It Began With The Misionary (Visa) Position

crvlvr

AFAIK, missionary visas are incredibly hard to get. The
"sponsor" probably needs to have political clout -- like the catholic church etc. Hence many visitors perform missionary work in India on tourist visas.

I am curious how you stayed in India continuously for 5 years on your previous visa. Isn;t your stay limited to 180days regardless of the length of the vidsa issued? If that is the case, and you have overstayed the 180days limit (if it applies) it will be difficult for you to get any visa.

dzibead

He didn't say he stayed continuously for five years. He said he "been on" a five year visa, i.e., he'd had one. I know from other sources that he's come and gone from India in due course, so there's no overstay problem and no need for the alarmist commentary.

Nick-H

We have no reason to suppose that PS has breached the conditions of that visa.

<cross-poste with my learned friend ...>

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edwardseco

My late father in law used to say ask 3 people and go with the majority. I suspect the FRO contact was giving misleading info. The motivation is immaterial. But, it does suggest finding another source preferably at the Home Ministry..

crvlvr

By default most India visas limit they stay to 180 days, except work and missionary visas. I assumed, he/she has a need to stay for more than 180 days hence question about the missionary visa. If his/her stay was limited to 180 days on each visit, than a tourist visa would have sufficed and will suffice in the future. And if he/she has already received a 5 years tourist visa, there is a very good chance another one of a similar duration will be issued, if they have been no overstays. The question of missionary visa does not arise.

poipleshadow

he 5 year visa from the UK is vey hard to get, I think I was previously VERY lucky to receive it, it also allowed me to stay continuosly withut leaving, which was just so convienient. The extra costs for leaving and returning to the country would be a strain on my finances as this charity work is full time...

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Trying to make the world a better place is really hard...

federica

The 180 days rule is only for tourist visas...

crvlvr

Thanks for the explanation. I was not aware that a visa which allowed 5 years of continuous stay for a tourist existed at any time.

poipleshadow

It was a settlement visa... Anyway, I've had another look on their website and can't find the info about missionary visas anymore... s (on the UK one)... Don't know what to do... I amn positive it was there before... The next best thing would be another settlement visa or a employment visa, but these still seem to be short term visas....

Nick-H

'Settlement'? Did it have an 'X' for type?

mazha

The missionary visa is a "shadow visa", it sort of doesn't exist! It was created to prevent the proselytizing of evangelicals who come to India on visit visas. Instead of banning conversion, the government came up with the ingenious idea of creating a missionary visa -- only foreigners coming on that visa are allowed to promote religious activities, people on other visas can be arrested for engaging in missionary business. The missionary visa created a legal category that can be used for law enforcement (standard police question: are you on a missionary visa?).

What counts as missionary business is of course open to interpretation, and that's exactly why/how it makes missionaries furtive, and dampens evangelical enthusiasm.

All that doesn't help you, as your chances of getting a missionary visa is next to nil, given the standard problem-avoidance strategies of Indian bureaucrats, particularly those on (lucrative) foreign soil. Further, if you apply for a missionary visa, your chances of getting a normal visa may also go down. I would suggest keeping away from that route.

GoanCanuck

Agreed. Once you have been entered into the database as a professional "missionary" then you are unlikely to ever be considered for a tourist visa. Another thing you need to consider is that once you have a missionary visa you will find that your movements are greatly restricted. Just to go from Goa to say neighboring Karwar for a weekend trip will require special permission and you will have to register with the police station in Karwar. Failure to do so will result in you being arrested and prosecuted. Deportation will come later.

The only visa which will be suitable for you is an employment visa which allows you to stay continuously in India.

machadinha

Good point(s), hadn't thought of it (and a good explanation in general, Mazha ). And a good reason to steer clear from that avenue unless you absolutely must by reason of your profession and the intention to carry it out on Indian soil, indeed (think also of the dreaded journalist visa, which seems to have very similar drawbacks, and which I take it people shouldn't apply for just because they're a photographer or writer back home, i.e, unless they're specifically on a journalistic assignment in India).

Anyway from the beginning it seemed it just doesn't apply to Poiple's position.

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poipleshadow

Nick - Yes it did have a type of X,

Others - ( - Things are never easy! My current visa has been great, I have to declare if I'm 'out of station' for more than two weeks I think, but that's about it. I very rarely stay away, so it wouldn't be a huge problem, although I don't think I need the extra hassles that seem to be involved.

capt_mahajan

Another reason I would hesitate about the missionary visa: One could be at the receiving end, given the way things are going in Goa and in the future, of any moronic group which says, "They are converting our children!!!!"