Changing tourist visa to a student visa

samjay

I am planning to travel to India on a tourist visa in order to find a decent yoga / sanskrit / buddhism / or tantra program. I want to have the opportunity to visit the facility prior to making a commitment to it. Have folks had much experience in making this switch. 'Officially' from what I read on Indian Embassy websites, this is not possible, but what is the case 'unofficially'? If I find a place I like and can provide documentation attesting to the school, the program, a letter from the school authorities, what are my chances of switching the visa from a tourist to a student?

Thanks for your help!
Namaste

Darwish

My advice is: Find a decent education school and find out if they are officially registered. Attend for a while on a tourist visa. There won't be any checkup for this. and get the proper paperework for the registration of attendance. With these papers go to the embassy in your home country. get a 5 year visa for attending a course on long term.

But I'm not sure if what i say is right.

mairangi_vice

You cant do it. When you get your tourist visa it will say "change of purpose not allowed". I simply tried to extend a tourist visa and was told that it couldnt be done. However, as already mentioned, there wont be any checks on what you are doing on your tourist visa, theres nothing stopping you from repeatedly 'visiting' certain places is there? But you will only be able to do it for 6 months until your visa expires of course.

ba9rn

Good of you to answer, though you'll be waiting a long time for any thanks... The question posed is almost 3 years old!

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edwardseco

That is because threads never die on indiamike as opposed to thorntree. It baffles me at times but they periodically get reincarnated! Which is better is a judgement call. However, when the search engine here is working I appreciate the former despite endless threads on bathroom behavior. But, the search engine on thorntree has finally been fixed.
I would be interested in how you resolved your problem. I would have suggested putting it in the hands of the registrar of the intended school. But, I would love to know..

Nick-H

Well spotted, ba9rn!

I missed that entirely.

But someone else would have been along with the same question soon

They probably will anyway!

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mairangi_vice

bah! that will teach me to not read the whole thread properly! at least I wasnt the first to fall for it! and you never know, perhaps Samjay has been waiting since 2004 for a reply!

Elaine Tan

I was wondering if Darwish suggestion of attending classes at a decent education centre (like? language school?) on tourist visa, get the proper paperwork for the registration of attendance (I thought normally only invoices/receipts will be issued?), then go back to my home country with "paperwork" to apply for a student visa will work.

I thought that a letter of admission from the educational institution is required to apply for student visa? No?

Has anyone tried this before? And does it work?

It will be good if I don't have to wait for 3 years to hear some response.

Nick-H

Baffled.

You get accepted at a recognised institute as a student.

You take the paperwork to your home-country Indian Mission and apply for a student visa.

What problem?

Elaine Tan

so sorry.... think i got everyone confused. shall stick to this thread from now.

clarification: i am not a student and are not being accepted in any recognised institution. what i would like to do is to study a year or two at the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Pune. but they don't help students with their visa. so i will need to find my own way out. i was being advised to signed up for some courses in some education centre and get a student visa from there.

i guess that if this don't work, then maybe can consider marrying an indian national for 2 years. hahaha.... just kidding!

edwardseco

Ah, a Hyderabadi. But, that is usually of shorter duration..

Elaine Tan

True. But you can't achieve much if you just stay for a month or two. And I find the energy level is different if you practice here.