Apply for visa in Ukraine or Chicago?

knt2000

My buddy currently holds a green card in the U.S. is in Ukraine for Medical School and wants to meet up with me in India this December. He's Indian origin and has family living here in Michigan for over 10 years. Now he wants to know if he has to apply for a 6 month tourist visa at the Indian Embassy in Ukraine or send everything to the Chicago location? Please help.

machadinha

I don't know about Ukraine, but I think technically it shouldn't matter.

What I would do in his case is simply contact the Indian embassy in Ukraine (or, if there is none, whichever of their embassies covers it for that region; or whatever visa services they may have outsourced their visa handling to, which they should be able to tell you about though), preferably by phone, and just ask them about it.

... And here they are, and so there is one indeed: http://www.indianembassy.org.ua. At a quick glance, looks like they still handle visas themselves.

ps I don't think it could ever be handled by "sending your stuff over" to home anyway, this would include passport and stuff. So he'd have to go there himself. For now, I'd rest pretty much assured he should be able to take care of it on the ground though.

pps If he's of Indian origin and depending on the details of it he might want to look into an OCI/PIO (Overseas Citizen of India, resp. Person of Indian Origin) sort of scheme at least for the future, which should make his travels home much easier. For more on this, read around this site for instance: http://moia.gov.in/; notably here for starters: http://moia.gov.in/services.aspx?id1... =35&mainid=23 .

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wonderwomanusa

If he has a green card and lives in the US, he should apply in the US.

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machadinha

Hm, are you sure? I know the Indian authorities seem to increasingly prefer for people to apply in their home countries; however one still hears of people getting a visa in other countries than that.

If he's a bona fide US green card holder and legitimately studying in Ukraine, I wonder if it would indeed matter, or why it should.

But I may be overlooking something. In any case, I'd still give them a ring first; maybe ask for an interview if required. (So the Indian embassy in Ukraine.)

nycank

What passport ? Green card holders do not have US passport. If he has an indian passport. NO VISA

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machadinha

... Er, you mean he wouldn't need a visa in the first place, right?

Just so as not to overstress the OP (original poster, so KNT) here. I'd still advise your buddy to just give the Kiev embassy a ring and see what they say.

knt2000

Yeah, I told him just call the place and see what they have to say about it. He told me that he now holds both Indian and US Passports but hasn't applied for the dual citizenship, so he hasn't got one of those lifetime visas yet.

machadinha

Hm, yes, many report somehow ending up with two passports like that, but in fact India doesn't allow for dual citizenship I don't think. So he might have to play his cards well there.

PIO & OCI (given certain stipulations, and as far as I know) are only for people of Indian origins holding a different citizenship. (Makes sense right, it wouldn't be needed if you're an Indian citizen in the first place.)

In any event and as noted, if he holds an Indian passport now, you'd think he logically wouldn't need an Indian visa indeed, no? So long as he traveled on that passport.

But, don't trust my word on it, I'm just thinking out loud, I really wouldn't know. (It might get funny I suppose if he needs to board with his US passport holding an Ukrainian visa, then arrive in India from Ukraine holding an Indian passport with no visa to there. Hmmm....)

Haylo

Even if he still physically has an Indian passport, whatever the dates on that passport, he no longer has Indian citizenship, so the Indian passport he still has is nothing more than a souvenir, and useful proof of previous citizenship.

This is because when you obtain a passport of another country, it is regarded under Indian law as proof that you have voluntarily acquired citizenship of another country prior to obtaining that passport. Under Indian law (Citizenship Act 1955) upon acquiring citizenship of another country, Indian citizenship automatically ceases.

So, whether he still has an Indian passport or not is irrelevant, he still needs to travel on his US passport, and get either an Indian visa or PIO or OCI status.

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namaste_cat

Okay, glad you cleared that up because he cannot possible have a US passport without being a US citizen. Original post is confusing because when your friend became a US citizen, his green card was surrendered. In other words, he no longer needs or has a green card.

Although he retained his Indian passport, he is in effect no longer a citizen of India and should not use his Indian passport. He gave up his Indian citizenship when he chose to become a US citizen. I'm not sure what the exact legalities are, but doesn't matter to me because I personally do not feel it is ethical to pretend to be an Indian citizen when I chose to no longer be one :shrug:

At this point, he is a US citizen presumably in Ukraine on a student visa, so he should be able to apply at the Indian embassy in the country where he resides i.e. Ukraine or in his home country's nearest consulate - Chicago. Shouldn't matter. His being Indian doesn't come into it for tourist visa purposes.

If he had more time, then PIO/OCI would be a good way to go but he'd be taking a risk if he wants it by December. Instead, a 6-month tourist visa would be the way to go.

nycank

As namaste_cat has rightly said: He has no green card. He can apply in UA for a tourist visa, since he's a student in UA, and of Indian origin, they just might give him a 10-yr visa (he's have to pay the $$$ )

If he chooses to use his Indian passport;he might not be able to get back to Kiev if the visa has been endorsed in his US passport....

messy messy.... creepy creepy...

Haylo

Plus, if the US authorities pass his details to the Indian government, to let them know that basically "one of yours is now one of ours", his Indian passport would already have been cancelled. I've no idea whether the US immigration authorities do that, but in these days of databases and information transfer I would not be at all surprised.

However, the OP's friend already seems to know that he needs an Indian visa, as his original question was about where to get it. It's a shame there was a mention of the green card, it confused the issue.

The question here really is "I am American studying in the Ukraine, can I get an Indian visa here"

The answer is almost certainly. According to the Indian Embassy's website applications take longer for "Applicants not resident in Ukraine" which strongly suggests that they do accept them - the reason I'm not entirely certain is that their website also refers to "Aids-Free* Medical Certificate" for Ukrainian nationals applying for Indian visas; this provision is I'm sure historic.

machadinha

Don't know about the AIDS/HIV thing (could be something specifically Ukrainian? Or just outdated indeed, these embassy websites can't exactly be trusted to be up-to-date either), but my understanding is if you can get a visa at all in not your home country, it will take a little longer yes. Of course, you'd think; it will take some checking with your home country and such (if they need to, you'll likely be paying for it btw). (Also, in the many countries where visa services are now doing the job, I hear such applications will still be handled by the embassy directly. So a little more time required. How much time? Don't ask me. Would seem to be safe to keep it ample, as in several weeks or so. In my own country, I'd reckon two weeks should do it; in others, who's to say.)

knt2000

He did say that he only took his Indian passport because his Ukrainian student visa is in there and still valid. Although like what namaste_cat said, he has to use the US passport because he's now a citizen and getting a 6 month to a 1 year tourist visa is the best option for him since his Indian passport is no good.

machadinha

OK, so he's an American on presumably a student (or whatever other kind of) visa in Ukraine.

So he should enquire with the Indian embassy there; then if that fails, he'll probably have to go home to arrange it. As noted, sending his stuff home for it will be unlikely to work; passports you shouldn't send around just like that, the visa will probably have to be applied for and/or collected in person, and you don't wanna be a foreigner in Ukraine without a valid passport I'm quite sure.