changing from a tourist visa to employment visa once in india...?

hanka545 · Jun 17th, 2008, 22:49

moving to india in october. What is the deal with renting a place out there with visa's? Will I be able to on a tourist visa?

I am going to start work out there, yet a lot of the production companies i have applied for, want to sort it out and have interviews once actually out there. so how easy is it to go from a tourist visa to an employment visa once got a job out there?

Thanks for help!

Nick-H · Jun 17th, 2008, 23:17

Officially: impossible. In practice: probably almost impossible. You may swing it if your employer can pull big strings with big people, and is prepared to for you.

Otherwise, I'm afraid that flight back home for the visa has to be budgeted for!

Whether they are supposed to be or not, I doubt that your prospective landlords will be very interested in your visa. That shouldn't be a problem. I rented for a year on a tourist visa --- but then my landlady lived in London and I made the arrangement there.

hanka545 · Jun 17th, 2008, 23:21

hey thanks for the advice!

my back up plan was to go down the unofficial route... although i do get free flights so coming back to uk isn't SUCH a problem, but is it 100% necessary?

Nick-H · Jun 18th, 2008, 00:04

You can always ask at the FRRO, but I doubt you'll get past the front desk. ISTR the last person I heard from about this just pointed to the words 'Tourist visas cannot be converted...' and showed the guy the door.

Free flight, eh! Wow. Envy, Envy! I'm not asking how, because if its because you're involved in the travel trade then we'd have to ban you!

siri_uk · Jun 19th, 2008, 16:34

1 thing I can add to this is don't try to get the visa changed in India. I have had the misfortune of trying to sort out a visa conversion and as Nick says it's practically impossible. The money that u will spend trying to sort it here will not be a small amount and in the end a return trip to the UK for me ( and for u it's free

!!!)will probably work out cheaper than the expenditure in India. Good luck in getting your visa

hanka545 · Jun 19th, 2008, 20:25

hey everyone thanks for the advice.

tried to get in contact with indian embassy in london on the phone but no answer all day...

free flights nothing to do with tourist industry! my dads a pilot. very lucky indeed.

Nick-H · Jun 20th, 2008, 01:16

Phew! I can take my moderator's finger off the 'ban' button

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siri-uk

I have had the misfortune of trying to sort out a visa conversion and as Nick says it's practically impossible.

...and Siri is in one of those situations where, technically, one can get the visa converted!

kuri · Jun 20th, 2008, 20:26

While we're on this topic..
I may be in a similar situation (but without the free flight option) so I'm wondering is it necessary to return to one's home country to get an employment visa, or could I get a cheaper ticket to a country closer to India and get it processed there?

It just seems strange as people can get student visas and tourist visas in any country, but I get the impression the employment visa has to be from one's home country. Has anyone had an employment visa processed outside their home country?

cool blue · Jun 21st, 2008, 18:40

Hi Kuri - I also tried this option but absolutely no flexibility and I had to return from India to the UK even though i had not been resident there for 6 years. An employment visa will not be issued by an indian embasy in a country other than your home country unless you are there as a resident (for example, if you are living/working in another country you can apply there before you come to india.

Good luck

kuri · Jun 21st, 2008, 22:33

Thanks for your reply, Cool Blue! Too bad it wasn't the answer I hoped..
Does this rule also apply when changing jobs? For example if I am working with one company but then I find a new job before my employment visa finishes. From what I understand, the employment visa is linked to the job. So do I have to go back to my home country again to get a new employment visa? Or could I do this in India? Or in another country?

cool blue · Jun 22nd, 2008, 20:15

Hi Kuri - sorry I couldn't give the answer you were looking for - and I am afraid I dont know the answer to your question about changing jobs. I have a feeling that it is more likely to be able to change jobs than it would from tourist visa to employment. However, I know how much paperwork and how long it took me to get a simple extension on my employment visa (it took four months to get a three month extension!!) so I suspect it could actually be a lot simpler to do it in your home country. For the employment visa your employer has to be able to prove that it was not possible to employ an Indian national so it is not a straightforward process.

Good luck!

