I want to stay in India for longer...how do I?

Jody McRobert

I am a British national currently on a six-month tourist visa in India. I would like to stay longer. How do I go about extending my visa (if this is possible)? And can an NGO issue me a work permit?
Can someone please advise me.
Jody

steven_ber

Hello Jody and welcome to indiamike.com

I'll save other members from asking questions when you go offline, why would they issue you with a work permit?

You need to add a lot more details to get a useful reply.

I believe a 2 week extension (to the tourist visa) is an option, but I think you need a good reason (too ill to travel for example), but a work permit is highly unlikely, and I may be wrong, but I think you have to return to your home country to apply for a work permit.

__________________
.
How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions.



Train information.

Jody McRobert

I plan on working for the NGO (the BSPCA), and I just needed to know if NGOs had the authority to issue work permits, or ask the government to do so.
Also, if I did leave the country and go back to the UK, can I immediately apply for another tourist visa?

Nick-H

There is no such thing as an extension to a tourist visa.

If you are unable to leave the country because of somehting of the order of serious illness, you can get permission to stay until you can leave, with permission to leave the country.

As with many countries in the world, an employment visa is issued only for vacancies that cannot be filled by a local employee. Remember India's 1.6 billion population. You will have to get a job offer, and apply for the visa to take up that job in your own country.

It may be tough, but staying on just because you want is not an option!

Sorry not to be able to offer anything positive on this.

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Nick-H

<crossposted>

No organisation, private, public, or NGO, has any authority to issue 'work permits'. They can offer you a job, if they wish, and you must apply for an employment visa (which may be refused), on the basis of that offer, from the immigration authorities --- represented by the High Commission where you got your tourist visa.

If you really can get a bona fide job offer, for a position which it can really be said cannot be filled by a local --- then, yes, you can do this, but not in India. You will have to apply in UK.

steven_ber

No idea, other members may be able to advise you on this, just make sure the NGO doesn't 'bend' any rules, there's a lot of brits losing their homes in Goa after someone kindly bent the rules for them.

Yes, you can, but if you're going home only to get a new tourist visa (and not to apply for a work permit), it would be cheaper to go to Sri Lanka, and I beleive there are direct (cheapish) flights from Goa to Columbo, but check the rules before buying a ticket, the flights may only be an option if you're going on to Europe with the same airline (but that's only a guess).

An even cheaper way to get a new tourist visa may be to get a train from Goa to Trivandrum, then a flight to Columbo.

Jody McRobert

Ah Steven, the Sri Lanka option sounds good.
Do I simply go to the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka and apply for another visa?
Also I heard a rumour that there has to be a gap of 6 months between visas...is this true?

Nick-H

Yes, you do

No, there is no stipulated gap.

Many travellers do this --- the visa run, and it is may become more difficult in the future to get back to back tourist visas. Even now, you may be refused your third consecutive visa.

Nothing is guaranteed, where visas are concerned!

You should plan to stay at least a week, as, when applying outside your country of residence, your details will be referred to your home country.

kalbarri

when i was in sri lanka there were a lot of people there to renew 6 month indian visas, at kandy. it is a much nicer place to stay to await a visa and apparently less crowded. an israeli had been told at the the visa office in colombo that he would have to go back to israel before being able to get a new indian visa so he went up to kandy and got it without any problem.
i thought one could also go to nepal to renew indian visas??

eph6_16

Hi,

i have had 5 tourist visas within the past 2,5 years spending 2 years in India. Will they (London, Vienna) continue to issue me tourist visas or will they question me more exactly about what I am doing in India?

I'd like to work for a charity working with slum children. Can I do this on a tourist visa? Or what kind of visa do I need for this?
How many hours a week do I have to work for the charity to be eligible for a visa or is this of no importance?

Is there any chance to get a five or 10 year visa for Austrian citizens? (resident of the UK)

thanks a lot!
Hannah

Nick-H

Hanna, Welcome to the site, and a request from your friendly mod team... please do not post near identical questions more than once, please find the best thread for your question and post it once only.

I think you will most of your questions answered already: visa questions are among the most asked. Have a look around the sight, especially the visa and passport section.

As far as I know, tourist visas for longer than six months are only available to US citizens, but if your Austrian embassy site says otherwise, then that is the authorative answer.

Whatever the length of the visa, your stay will be limited to 180 days, or less, in the case of some European countries.

If you are able to get a job in India, which the authorities accept cannot be done by a local Indian, you can get an employment visa. Volunteering is most unlikely to be accepted for this.

Another avenue is study, which will enable you to obtain a visa for the length of your course.

iwanttogoback

i would imagine that you could go to any country that has an indian embassy/consulate able to issue visas. i think people go to sri lanka/nepal because they are close and probably cheaper to travel to and stay in.

eph6_16

Thanks Nick for your answers. Sorry for asking such similar questions. I can understand that this is not sensible.
Hannah

edwardseco

The EEO is givena very short period visa because of reciprocal treatment..