Indian Visas? "Catch 22"

Aquaman

Things are changing and getting Visa’s in London? Tricky, frustrating and worrying.
This is my experience; hope this info helps people and feedback/discussion welcome.

My wife and I are house owners and live in Goa 6 months a year, I also have a business, “private limited company” established as legally and correctly as possible.

I applied for a 2 year Business Visa, and was asked for “the” letter of authority from the RBI (Reserve Bank of India), I was asked for this the previous year and had requested one when in Goa last season, only to be told by my Company Secretary in Panjim that the RBI no longer issue letters to this effect.
I mentioned this to a fellow Visa fighter in the waiting hall and he said he had had a meeting with the RBI and that these letters were discontinued in 1999.
However the top man in London High Commission, said he had specifically been told not to give Business Visa’s unless there was this letter from the RBI, hence the Catch 22.

I also wanted a one year X Visa for my wife, that’s the one which is extendable and transferable, into a business Visa in India.
I tried to do this in Goa last year for myself and was flatly refused; I even went to their “Home” office and was assured that X Visa’s can not be changed into business Visas.
In fact X Visas have now been withdrawn!
So I was offered a 6 or 12 month Tourist Visa for my wife, as we usually stay about 7 months I agreed to the 12 month but was told that even with a 12 month stay in one chunk is now restricted to 180 days, so you have to leave and re enter India to stay for the 12 months.
This new 180 day rule I believe is specifically to prevent westerners buying property using the 182 day occupation to be allowed to buy.
I did get a one year Business Visa by using letters of introduction from suppliers for my carpet business, but that also has a 180 day restriction.
With all these problems westerners are tempted to do some work in Goa on 6 months Tourist Visas. But now the Goa police are coming down heavily on those people caught.
So what to do? And who can one make representations to in this matter.

http://www.indiamike.com/india/image.../confused1.gif

Nick-H

Hello Aquaman, Another Penzance Indiamiker We had an IM Meetup there about this time last year.

I've moved your post to the Passports and visas section, which is a more appropriate place.

No more X visas? but X visas cover such a multitude of purposes: maybe just they don't issue them to spouses of business-visa holders any more? Any clarification on this?

That 183-day thing: I'm pretty sure they do not have to be consecutive, so it is not ruled out by having to leave after 180 days.

I'm very surprised that they expect you to leave after 6 months on a business visa! What does it say (if anything) about this on the visa? Do you register with FRO when you are here? If so that should give you a one year residents permit.

It sounds like you have had a real pain with these people .

They should be making life easy for legitamate businesses...

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Digital Drifter

Then you'd NOT be in India. , BTW, in the indian context, what's a legitimate business?

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Nick-H

I thought "they" were falling over themselves to make the Indian High Street look just like USA or England?

AnnieG

Only for short-term tourists with lots of money to spend. If you want to stay for more than 6 months, or even, shock horror, buy property or run a business, then they seem to be determined to make it as difficult as possible.

Could this be connected with the difficulties some Indians are encountering when trying to get short or long term visas to the UK?

Or is it indeed part of the Indians' desire to prevent people buying property in India ?

Hmmm.

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AnnieG

Live life to the full - you never know what's around the corner.

crvlvr

India needs foreign investment to keep the economy growing. They relaxed foreign investment laws since 1991. Of late, it appears that the loop holes were being exploited by tourists who wanted to stay in India for more than 180 days. It looks like the govt is attempting to close those loop holes. The govt's focus is to attract large businesses, who will create large scale employment, rather than small businesses. So there might be more clamping down even if it means shurtting down a few legitimate small scale businesses.

greenchutney

many countries do this. its just not india. trying going the oppposite direction, where indian citizens want to buy property in EU. shock horror!.. forget that, the UK is kicking out thousands of doctors, just a plain kick in the bum! thank you for your help but we now need EU folks in the NHS..not indians..

difficulties some indians encounter for visas..short term or long term?..you want to hear the number of reject stories, do you want to hear the humiliating treatment that some of these foreign embassies put indian citizens through? do you want to hear the big binder i prepare everytime for a vist to a schengen country? and that too it being for a short third or fourth vist...no i dont want to immigrate but i am already labelled that when i walked into that consulate door..

let me try the same with switzerland or say sweden.....what you are trying for india..hey i like to stay in sweden for six months and then run a chai stand there..they will haul my ass to jail...tourist visa is just that..they tell me, remind me, suspect me and reject me if they the slightest suspicion that i might teach chai making there..

get the perspective. thats all i ask for.

