How many times can be tourist visa renewed back to back from neighbouring countries ?

SunnySun

Hi All,

I am an Indian citizen and in love with a Spanish girl..

I am working here and she has got a job in Spain...Now after 2 years of our relation we have decided to be together and plans to come down to India ...

We both think that we are in no hurry to get married and both need time for it. Also, the place for finally settling down is still not clear between us. Though she loves India but I dont want to close the option of we moving there in case she finds life a bit tough than there. So we are deciding that she take up Sabatical leave from her work for now..

Now the question which comes ...How many times can Visa can be renewed from neighbouring countries like Nepal or Sri Lanka or some other place without she going back to her home country..

Also is there any option where I can sponsor her for long term visa or start up a joint work like opening a language school for Spanish which can help her get any Visa for longer terms...

Her parents are not supporting her much with India coming ...So it always better that she doesnt have to go back there for Visa..

Hope to get some suggestions...some help ...

Nick-H

Best not to use the word "renewed" as it will annoy the visa officers! A tourist visa is of finite length and cannot be renewed or extended.

OK... you knew that! Just a case of getting the terminology right.

The answer? Nobody knows, I'm afraid. These things are entirely at the whim of the visa officers, but if they sense that a person is using repeated tourists visas to live in India, they are likely to refuse to grant any visa. The are clamping down on this. Even a third, maybe a second, visa maybe restricted to 3 months.

Marry her. Sorry, it is the only way. India does not recognise any other relationship for visa issue or any kind of sponsorship

Of course, there are employment visas, so it is conceivable that you could employ her. I don't know anything about this, except that I'm sure that it would have to be a bona-fide, real business that would stand police investigation. If so, I don't see why not!

With immigration issues world-wide, please bear in mind that, if it easy, someone will have tried it, and if someone has tried it, the authorities will know about it. There are no easy ways I'm afraid!

Haylo

It varies a lot, nobody can say for certain. Some places like Nepal often only issue three months, and sometimes refuse a second renewal. Take a look at the sticky threads at the top of this forum, to see what people's recent experiences are. People staying long term in India on back to back visas is an issue that the Indian authorities are clamping down on.

No

You could start a business together, but it is far from simple to understand the regulations, which seem to be to be incredibly complicated.

Few questions if you're thinking of starting a Spanish language school...

1. Do either of you have any experience in running a business?
2. Can she actually teach Spanish, rather than just speaking it?
3. Have you any idea whether there is a currently unfulfilled need for Spanish tuition?
4. Do you have sufficient capital needed to start this business, or a business plan good enough to gain financial backing from elsewhere?

__________________
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Nick-H

All good points, and reinforcing that such schemes have to be genuine.

SunnySun

Presently the situations are such that we cant marry also..She is separated..and couldnt get divorce...and doesnt look very optimistic of getting a one in abt 2 years...

What are the chances of our chances of survival in India for 2-3 years on a tourist visa..? I know its a weird question and may not have a definite answer...

But things like with tourist visa...which kind of visa be applied outside India (surely in Nepal or Sri Lanka or Malaysia or Thailand) which could lead to longer stay for her...

I know without a marriage things are very tough...But I guess I have no other option then trying...Trying to work with all what I have...

So in a very simple and straight question..."How to live with her in India under the conditions which I mentioned?"...

Also that mention of buisness is to ask which way should we try for it...Is it that ?..Is to try for a student visa for he ?...Or look out for a job (which I know is not a very easy in this market and more over she wont be liking the Indian working conditions that much)?...

So anything...that can help us in a Visa for her...?

Just exploring more...On a different thread...I saw an optimistic (for me) post by goagirlwannabee as "My friend lives in Goa and she has been there for 5 years - every 6 months she either goes to Sri Lanka, Bangkok or London. No problem at all"...Hope its easy...

Haylo

She'll probably get one renewal without trouble, so I'd say she can almost certainly be able to stay for a year, but the situation is changing so quickly it's impossible to say what will happen one or two years from now.

None that she could currently apply for.

Nick gave the answer, which is to marry her. As you cannot do, the reality is that it may not be possible for her to live in India.

Yes, she could come as a student, but she would have to pay the fees and attend an approved educational establishment. Can she afford that, and is there a course she is sufficiently interested in?

