & Demand. There is a ton of people trying to emigrate to the West and few to India. My inlaws had to jump through hoops. They may be required to show a whopping bank balance & there is guarantee they will be accepted. So there is risk involved. The trick is to tell the difference. You will likely be required to write a letter of sponsorship which is a financial risk to you. Best of luck..

Thanks, ed.

Does anyone know what the minimum bank balance might be for a 2 week visit? I am sponsoring the visit according to the letter therefore a plane ticket is all he really needs. But.. Would immigration want to see more than a plane ticket? For extraneous expenses perhaps?

Again, does anyone know someone who successfully visited a Western country from India?

I'm just poking around for general opinions on how difficult it is to visit a citizen.

This to me is a clue that you're either an Indian or have spent a looong time with Indian people. They/we worry about this a lot.

This is not the only criterion on which NA (North Americas) grant or deny visas to Indian people. If your friend has travelled to other countries like... western Europe or Oz or Japan etc... his chances are equal whatever 'bank balance' he/she might have. (just an example)

If you're a Canadian citizen (assuming you're living there too) then 'George Bush nahin hai tumharey paas'.


PS - If your friend in this post is the same as was in your last (re)incarnation, he has a good chance for a visa. Since he did get it once then.

That was a very eery reply, indojingai.

For some reason its on the Canadian immigration site about minimum bank balances. They want proof you have the funding to support yourself while abroad it seems or else you become a liability.

Who was my friend in my last incarnation? What do you mean he got one then? I believe you have me mixed up with someone else.

A few countries need more guarentees for people who have not left India before. So if this is the first time travel, he would need to show a bank statement normaly of about 6 months. Hence, it would not be the minimum balance (which was the requirement before) but a long period of bank statement before the travel period that shows that the person has been relatively well off and not just became well off for the travel!

Also it would be good if that person has some property registered in his name in India, which kind of would make him come back to the country. Another point they would look at is, if he is married and has children. The supposed logic (beats me) is that if he has such attachements back home, he would come back or atleast has something to come back to!

Thats what I know of those crazy requirements!

Sudheer what you said is right. Our situation is tricky, so perhaps you have some insights here...My friend doesn't have any assets to speak of but he has a strong sense of family obligation. He supports his mother and sister finanacially. How can these ties be shown?

I left out a "no" with guarantee. I know of people being turned down. However, my mother in law came twice..