Giving birth in India (FRO/visa question)

dzibead

Until this year, Americans could travel to and from certain countries (like Canada and Mexico) without requiring a passport to re-enter the U.S., but starting this year that will no longer be the case and a passport will be required for re-entry. So now there's a big bunch of applications for new passports.
http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/...uiremen t.pdf

Nick-H

Thanks...

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urnavya

Hi
I am facing the exact situation like your.
My husband in American citizen holding PIO card. He came to India few years back , we got married (I am Indian citizen) and have two kids (born in India) We got US passport for them. Now we want to travel to US and facing same problem as yours. FRRO is not guiding us properly. Delhi airport has clearly mentioned they need visa & exit permit for kids in this situation at point of departure else they won't allow them to travel.
Somebody said we have to approach to Delhi home ministry to get quick visa. I am not still sure what we r supposed to do.
If you have found out please let me know

urnavya

What about OCI for the kid? will that solve visa problem of PaniPuri? How long will it take to get it ?

Nick-H

That's a good idea.

PIO is not as good a deal, but might be quicker to process.

gopalnanda

I am going through a similar situation and am partially through with the formalities. I am a Malaysian, in India for the last 2 years. My wife is an Indian and she gave birth to a baby boy in January 2007 at Bangalore. On enquiry I was told the following
The child has to be registered with the Consulate and after getting a foreign passport a visa must be obtained. After the visa is obtained, A PIO can be opted. If I wanted to obtain a PIO straight away it is not possible. These are the resulats from my query at Mumbai. As per Malaysian goverment regulations a child has to be registered within 1 year of his/her birth. Soon after the birth, I got the birth certificate from the local municipal office (In our case, Bangalore municipal office). I took this birth certificate to the Malaysian consulate and got a Malaysian Birth certificate issued which took 2 days. After that, I applied for a Malaysian Passport and got the same in 2 days. Now I have to apply and get a visa for him from the FRO. Will let you know if I succeed.

Logically speaking, a child will be needing a passport for international travel. For a passport to be issued the child's nationality must be proved in the form of a birth certificate or any other certificate. So the sequence of events should ideally be local birth certificate - birth certificate of the country of nationality - passport - visa and registration at the FRRO - exit permit.

Good luck.

Regards,
Gopal

Nick-H

...So, a person outside India, with no current visa, can apply for a PIO card.

But a [foreign] child born in India, must get a separate visa first, then apply for PIO card.



Sounds about illogical enough, I suppose!

PaniPuri

I understand the need for a passport for the child. I will be traveling to the US Consulate as soon as possible after the birth to apply for an American passport.

I HAVE to leave India within three months of the birth-- my child is due on December 24th 2007, my visa expires on March 22, 2008.

It doesn't seem logical that he will need a visa to LEAVE India, but simply an exit stamp. I really don't know. If he needs a visa, the chances are the FRO in Hyderabad will send me to Delhi, and it's a huge headache.

Perhaps I am better off extending my visa now (I went to Delhi to extend my visa, they sent a letter telling the FRO in Hyderabad to give a 5 year X-entry visa, they gave only one but said next time they'll get a 5 year without having to go to Delhi again.. who knows) so I don't have to rush around with a newborn trying to get everything in order.

Next time I'm in the area of the Police Commissioners office I'll stop in an ask them. Surely it can't be so complicated??

I just want to: Obtain America passport for the child (easy) and leave India (seemingly simple but apparently not..)

Shaktipalooza

Silly question here. How difficult is it to obtain an Indian passport for the child? Then you could turn around and aquire a US passport. We had considered this option for my son since he was born while Mrs Shaktipalooza was still an Indian citizen.

There would have been some minor advantages. He would have been eligible for an OCI instead of a PIO.

Our major concerns were traveling back from India with my wife and I on US passports, while our son had an Indian passport. I don't really know what US immigration does in these situations.

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birds

I don't know the answer but the Birthing Centre in Goa may be able to help.

It is run by a German couple for several years and they get lots of India-foreign couples.They have an excellent reputation and are said to be very helpful.

http://www.birthing-center.com

Nick-H

If the child becomes an Indian citizen, doesn't that mean a whole application process for it's US visa, a process which is unlikely to be quick or simple.

Shakti, I'm pretty sure that your child, or any the children being discussed in this thread, is elligable for OCI --- because they have one parent who is or was a citizen of India The ones who still have to go for PIO are people like you and me, the foreign spouses, who are not eligable for OCI.

PaniPuri

The Indian passport and other details are things I will have to consider later. I simply won't have the time to wait for the Indian passport, I will have less than three months from the BIRTH to the day I have to leave.

If I was staying in India for a longer time, I would apply for a PIO card for the child and myself here in India, I won't be eligible for it until my 2year anniv. so May.

When my husband renewed his passport after we were married, to have my name put under "spouse" and also to change the address, it took approx. 3 months to receive it.

Why does everything have to be so difficult in India? I just want to leave with my child in March!

capt_mahajan

Err, all countries have rules, and sometimes the red tape is irritating.

Though the Indian setup if often much more annoying, one example... my wife was not allowed admission into Canada last year with our grown up daughter, after both of them had valid visas, because of one fact the Canadian Embassy had neglected to mentioned to us... that a no objection letter from me was required in order for them to travel into that country.

It took a couple of days of my running around in Brazil (where I happened to be), notarising letters and faxing and courier-ing stuff, to sort things out, and only then could they enter Canada.

Nick-H

PIO is available after one year of marriage. 3 months is more than enough: I got mine done in a week!

An Indian passport can be obtained within one week under tatkal scheme (but see my post above, I don't think this is appropriate for your child)

Change of name, change of address, adding of spouse --- we have had this done within two days with the help of an agent at a local travels company.

Mt wife lost her passport: it was replaced under Tatkal in one week, through the agent. He then did spouse and address in two days.

The Indian passport office (at least here in Chennai) really has improved a lot recently.

I don't think you have any big problem here: you take your child's US passport to the FRRO. They will either just endorse it for exit, or tell you to 'buy' a visa. Either way, should not be a problem for you.

Thinking through the options is probably the hardest part. I'm sure your journey home, given, at the very least, good proof that the child is your child, will be trouble free.

Shaktipalooza

This is an area of interest for us since we'll be trying for our second child in India next year. Have you had any first hand experience with them? I'll probably send them an email for more info.

The site doesn't really indicate much in the way of medical facilities. It looks like a nice home but nothing in the way of medical equipment should an intervention become necessary. Also, the most qualified person they have on staff is a midwife. We require more backup than that. Maybe check into using the midwife as a doula.