Police clearance for a foreigner lives in India

Hmm

I'm going to apply for a settlement visa soon. I'm a Sri Lankan currently live in Chennai, India. I've over stayed my 6 months tourist visa by many years so I need to get a police clearance to apply for UK visa. I've regeistered with the local police.
How do I do get the police clearance? Who should I contact? How long would it take? what the police clearance look like?

Please advise. I'm desperate.

Nick-H

I don't know how an illegal immigrant could get police clearance anywhere .

I think you need specialist help, perhaps from some Chennai-based NGO or charity that deals with Sri Lankans in India. They may know of some solution for you.

Otherwise, I think you must go back to Sri Lanka. (and I don't know how you would do that simply, as you have no current visa)

Good luck... wishing you well...

A couple of minutes later...

Actually, I just noticed that you have registered with the police. Do you have to do this on a regular basis? Annually, or something? This might mean that your overstay on your original visa has been condoned.

Hmm

Registered with the police once but needs to inform them every time I change address.
Don't worry about the over staying bit as I have spoken to the British Embassy and can apply from India with a police clearance. I just need to know how to go on about it and who should I contact? I have the photo card document they gave me when I registered with police and can get a letter from the local police station stating that I live in this address. Would that be enough?

What information the police cleaarance usually contains?

Nick-H

OK, good, and sorry, but I have very little idea about the rest; I have taken my Indian wife to UK for visits, but visits only, so we never applied for settlement visa. You'll probably be aware that the British official sites are very detailed about the visas and the requirements.

I'd recommend you to call at the VFS (who do the visa processing for UK) and ask! On the other hand, the police letter must be a fairly standard thing, so you could just go to your local police station...

Ignite

From my very limited knowledge and experience of a police clearance, here's what I know:

You go to your local police station and talk to the S.I. or C.I. in-charge and tell them about your U.K. visa application and that you need a police clearance. The officer will then ask for your address and in 2 or 3 days will send a constable over to your place to make sure you are actually living at that address.

After this they will also go through their files to see if you have been charged in any cases or not, and if you come clear, they will then issue a Police Clearance letter.

Thats what the process was like in '99 when we had to get a Police Clearance for a U.S. visa. I'm pretty sure the procedures haven't changed since, but you never know.

__________________
“Nothing is so aggravating than calmness.” Oscar Wilde

Hmm

I over stayed my Indian visit visa by several years. I now wants to apply for a UK settlement visa from there. I was advised that I can apply for a UK visit visa with a valid Indian police clearance but NOT be able to apply for a UK settlement visa from India. Needs to go back my country of residence to apply for UK settlement.

I don't understand. A visa is a visa so how come visit visa is allowed but not settlement.
I'm so upset. Is anyone in the same situation?

Is anyone got any advise for me?

mridula

I am not of much help but did you overstay your visa in India or in UK?

__________________
Mridula

Travel Tales from India

Nick-H

.

Sorry it isn't working out for you.

If you have been talking to VFS, then you have two choices:

--- take their word for it, and they are probably right, on something like this, although I have called their bluff, and won, on details like specific acceptable/non-acceptable doccuments.

--- Insist they accept the application, which means that when it is refused, you loose your fee, which, I seem to remember is substantial.

They are just paper handlers: you can insist they accept an application. You'd better have done all your homework on the British visas sites first, though. Bear in mind that you may have to answer "yes" to "have you ever been refused a visa?" for the rest of your life, and it doesn't look good.


Mod Note:
Two threads have been merged here. A couple of comments asking for the merge have been deleted. Thanks folks!

Hmm

ok, here is my situation: I've over staying my Indian tourist visa in India. Originally come from Sri Lanka. Now trying apply for a UK settlement visa from India.

After questioning the VFS staff(via e-mail and telephone) about how come other srilankan people (I know one case) in my situation sucessfully applied for a UK settlement visa from India, I was told that I needed to check with the application centre for further assistant. If people in the help desk can't give me a straight answer how can the staff in the application centre?
I've given up with VFS. I now e-mail the British Embassy and waiting for their reply. It's been three days and haven't heard. wonder whether they'd reply? Is there anyone else I can contact to confirm this?

Nick-H

British High Commission (Embassy). VFS, which handles visa applications on their behalf. That exhausts the list of those who can give any authoritative reply, because they are the only people involved.

Back to my first suggestion: any NGO dealing with Sri Lankan foreigners/refugees in India?

Hmm

Not far as I know. I'm not sure whether I'll be count as refugees as I never stayed in a refugee camp. when my tourist visa ran out I went to the local police staion and register there. they gave me a paper work confirming my registration with police.That was all.

What about FCO (foreign and commenwealth office)? can they give any answers?

If I didn't get an answer from the British Embassy I'll just go to the VFS office with the form and paper work and hoping they'd take the form and send it to the Embassy.
I don't think the application can be rejected on the ground that I am NOt applying from Sri Lanka as I know other people have sucessfully got their UK visa from India. I'll just have to get the VFS to accpt my form.
It is hard work dealing with the middle man, VFS.

Ignite

You don't have to stay in a refugee camp inorder to be considered as a refugee.

Most of the refugees in the U.S. (cubans) and Canada (Sri Lankans) have NEVER stayed in a refugee camp.

deej

Hmm,

In case you are still ever checking this thread, and if you consider yourself to be in India as a forced migrant or refugee, there is an NGO working in Tamil Nadu with refugees from Sri Lanka. They are called OFERR (Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation) and it is run mostly by Sri Lankans. They mainly work with refugees in camps but they may be able to advise you or point you in the right direction for advise with your visa issues.

They have an office in Chennai at:
No.31, 2nd Floor,
Sait Colony, 1st Street,
Egmore, Chennai – 600 008

Or their website is: http://www.oferr.org/home.php

Good luck

Hmm

Thanks for the info deej. Its good to know they are in Chennai.

Here is how I got my police clearane. I went to the local police station, they took my name and address, check it on their system and wrote a letter confirming my stay in India, time of stay, my address and also mentioned that I do not have anything against my name (can't remember the exact words but it implies that I do not have any criminal convictions). All done in a day.

Submit my UK visa settlement visa application with it in VFS chennai. Haven't heard from the embassy yet.

deej

Hmm,

No problem - glad to hear you have managed to make some progress.

Best wishes