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#1 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 192
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Visa Requirements!
Hi
Guys Just come back from Indian Consulate, Birmingham, Uk to sort out visa and anyone whos been there before will know what a nightmare it is 2 sort anything out! Firstly the que was like a mile outside and yet they have 2 staff counters?! And its 30 degrees outside and no a/c and no windows open, just a small fan 4 effect and alot of sweaty basts, anyways l digress! basically over the phone l was told it would be no problem to obtain a 2 year student visa even though course was only 8months because l have plans to travel after but it was a different story when l go there! they would only issue a 1 year visa which expires on the 2/07/07 but was planning on staying until around 22/09/07. A couple of people have said its fine to over stay your visa, what can they do deport you, they'll only find out once leaving the airport anyways, is that true? Not sure l want to risk it? Could l extend it in Delhi? Like add on a 6 month tourist visa from there? Another option l've got is to travel to other places like thailand, laos etc can l obtain visas easily enough in delhi? Sorry to bombard you with all these questions!! Would prefer to stay until away from the UK until September at least, it'll be my last chance to travel before my parents have me married off! Cheers |
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#2 | |
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Maha Guru Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Northern California
Posts: 2,207
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#3 |
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Aircraft Service Engineer, Astronomer & Traveller
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Mumbai, India. (Lat 18.967 N, Long 72.833 E, Alt 11 m)
Posts: 1,904
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No way should you overstay your visa and infact since you will be here for a long period, you will have to register with the foreigner's registration office / police station when you are here. It is not easy to get a visa from here as it is not given to anyone with just a six months visa and even if it is issued as an extension then it is only for a period of about fifteen days just so that you can get the next available flight out of the country as it is only for people who do not have a return ticket confirmed to leave India. So not really worth it for all the expenditure you incur, I would rather suggest you go to Nepal or Sri Lanka for another visa where it will be easier to get one or else you will come back to the UK before you get one again. Sorry that your parent's would want to marry you off but I thought you would have your say too in a place like the UK!!! ;-)) Anyway I hope you get what you want regarding the visas as well as in life!!! Happy and safe journeys wherever you go.
Cheers, Aadil.
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Climb high; climb far; Your goal, the sky, Your aim, the stars!!! |
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#4 | ||
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Chennai
Posts: 169
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As suggested by Aadil: Go to India on your present student visa, then skip to Nepal next June to secure a 6 month tourist visa. PS> Good luck registering at the FRO when you arrive. I recommend taking a copy of all the items that you used to secure your visa (plus 2 photographs!). |
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#5 | |
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Surprised and Delighted by Life
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: On the road...
Posts: 968
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Tim in Ireland
__________________
Travelling Tim - http://www.mapability.com/blogs/ "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." |
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#6 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 192
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Thanks guys!
Will definitely not be overstaying my visa now! Thought it was dodgy but other people (including my dad!) had me convinced it was no problem! Until l then thought about booking into hotels and them checking my passport! Anyway, l have been to Nepal before and wouldn't checking it out again. Is it pretty easy to obtain an Indian Visa from there? Would l have to go through the Indian or British Embassy? Probably a really daft question! Can you obtain a visa for Nepal in India or is it easily sorted once in Nepal (think that was the case the last time l went there). Cheers Aadil You would be surprised! I think Indian parents in the UK are more traditional in many ways than those in India as they still have a 1950s/60s mindset. My Mum, Dad & Grandma are expecting me to be hitched with 2 kids in tow to some nice punjabi girl when l arrive back in like 14 months, now thats a big ask! |
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#7 |
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Aircraft Service Engineer, Astronomer & Traveller
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Mumbai, India. (Lat 18.967 N, Long 72.833 E, Alt 11 m)
Posts: 1,904
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You will probably need a visa to Nepal before you go there but definitely you will have to go to the Indian Embassy in Nepal to get a Indian visa to re-enter India after your visa expires.
About the Indian parent's mindset it matters not where you stay or what you do but only how you think and that is what matters so I thought if you were old enough to do what you wanted then it also included matters of the heart and life too. Now does it have to be a Punjabi girl only?!!! ;-)) Cheers, Aadil. |
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#8 |
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Renegade Killer Bee
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Hey Jaz
Just a side point: While the visa extension might not be problematic, use *ONLY* the best agents. Or best - do it yourself! *What follows below is hearsay* Basically should your passport have visas for countries like the US/Europe then it is often 'lost' and the agent gladly helps you in arranging the new visa, while the old one gets a new pic and a new owner! Its rare but happens! |
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#9 | |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Chennai
Posts: 169
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Hope this helps. |
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#10 | |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Chennai
Posts: 169
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Keep a handful of photocopies spare for anyone who is insistant, otherwise ensure that you accompany your passport to wherever they wish to take it. |
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#11 |
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Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Chennai, India
Posts: 28,368
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Lots of agents will obtain visas for tourists. This is often a sideline of travel agents/tourists.
The agents have a special arrangement: you see them at HCI,London, walking straight in and going to a special counter with piles of passports. If you have money and you want to avoid the queues, by all means use a visa agent. They are unlikely to know about anything but tourist visas, whereas the agency that Penri suggests is advertising business services as well. Whether any of these guys can get you anything (through contacts) that you would not be able to get yourself over the counter is doubtful, I would have thought. On the other side of the "border"... I was advised by a retired FRRO senior official not to use an agent here in Chennai. However the agent came with great recommendations, and I did use him. ---to my cost: he messed me around for weeks, then went off in a huff because we complained leaving us to sort it out ourselves anyway. Which took us just a few minutes in London!
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. Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team
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#12 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 5
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hi just to let you know that as long as you can fill in all the parts of the visa form with no problems (i.e. have the correct documentation) the best way to apply for a visa in the UK is through the post. I am going to southern India on the 23rd of July and sent the forms/passports to the London High Commission on June 30th and received them back on July 5th - intact and with required toursit visas. I was very worried tyhat they would get caught up in a backlog but the LHC is extremely efficeint. Beats the 4 hour queue I had to join 3 years ago when I first went to India.
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#13 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 192
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Thanks for all the advice guys, next time it will be via post!
Don't think l'll use any agencies will just do it myself from India. And yes Punjabi ONLY! |
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#14 | |
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Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Chennai, India
Posts: 28,368
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Hey! Why not get ahead of your parents and marry someone here? ![]() If you are planning on making sufficient trips to India in the future, I would advise you to check out the PIO card. That'll cover you for 15 years, or even Overseas Indian Citizenship, which will cover you for life! |
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