India is considering Visa on Arrival for UK USA Germany France and Japan Nationals

Wonderonomic

Mr Nick I read them twice over, and it is not understandable for a real investor to comprehend.
It is not for my taste understandable that dubious money buys up Goa and honest investors are having a no No as an answer?
cant buy in name ?
If I put some money down I want to have it in MY NAME registered?
Not only a precaution I think, just beeing smart.

I know Indian official policy is different.
Unless drug money is involved Who is investing in Goa?
It is made to hard for honest money to invest.
The company registration from whereever will backfire too.

Haylo

Exactly the point Nick was making. The Indian government do not want foreign investors. In fact they do not want foreigners to move to India at all, which is why they do not issue visas for this purpose and why they are clamping down on back to back tourist visas. This is also why they do not allow foreigners to buy property. At least, you can give a property owner some money and he'll hand over his property to you, but you cannot register the sale so in effect it is not your property.

India has absolutely no immigration programme. You can emigrate to England, America, Canada, New Zealand, many many places, but it is not possible to emigrate to India, no matter how much money you have or how highly skilled you are. Of course, you can work in India for a while, but you cannot buy a house, and as soon as you leave your job you have to leave the country - you can't just stay and get another job. Same as when you retire, no work = no employment visa, so you have to get out.

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Wonderonomic

This attitude of long term visitors to india surprises me.
Leave every six month and apply anew, from Nepal, sriLanca or Thailand.
This has been going on for years, decades???
And I think has become ingrained in thinking Of travelers.

I might be preduduced by a friend who spend a ton of money in India, who has to travel to thailand for visa extension.
????
Is this not unnecessary?

Nick-H

You're missing a point, if not the point here: it is for the government of any independent state to set its immigration policy.

India's immigration policy is that it does not want any!

Immigration is usually made easy by a country when it has a need, whether that need is for skilled workers, bus drivers, nurses ---or just plain money.

India has employment visas for where there is a job that cannot be filled from its own people; that's it. As and when it decides it needs people in other categories, then, just as European governments do at those times, it will open doors. Just now it not only does not, but is putting extra bolts on the doors, it is hardening its visa stance.

Necessary? Don't ask me: ask the Indian government!

But please don't start the 'but they spend lots of money in India' argument over again: see the Goa thread for that, it's been done and done and done.

Visa-on-arrival would always be, by my guess, for short-term (weeks, not months) visits, probably tourist only --- and will quire likely not happen anyway!

edwardseco

Exactamento, as Nick says don't hold your breath at least for the US. Posturing or symbolic rhetoric rather than real steps for tourism..

chrisindiaaddict

Hi,

My friend who works in N.Delhi with some ministery says that this time they are very serious about giving visa on arrival.I am continously in touch with him and as soon as I will get any update and list of those 18 counteries,I will post.
I am happy about visa on arrival as after this you can grab those airfare deals which you were not able to take on time because of uncertainity of getting the visa.

Cheers !!!

Chris

Nick-H

Well, there is still a long way between being serious and it happening, but any news you get will be much appreciated.

They will have to get their act together on making the system clear and simple. I can envisage events like this:

You work for a company that cleans the floor of a newspaper publisher, therefore we consider you a journalist. Journalists are not issued visa-on-arrival; entry denied, you should have applied for a journalist visa in your home country.

Could be a nightmare.

Wonderonomic

Sad outlook.If things change, it is seldom for the better?
If anything changes, it will most probably be worse.
No use getting too exited over proposed changes.

darkside_of_d_sun

I believe Visa-on-arrival should only be provided on a reciprocal basis, we should rather focucs more on improving our security infrastructure. If India is safer, the tourism sector will anyways register double digit growth figures, like it did over the past 8-10 years, visa-on-arrival or not!

Cheers,
Shamik

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Haylo

So, according to some sources, does the Indian government.

Which is why it is not going to happen in any foreseeable future for British citizens, or for any other European country!

goangoangone

Some Russians have been getting a Temporary Entry permit on arrival for 2 week holidays if they live too far from the embassy.

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Hal

Or Canada.

When I arrived back in Canada from my last trip to India, immigration officers were waiting right at the gate, pulling people aside. The poor older couple in front of me were trying to convince them they were visiting Toronto for a holiday in November, and they knew nobody in Canada. They were asked to step aside and wait.

LilBoy BigTown

Absolutely agree with it. An even better outcome would be not to have it at all. You could argue that the revenue lost via the visa fee could be made up by the increase in number of arrivals. In the long run, it will perhaps benefit the tourism sector much more than any Govt assistance could.

But until the Indian Govt can absoluetly bullet/bomb/missile proof the country (never going to happen), this strategy will back fire. Unlike the recent Mumbai attacks where the terrorists travelled by boats and could have potentially run into the coast guards or navy which provide some resistance, albeit flimsy, visa on arrival would simply mean forging or stealing a passport from one of these countries and off you go.

Visa on arrival works fine in several countries around the world, but none of them are located in such a hostile neighborhood, nor do they have a history as troubled as India's.

So, although it will mean a lot of hassles and red tape for majority of people who visit India strictly for tourism and contribute a great deal in terms of foreign exchange revenue, it's a small price to pay to keep the country secure.

Haylo

It's not only about security, it is about controlling immigration. You only have to look at the Indian papers to see the ads from the visa agencies "Get free health care and educate your kids for nothing with a British visa" to see what would happen.

Western countries may be restrictive about who they allow to immigrate, but unlike India most if not all Western countries DO have a way to achieve this.

johnny five

Between September and December 2008, 4718 got this!