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

I tend to be one of those people that don't like answering a question, unless I am 100% convinced I have the right answer. Consequently, I know the website very well. I know what is wrong with it, and what is right.

That said, if I am not 100% sure, I will admit as such.

We are still waiting for an upgrade of the website to go through...recomendations were submitted months ago...but the wheels of VFS move rather slowly in these matters.

I will also admit that the internal IT support structure within VFS also leaves a lot to be desired. Even in these difficult times when companies need to watch their pennies, going for the cheapest option is not always the answer.

But the main IT support for VFS is based in Mumbai. There are a couple of local IT people based here...but my opinion is that they are hamstrung by having to constantly liaise and communicate with support people in India, and also by the tendency for cost cutting and always going for the cheapest option.

2 branches of VFS have had IT problems so severe in the last month, that they have needed to move their operations lock, stock and barrel to the nearest branch to continue operations.

There are other scenarios where their penchant for cutting costs has come back to haunt them, which I will not go into for reasons of confidentiality.

Although I left much of my interest behind when my professional techie life came to an end a few years back, I still have the habit of reading techie news regularly. I've heard recently of even backups being axed in the name of economy, and of one case where a manager was not allowed to spend $1,000 on software licensing for $40,000-$50,000 of backup equipment already brought. I don't think I have ever known a project that was tested for as long as I thought was necessary!

A lot of Indian developers have swallowed the Microsoft hook too, and design sites with the IE blinkers firmly on. Haven't taken a look at yours for a while, but I don't remember any problem in my FireFox browser.

The MHA did a new site a short time back. They made their foreigner's section unfindable. I sent them some feedback, not expecting any response from a government giant department --- and got a nice email in return. The foreigner's-section pages can now be found too

The whole ethos and reason for being of outsourcing is cost cutting. If the client's priority is saving money, then what can you do? Bound hand and foot --- it must be frustrating.

I guess we stray from the topic; from the important business of those people and their visas!

Mod Note: As suggested by Mike Cork and Nick, all posts that strayed from the topic as delineated in the Title above, have been deleted.
It is good to stay strictly focussed on the topic in these kinds of threads as it is annoying for other members seeking pertinent information.

Hiya all

Can anyone give me some advice, i applied for a visa on 10th Feb and it was sent back as my partners signature did not match her passport (signed when she was 16) so we sent them back and they got returned again this time for my signature(which was the same one that passed the grade the first time). Plus they said that i needed a letter from my employer as i am a police officer (would have been nice if this was on the website). As such I have sent it back again and the royal mail said it was delivered on 12th March. The online tracker says it was received on 20th march and the same day it said it was being processed and since then there has been no change.

I am due to be flying on the 29th (although not paid for the flights) does anyone think they will arrive this week? Does anyone know if you can chase it up as the emails and phone calls to the premium number are useless as they can only tell me what i can see myself on the online tracker!!

Yes, not having information like that on the website does causes a lot of problems, it's not rocket science to add information which has already been identified as missing.

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 wasn't opened until the 20th, which was a Friday, so it would have been sent to the HCI on Friday afternoon. Processing times are 2-3 working days so it will probably get back to VFS on Tuesday or Wednesday, so if all goes well you should have your passport back in time to fly.

It will be tight though, for the benefit of anyone else in this situation, I'd advise taking the application in in person. That way anything like signatures can be dealt with on the spot, and there is no delay in the application going to the HCI for processing.

That is cutting it really fine but I'd say you have an excellent chance of getting it back in time. I would not be at all surprised if you checked later today and found the staus had been updated to say it's been returned to VFS.

The HCI aren't under any obligation whatsoever to comment on the progress of submitted applications, and they tend to be pretty unhelpful doing so, even if it's VFS who are asking.

Basically, they're not interested, it takes as long as the officer processing it thinks they need to make their decision, and even if you somehow get through to them they're just as likely to tell you any old thing just to make you go away, especially in a case like yours where the application is still well within the stated processing times. Sorry, but that's the way it is, not just with Indian visas.

EDITED TO ADD:

DO make sure there is someone at home to sign for the SDE!

Hiya

Thanks for your reply, and what can I say you were right! I checked again this afternoon and it now says that the processed application has been passed to the royal mail today so Happy days

And I will be camped out by the door waiting for the postie!!!!

Of course I was right, I used my special secret powers to make that happen. (Okay, that was a total lie, did you see through my cunning web of deceit?)

Happy to hear your news, try not to snatch the packet from the postie when it arrives!

Any more news on this?

We were waiting to see if Haylo's special powers work....

Only joking HAYLO

Indeed...all is now revealed on the following link -

http://www.hcilondon.in/schedule.php


They now call them 'Consular Visits', it seems.

Thanks for this information (and in the past) on behalf of all of us on IM.

I am sure this will be helpful to the majority. (Not myself.. I am well outside the scope of the areas/regions covered I.E. Wales)

Thank you all the same before there are complaints to the systems or logic...

A good friend of a friend went to get his visa renewed at Goswell Road in London. He only went for a 6 month tourist as he is visiting his son, who is teaching at the Duff Dunn private school in Manali.The woman at the counter asked him to produce along with the usual documents 2 bank statements. One current and one 12 months old to prove he was solvent. My friend thought she was on solvents at the time. He came back the next day and one of the statements was only 11 months and she refused to accept it. The friend is a chef with his own business in London and has never ever been on benefits of any sort! He has short hair, doesn't look like a hippy. He looks like a chef in fact. Very strange....has any one else experienced this at Goswell Road or any where else in the UK ?

Your friend appears to have completely misunderstood what he was told.

Assuming he has a non UK passport, all that is required is one single bank statement or utility bill from one year ago as proof of residency in the UK for more than a year.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with solvency, and you only need 1 from a year ago, not a recent one.

I can tell you for a fact that there is NO member of staff in Goswell road giving out such information.

And if he was told to produce a bank statement from a year ago, why on earth did he bring one from 11 months ago?

As it says on the website, for non UK passports, you require proof of stay in the UK for more than one year.

You sure it wasnt your friend that is on solvents...

Hello

Great forum - wish i had found you earlier.

Just had my visa application retured - i had put Photographer on it as my job and they have asked for a letter from my company.

I am a freelance wedding photographer so not sure what to do?

Unfortunately, having said you are a photographer, unless you can somehow prove that you have zero connections to journalism / the media, you now have to jump through the hoops as if you were a member of the media, and even though you may never work in this field you have to get a JT (Journalist Tourist) visa.

Note, a full Journalist visa costs £25 more than a Tourist visa, and it's only single entry and valid for three months as opposed to the standard multiple entry six month tourist visa. Unfortunately the information relating to application fees or length of visa issued for Tourist Journalist visas is not yet on the VFS website, but don't assume you'll get six months multiple entry until you know for sure.

As you are freelance, you need to write a signed letter, preferably on your "Wedding Photographer" headed paper, undertaking that you will not be partaking in any journalist or media related activities during your visit. It would be a very good idea for you to submit your application by hand, that way if there are further anomalies you won't be racking up the delays.

Oh, and next time you apply for a visa? Put your occupation as wedding arranger or artist, or even unemployed!

Asmithee - Help! Can you give information about application fee, multiple / single entry and length of visa issued for Journalist Tourist visas?