Applying for an Indian Visa in the UK: Your Questions and Experiences

asmithee

Errr...thank you Sir, I think.

But not quite sure I grasp the nub of your gist...you may need to clarify...

karuna

There'll be no nub grabbing on my watch.

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babybuddha

I would like to share my very postive experience of getting my latest 6 month tourist visa. Used Indiavisa24 and they were fab, really fast and helpful on the phone. Sent Tues, returned today (Sat).Recommended.
Happy travels!

johnny five

Its nice to see someone who has found a good agent.

Can I ask if they did a thorough check on your form before they accepted it?

The reason I ask is this. We repeatedly see the very good advice on here to take the form to VFS in person. This is all well and good if you live within striking(sic) distance of their offices. If you do not, like the depths of the West Country, the costs of going in person even just to hand it in can add massively to what is already a quite expensive exercise. Therefore an Agent who actually took the trouble to check the forms they accept would be a considerable asset, yes?

msgMe

Hello everyone
There's some great info in this thread - I only wish I'd found it before I applied. Reading it now has just made me more nervous!

I've seen a similar question posted a couple of pages back, but I would just like some clarification if possible. The PO website tells me that my application was delivered to the Birmingham office on Tuesday 24 Feb. So that's 3/4 working days ago. When I try to track my application online the status message just says "An application has been created on 17 February." (which is obviously when I first created it).

Is this normal? Should I not expect to see a message telling me that the app has been accepted/is being processed by the Birmingham office?

Many thanks to asmithee/Haylo/all.

Haylo

Perfectly normal.
Postal applications are opened and processed strictly in order of receipt, and at busy times there will be a backlog. That's why the VFS site quotes 10 working days for postal applications, instead of the 2-3 for hand delivered applications. Your envelope probably hasn't been opened yet. When it is, it will be checked over and if it's okay it will be logged into the system and sent on to the Indian Consulate at Birmingham.

Even though VFS have signed for the envelope, they won't log it as received until they've actually seen the contents. Until the envelope is opened they won't know whether it contains a valid application or applications. If the application is invalid, eg there's no passport, the application is for a length of time not available to the applicant or the forms haven't been signed, it won't be logged into the system but returned for corrections.

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spudseven

Anybody else finding you can't make an appointment when you apply online.

Is it normal, has it happened before.

All the dates are just white.

I've paid and want to make an appointment to go to Birmingham.

Whats the wait time like if you just turn up without an appointment.

Michael

Haylo

It's not normal but it has happened before, that was also at the beginning of a month, which may or may not be a coincidence.

I suggest you try again tonight, and on a different PC if possible just in case it's a glitch at your end.

If not you can go without an appointment. It's hard to predict the waiting time, it depends where you are in the queue to get a ticket to be seen and how busy that day is. If I were to make a wild stab in the dark based on what others have reported, I'd say around a couple of hours.

Haylo

Not too cynical at all. Yes, the VFS site does contain some omissions, but on many things it is perfectly clear, and it's a shame that many people have not even read the brief but helpful information which IS there.

As asmithee has often pointed out, it is mostly the people who just fill in the forms however they think, and then post them off without reading the instructions who most often have their applications returned unprocessed for corrections.

spudseven

The appointment system is working again.....thanks to Haylo for the reassurance.

Also I spoke to some one in Customer Services today and he said the visa surgerys should be starting again soon. He specifically mentioned Bolton.

Best Wishes, Michael.

Haylo

That is an unexpected and surprising development, especially previous posts gave the impression that Customer Services were in Mumbai and were only able to deal with answering fairly routine questions.

Whatever form the surgeries take, if they do happen, anything that reduces travelling time for people living away from the Visa Application Centres has to be a positive move forward.

spudseven

I used a little trick to get through to Customer Services without paying the premium rate - its not illegal or rocket science - just a bit crafty, as they simply don't answer the customer complaints phone which is a normal London number. I was phoning about the online appointment system not working. Why should I have to pay to let them know that.

So I spoke to someone in London he gave his name and implied it had some weight. Saying if I just turned up in Birmingham having not been able to make an appointment and gave his name, I should not have to wait but would be seen as having made an appointment.

So I'm assuming what he told me is correct about the visa surgerys.

As I said the appointment system is now working again.

Michael.

Haylo

That is good news for you, and thanks for posting to say this month's appointments have now been loaded onto the system.

Actually, for the benefit of others, if I'd thought to mention it, asmithee had already said earlier in this thread (what, you haven't read it all? ) that if someone who had already completed their application online but had difficulties booking an appointment had a friendly chat to the assistance desk at VFS, they would probably get a ticket for an "Online" appointment number rather than the usual "Handwritten" ticket.

OldMonk

Hi,

I've filled in the online application form and paid for it. I have two questions:

1. Where can I find the "online receipt" to print off as proof of payment?
2. Can I post my application but pick the visa up from London (rather than enclosing a SDE and having it returned to me)?

Cheers,
OM

Haylo

Can't help for sure with the first, but I thought it was one of the options that came up after making payment. Check on the same page as you go to when printing off your appointment letter &c. which you can access by logging in to the "create application" option with your web reference number.

As for the second, no unfortunately it is not possible to select an option to post an application then collect it in person from VFS. For your passport to be retrieved from those at the VFS office, you need a receipt, which of course you wouldn't have if you had posted your application.

Annoying as it is, I imagine that allowing collections without previously issuing receipts would cause massive administrative confusion, there is also of course the issue of proof of identity - how would VFS know whether or not you are the authorised person to collect a passport or set of passports which are in a sealed envelope?