Jun 17th, 2008, 22:49	#1
hanka545 Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brighton, England Posts: 23	changing from a tourist visa to employment visa once in india...? moving to india in october. What is the deal with renting a place out there with visa's? Will I be able to on a tourist visa? I am going to start work out there, yet a lot of the production companies i have applied for, want to sort it out and have interviews once actually out there. so how easy is it to go from a tourist visa to an employment visa once got a job out there? Thanks for help!

Jun 21st, 2008, 18:40	#9
cool blue Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: India Posts: 159	Hi Kuri - I also tried this option but absolutely no flexibility and I had to return from India to the UK even though i had not been resident there for 6 years. An employment visa will not be issued by an indian embasy in a country other than your home country unless you are there as a resident (for example, if you are living/working in another country you can apply there before you come to india. Good luck __________________ Feisty Blue Gecko http://feistybluegecko.blogspot.com/

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Jun 17th, 2008, 23:17	#2
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,209	Officially: impossible. In practice: probably almost impossible. You may swing it if your employer can pull big strings with big people, and is prepared to for you. Otherwise, I'm afraid that flight back home for the visa has to be budgeted for! Whether they are supposed to be or not, I doubt that your prospective landlords will be very interested in your visa. That shouldn't be a problem. I rented for a year on a tourist visa --- but then my landlady lived in London and I made the arrangement there.

Jun 17th, 2008, 23:21	#3
hanka545 Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brighton, England Posts: 23	hey thanks for the advice! my back up plan was to go down the unofficial route... although i do get free flights so coming back to uk isn't SUCH a problem, but is it 100% necessary?

Jun 18th, 2008, 00:04	#4
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,209	You can always ask at the FRRO, but I doubt you'll get past the front desk. ISTR the last person I heard from about this just pointed to the words 'Tourist visas cannot be converted...' and showed the guy the door. Free flight, eh! Wow. Envy, Envy! I'm not asking how, because if its because you're involved in the travel trade then we'd have to ban you!

Jun 19th, 2008, 16:34	#5
siri_uk Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: UK/Bangalore Posts: 54	1 thing I can add to this is don't try to get the visa changed in India. I have had the misfortune of trying to sort out a visa conversion and as Nick says it's practically impossible. The money that u will spend trying to sort it here will not be a small amount and in the end a return trip to the UK for me ( and for u it's free !!!)will probably work out cheaper than the expenditure in India. Good luck in getting your visa

Jun 19th, 2008, 20:25	#6
hanka545 Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brighton, England Posts: 23	hey everyone thanks for the advice. tried to get in contact with indian embassy in london on the phone but no answer all day... free flights nothing to do with tourist industry! my dads a pilot. very lucky indeed.

Jun 20th, 2008, 20:26	#8
kuri Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Delhi Posts: 60	While we're on this topic.. I may be in a similar situation (but without the free flight option) so I'm wondering is it necessary to return to one's home country to get an employment visa, or could I get a cheaper ticket to a country closer to India and get it processed there? It just seems strange as people can get student visas and tourist visas in any country, but I get the impression the employment visa has to be from one's home country. Has anyone had an employment visa processed outside their home country?

Jun 21st, 2008, 22:33	#10
kuri Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Delhi Posts: 60	Thanks for your reply, Cool Blue! Too bad it wasn't the answer I hoped.. Does this rule also apply when changing jobs? For example if I am working with one company but then I find a new job before my employment visa finishes. From what I understand, the employment visa is linked to the job. So do I have to go back to my home country again to get a new employment visa? Or could I do this in India? Or in another country?

Jun 22nd, 2008, 20:15	#11
cool blue Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: India Posts: 159	Hi Kuri - sorry I couldn't give the answer you were looking for - and I am afraid I dont know the answer to your question about changing jobs. I have a feeling that it is more likely to be able to change jobs than it would from tourist visa to employment. However, I know how much paperwork and how long it took me to get a simple extension on my employment visa (it took four months to get a three month extension!!) so I suspect it could actually be a lot simpler to do it in your home country. For the employment visa your employer has to be able to prove that it was not possible to employ an Indian national so it is not a straightforward process. Good luck!