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

pandaeyes300

Yippee...I have my visa

Took application form in person to Hayes 8.30 am on 24 Oct. Left the office 9.10.

Same day showed online that it had been forwarded to HC1. Then noon on 3rd working day (coz of weekend and Diwali) it said Processed and awaiting collection at Hayes!

I must say that Haylo and Asmithee made this process less painful altho I'm sure I have a few extra grey hairs. Thank you for your help, greatly appreciated

billybob

I submitted my application on the 21st of October and flyout on the 5th of Nov for a wedding. STILL NO VISA.

Some other guys who are flying out with me got their visa's in 3-4 days. Why, you may think, that 10 days later i'm still waiting.....

well its because my parent are from pakistan, and even though I was born here been a British citizen all my life and never been to pakistan i'm treated like a threat....i'm just going there for a wedding for god's sake.

What can I do in these last few days...to try and secure that little bit of paper that's causing so much trouble...any ideas??

Nick-H

Sorry, Billy --- I'd advise a person of Pakistani origin to allow weeks, maybe months, not days. maybe it doesn't always take that long, but I've heard of one case where the visa was given at the last minute after the guy got his MP to talk to a contact at HCI.

VFS do not have anything to do with this, but part of the frustration must surely be the complete absence of anyone to talk to. If I understand the current situation correctly, HCI simply refuse to deal with the public, referring them to VFS, and VFS are not in a position to talk about anything outside of the simple matter of processing.

As HCI London seem now to have closed their doors and ears to their travelling public, I don't see how this situation can improve ever.

asmithee

If your existing visa is near expiry date when you apply for a new one, they tend to cancel it and issue a new on from the date they receive your application.

They don't stamp the visa for the day after your old one runs out...visas are always valid from date of issue.

asmithee

Going to be quite candid about this - you are not going to be able to do anything to make it move any faster. You are classed as a 'referral' case because of your parents Pakistani origin, and you are looking at a minimum of 10 working days, and possibly 20 working days or more.

Nick H is right - VFS can do nothing to change the policy of the HCI, they cannot appeal to them, pressure them or request that they 'fast track applications that fall under the referral guidelines.

And yet I know that the HCI will probably tell you to speak to VFS. That's only because they have handed over the whole process of customer interaction to VFS, which means they don't have to talk to you. But - VFS cannot help you in this case.

You are going to have to face the fact that you simply may not have your visa in time for travel.

Talking to your MP, getting your embassy to intervene etc...that's up to you.

And I will say it again, because time and time again people spend a lot of money on flights and hotels on the basis that they will have a visa for when they are due to travel...

GET YOUR VISA BEFORE YOU FINALISE YOUR TRAVEL PLANS.

I know it may be inconvenient, may cost more because flights are more expensive at certain times, or you may be attending weddings, functions etc. But if you don't get the visa in time you have lost a lot of money and are going to have to cancel your whole trip.

I saw a lady in one of the centres recently that had booked her trip the following day because she was getting married. And because it is 2 - 3 working days there was no way she was going to have that visa by the next day. She was in floods of tears...it's not a pleasant thing to have to deal with from both sides of the counter.

Gotta tell you, the more I see of these types of situations the more it hits home that you need to realise that things have changed and you have to be realistic and deal with it - you are not going to change the mindset of the HCI overnight, you cannot rely on simply saying 'But I have already booked my flights' - it falls on deaf ears.

Get that little green page in your sweaty little hands first, THEN make your arrangements.

roofr

Just to say that my visa (6 months multiple entry) arrived in the post today. I know I live in France but I received some good help and information here and just thought I would let you know. It took four weeks in total.
Good luck every one, and thanks again for the advice asmithee. At last I really feel that I will be able to visit India next month.

asmithee

Glad you got it all sorted roofr...heartening to know that my comments are of some use.

Shame it took 4 weeks tho...did you apply through the UK office or the one in France?

Nick-H

To say that your comments are invaluable would be an absurd understatement

Of course, in my dreams, we'd get India's High Commissioner to London signing up as a member: might not be so polite to him!

roofr

I applied to the one in France (Paris). Did everything by post after filling in the form on line. There are not nearly as many questions in the form from the Paris Embassy. I am so glad that I left plenty of time to get the visa before travelling. I am afraid I did not follow your advice about booking flights and trip with Intrepid before getting the visa. I got the last place on the trip and dates I wanted (booked on 1 October). If I had waited for my visa I would not have been able to reserve the only dates my boss agreed to for my holiday. I got his agreement on 30 September!!

Andy Bent

To people in the North of England - I found these guys to be excellent:

http://www.astrotravel.co.uk/

They made the whole process really simple, and the fee they charge is a lot less than the rail fare to Brum or London!

asmithee

Yes, travel agents are another alternative to posting or travelling to one of the centres.

They will charge you for the service (not really sure what the rates are, I guess it probably varies). But it takes the leg work out of it for you I guess.

Just bear in mind they are still subject to the same conditions as everyone else, same waiting times, same processing etc.

I have heard one or two companies claim to be able to 'fast track' visas, and I don't know where they get that from because there is no way they can do it.

I have also seen incidences where a person has given them a passport and it has taken them a week or more to actually bring it to one of the centres for processing and therefore leaving very little time to get the visa in time for the trip. Rare, but it has happened.

I would say go for one of the larger, more established agents rather than one you may not have heard of.

zoethefairy

QUOTE'- please make sure you either pay for a Special Delivery Envelope for VFS to provide (you should include an extra 7.40 in your payment), or provide one of your own.'END QUOTE

As i mentioned in a previous post i did not do this (by error), will it be ok then to send them (in a normal envelope) a pre-paid self addressed SDE (they only cost less than a fiver) with all my info explaining i forgot to put it in?

asmithee

No - please do not send your passports by normal post. You should only ever send SDE envelopes, that way you can track them via the post office system should anything go wrong. If you send by normal post and they don't arrive, you have lost them.

Now the problem here is if you have sent your application without an SDE, it's likely it will be rejected by VFS and sent back to you. But - when this will happen is not clear, it depends how much post they have to work through.

That being said, because of the large number of people sending applications with no return envelopes or payment for the same, it has now been decided that these applications will be processed and held at the relevant centre rather than be returned.

That way, the visa will be issued and the passport will be kept at the centre for collection.

The reason for this is that a lot of people tend to come into the centres who have not provided SDE envelopes and want their passport back because they need to travel. Better that the visa is issued and the passport is filed in the appropriate place where it can be retrieved easily, rather than having it sitting in a large pile of rejected applications, or stuck somewhere in the postal system.

Problem is - in your particular case I canot say if yours was sent back prior to the decision being made to not reject such applications or not.

What does the online tracking say?

zoethefairy

The online tracking says 'Processed application is ready for collection at Application Center London-Victoria.'
Could i send them a pre paid SDE with a cover letter?

asmithee

I don't see why not. Give them your passport numbers(s), names, reference number and made sure you provide a secure SDE envelope for posting back.

Send it to -

India Visa Application Center
60-62 Wilton Road,
Victoria, London, SW1V 1DE.

with a covering letter.