Not only is it a tough job market right now, but to get an employment visa Indian authorities would have to be convinced that the job she is doing could not be done by someone local.

Does she have any specialist skills that are uncommon in India? Another route may be her Spanish language skills, has she learned much Hindi yet? She could try and find a company which does a lot of business with Spain who could use her language skills.

You have to bear in mind that an employment visa is not permission for her to work, it is only valid for one job - so if she lost her job, she'd have to go back to Spain and apply for another job.

Yes, many people have been living in Goa for years, by taking advantage of the fact that Indian Embassies would issue back to back tourist visas.

However, the authorities clearly do not wish this to continue, and more and more people are reporting that the Indian embassies are sometimes issuing three month visas, or even refusing renewals, and no doubt you'll find many posts by people saying "Can I get a 6 month visa at this place?" "What about here?" This is an indication of the current uncertainty and people's fear of making an application which might be refused, which would lead to further problems getting a visa in the future.

I haven't yet seen a post asking "Has anyone got a six month visa on Mars?" but I guess it's only a matter of time!

Nick-H

This may be tough, and I certainly don't mean to be unpleasant, but, unfortunately, the facts are not that pleasant.

You can find out what kind of visas this country issues by looking at the Ministry of Home Affairs site, the Immigration bureau site, and the embassy/high-commission site for her home country. You can easily make your own judgement on which of them, if any, might be appropriate, and the answer will probably be, none, really.

You also have to take on board the substantial cost of leaving the country every six months. I'd love to be able to afford it, and my income is just a bit more than middle-middle-class.

You can go through this site, and find many people wanting to live in India, quite a number of whom are romantically attached to Indian partners too, but the answer is going to be same. It is not going to be different because it is you asking, and no, there is no loop hole that everybody has been keeping to themselves until you came along. Sorry.

Now... for positive ideas. If I was her, I'd develop a serious interest in Indian music. Check out the requirements for a student visa; she would have to study with a govt-approved institution, or with someone affiliated to one.

Some other art might do, but music, if she can make it a serious interest, and find a willing teacher, is a study that can go on for a long time! There's always someone who knows someone, but seriously, I do know someone who spends a lot of time in India studying music on a student visa. He is a very genuine student, though!

Anyway, I certainly wish you all the best. That this kind of crap comes between people is one of life's, err... crappier aspects. At the moment, such ridiculous restrictions and requirements seem to be conspiring to prevent me taking my Indian wife to my mother country, as a mere tourist, for a mere month.

SunnySun

Thank you Nick and Haylo for your suggestions...It was good to know the situations which could come up in future...

Just a quick question..(Sorry if the reply is already there on some other thread)..

Is it possible to get a study visa from Nepal, Sri Lanka etc..?

Ofcourse I mean to say after tourist visa expiration getting a student visa ?

nycank

Tell her to apply for a job in the Spanish Embassy in Delhi and then come to India. If you want her to come down - Do some heavy-lifting, write and talk to all Spanish companies in Delhi and see if they have jobs in New Delhi for their citizens.

melinderry

hello - you may be able to get a business visa if you can set up a professional enough business - that she is Spanish may help matters if its a language school.
Otherwise its now getting harder to get back to back tourist visas so she may have to in and out after the first one every 3 months... But cant Spanish nationals get one year tourist visas - check that out.

SunnySun

Thanks a lot Haylo, Nick-H, Nycank and Melinderry for your advices...I am still figuring out the best ways for us... Will let you know..

Just what presently going in our minds is to get a tourist visa and then figure out the other ways/options i.e. either getting student visa or business visa...

Checked already but one year tourist visa is not an option for Spanish people...

Guys, presently my mind may not be able to look up for all the possibilities..She is always interested in learning dance..Can getting a student visa for a longer term is possible on that?..

I know its not the best thread to ask but any of Indian Classical dance like BharatNatyam etc could be a way to open a door for us..? Any of the HRD regognised Bharatnatyam schools in Delhi/NCR ?

My apologies Nick and Haylo...but you may be seeing this question on another thread also...

adityabee

till they eventually refuse you... so keep trying, but never expect guaranteed results... eventually you will exhaust their patience and will have to consider marrying your girlfriend, employing her, setting up a business with her... or her returning temporarily to Spain and applying there.