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

OldMonk

Thanks for replying so speedily Haylo.

I thought as much about not being able to pick it up – good point about identity fraud. One of the reasons I’ve decided to post the application is that the system won’t allow me to book an appointment – it comes up with a message that says something along the lines of “no record found”, which is strange because I can still access/print my application. It might have something to do with the fact that I cancelled an appointment (just once) but from what I’ve read on here, I should still be able to make an appointment.

As for the receipt – the only options it comes up with under “print documents” is my application form and the check list. Can someone describe what the receipts looks like (is it downloadable?).

I emailed VFS a few days ago re. these points but they haven’t replied, and I’m loathed to phone the helpline, so any advice would be appreciated!

OM

Ouzodave

Phew! After sometime filling in the on-line form. I got there in the end. I thought it was going to be easier on-line but is anything ever easy with Visas

I live in Stoke-on-Trent and it took me some time to figure out that i can't use Hyphens on the application form so i just put Stoke. Where it says... Place of Birth(Town & Country)....i just put England. Is that ok? The rest of the form is ok although where the Declaration is you can see my full name clearly but my printer was running low on Ink and it's a bit faint. Anyprobs with that? I just want to get it right as i had to go to Liverpool Friday to get a new Biometric passport (£114)as my last passport was stolen in Amsterdam.

Anyways, i have paid on-line. So if i am right i just need to send my Passport and stuff off the checklist to the VFS service in Birmingham, using SDE and with a SDE for return of passport.(which i used to do when sending to Brum Consulate when getting Visas before anyway)

spudseven

Hi Old Monk, my experience is that once you've had the opportunity to print the receipt directly after paying you can't reprint or even find the receipt but its the same reference number as the application so they should have a note. Further if you try to click make payment again - it won't allow it so it must know you've paid....

Michael

johnny five

I think your own doubts should be ringing alarm bells.........
1)putting Stoke on Trent without hyphens would be safer than just Stoke.
2) England is not a "town & country"
3) feint printing is never a good idea on an official forms

Of course, you may be fine, but its always best to narrow the odds, especially when dealing with HCI

Ouzodave

Good point

asmithee

It's not actually a requirement to bring proof of payment when attending any of the VFS centres or sending by post. If you have paid online, the VFS guys can see that when they bring up your details.

If for any reason no online payment shows on their system, there is a way they can check with their own bank via an online link and confirm the payment that way.

To be honest these days instances of payment not showing on the VFS system are very rare anyway.

My advice is to always try and have the web reference number available (the one beginning W00...). That being said, VFS can usually locate that if you don't have it via your passport number.

asmithee

Come on...own up - who didn't read the instructions about how to fill in the form beforehand?

Because it clearly tells you not to use characters of any sort.

If you go straight to the form before reading the rest of the site, you are going to have problems - simple as.

Now go and write out a hundred lines...'I will always listen to Alan...'

steven_ber

asmithee (Alan?)

I spoke to an English person (not a PIO) who didn't know who their father was, so they just put 'NA' on their visa application form, the application was sent back.

I advised the person to make up details of their father, unoficially, was this the correct advice?

What else could the person have done?

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Nick-H

Developers: we've made up our minds, don't bother us with reality! Like... lots of UK place names have punctuation marks in them.

Sheesh...


(it's like when entering credit card numbers one mustn't put in the spaces as shown on the card. Makes me mad on every site I encounter it!)

asmithee

That's a hard one to answer...because it falls into the HCI decision domain. One of those scenarios where you will not know what decision the HCI will make until it lands on their desk. And then it comes back to you with a yay or nay.

It's one of those grey areas that VFS cannot really advise on.

I have had many scenarios where people do not know their one or other of their parents.

Officially...I would have to advise people to be honest and put the truth on the form.

Unofficially...if you want to put something else - well, you run a risk. But I suspect lots of people are not entirely truthful on their application forms, and if the HCI do not hold records and information on their status then their visas may indeed be granted.

steven_ber

Thanks for the reply Alan.

My thinking was that 'NA' will draw attention, so it was either 'Father not known' (and i can imagine saying that to someone in India, I would get such confused looks), or make up a name.

I'd guess that if a person's name was Paul Smith, and they put their fathers name as Peter Smith, this would likely be accepted.

Part of me thinks they only want to find out if a British PIO has a parent from Pakistan.

spudseven

Just a couple of notes from my experiences today at he office in Birmingham.
There was a couple traveling on Sunday today is Wednesday. The clerk called the supervisor to see if he could guarantee getting their visa back on Friday.
His answer was that 80% of visa's are processed and ready for collection in two working days but they are only under contract to have them completed in 3 working days, and couldn't guarantee that it would be ready for Friday.
Further they do not use an discretion i.e hurry it up for travel tickets that are already booked but would for a medical emergency for example.

Also they are very strict at the moment on signatures, I signed my form after standing out in the cold for an hour, hand was still a bit stiff and shaky and the lady said she couldn't accept it and made me sign again. It was only slightly different but the second time she said it was OK.
So if sending a postal application be very careful and check the signature against the one on the passport - it must be virtually identical.

Further no one else had made an online appointment when I was there - it makes sense you go straight to the front of the queue. I was finished by 8.40am - saying that waiting time for those who arrived at 8.30 was only about 30 minutes, if you arrive at about 8am you'll be finished by 9.00am even if you haven't applied online. People had been queuing since 7.30am maybe about 15 people by opening time maybe it wasn't a particularly busy day.

Michael

asmithee

I would say that the success rate of passports coming back after 2 days (as long as we are talking basic tourist visas on British passports) is more like 90% to be honest.

But having imminent flights booked means absolutely NOTHING to the HCI, believe me. They will not hurry it, they will not prioritise it, they will not do anything.

And VFS have no influence over them on this matter - it is by no means a simple matter of phoning them and saying please. VFS have a contract with them, and the HCI will not change that contract.

As for the emergency process, that only comes into play if there is someone in India who may be dying or recently deceased. I won't even explain how the process works, largely because VFS don't actually deal with it anyway, and also because it has been known to be abused in the past.

Mike Cork

The receipt is downloadable and looks like this. I have removed my personal details....

Online Payment ICR Reciept
VF Service (UK) Limited
Visa Fee & Service Charges Acknowledgement and Reciept
04/03/2009
MR. Your Name
Web reference number
Passport number
TOURIST VISA
Visa Fees: GBP 50.00
We acknowledge the receipt of
GBP 50.00 towards Visa fees,
collected on behalf of
'High Commission of India, London'
Service Charges: GBP 6.90
Collected by VF services UK Ltd.
Administrative Charges: GBP 0.80
VAT (On Optional Services,
Administrative Services
And Service Charges): GBP 1.16
Total Payment collected: GBP 58.86
through HSBC Payment Gateway over the Internet
(including applicable taxes)
All payments are non-refundable
VAT Registration Number: 911 7117 53
For more information and our Disclaimer,
please visit http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk

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Haylo

There must have been a misunderstanding here. VFS do not have a contract with the High Commission of India (HCI) to complete visa applications in three working days for the simple reason that VFS do not issue the visas.

Applications are passed to the HCI who can basically take as long as they like to process the application. They may have their own internal processing targets, but the three working days is merely the time that the vast majority of applications are turned round in, there is absolutely no guarantee or contract that says applications will be dealt with in that time.

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