Nick-H

GC, in this instance (unlike some other recent threads I could mention...) I don't think there is a lack of perspective. Aquaman would appear to be running a genuine business here, not just a get-me-in Loophole Pvt kind of organisation.

Digital Drifter

GC,

lighten up, will you?

Someone saying it's difficult here does not imply it's easy in another unrelated country. Obviously, they WANT to run a business here & NOT in the countries you've have mentioned.

Taking your angst out on someone who has no control over the situation here or there is odd.

A better way to look at it, EU's loss is India's gain, isn't it? & on that, the service levels here aren't what the GOI says it's all about.

Yes, there are unfair rules out there but the poster is concerned with setting up a business HERE. Either there are laws which explicitly prohibit what she's trying to do or there is no reason for this foot dragging on the part of the authorities.

Yes, yes, arcelor, Mittal stories are there but just because the other guy was a dipshit doesn't mean you also have to be one in extending the same level of treatment.

greenchutney

dd & nick..my post was directed at annieG...it wasnt at the OP. annieG is a yoga instructor in goa..who maybe does it on a tourist visa. . my chai making business would not happen in sweden in the same length.

Nick-H

Sorry, GC, I missed the 'quote'. I'm not, of course, arguing with what you say.

Can't comment on what AnnieG is doing, or on what visa...

greenchutney

yes, i am a bit sensitive and i apologize if i came across a bit strong..but right at this moment, one of my friends is stuck in canada unable to enter back into the US (where he is legally employed) because of stupid/weird reasons. he lost two weeks at work..inspite of his papers being perfect. i have another doctor friend who is going to be kicked out of the UK...because the NHS/the health secretary decided that non-english speaking EU doctors would be better...they have to suck up to the EU now..so they can be out of it but remain in it...go figure!

yes, it upsets me.. when i see some westerners think its their god given right that they should be free to allowed to do whatever, waltzing into other countries and expect to be given everything in one jiffy..maybe not in this thread but its been there other places..yeah someone was quoting the WTO....and how india better allow it..LOL...

i am with crvlvr. attract the big business but discourage small businesses or make it harder for it until its reciprocated mutually in some form between countries......

AnnieG

Er, no, I am not a yoga instructor. Misunderstanding there.

For a while I ran a yoga business, and during that time I had a business visa. I retired from business. Now I am a house-owner and want to spend about 7 months of the year living in India, but not working.
On the other hand, Aquaman has a business there and wants to work (but not running a chai stall or doing anything that takes wsork away from locals, in fact he is bringing in more tourists). But we are both encountering the same problem - they won't give X-Visas any more, and tourist visas are limited to 6 months. Business visas require a supporting letter from the RBI which the RBI stopped giving out some time ago. Ergo, big PITA.

I agree that the problem is probably tit-for-tat for some of the problems put up by British authorities for anyone wanting to come to UK.

My personal view is if all the immigration boundaries were pulled down and people were allowed to move freely across frontiers, there would be a natural evening out of the flow of people between nations. People would go where the work was and where they could afford to live. Free trade, open frontiers.

But everyone is so uptight about immigrants that its not likely to ever happen.

Penri

I think this is where the problem lies. A business visa is issued for conferences, seminars, meetings etc. If you run a business in India then you should apply for a employment visa. This would remove any need to leave and re-enter the country within 6 months. It would also make acquiring X visas for your immediate family simple. I've very recently succesfully applied for a 2 year multiple-entry employment visa for myself and a 2 year multiple-entry X visa for my wife.

I understand that X visas (all visas?)are strictly non-transferable to other types.

greenchutney

annie..you were here on a business visa running a yoga center. how is that not taking away business from locals? isnt it a similar logic of me opening a distinct chai shop in sweden?

yes i agree broadly on what you said about borders and what not. i wish the indian govt would be tit for tat but they are not..too lethargic, too much coalitions..the only thing we are at the WTO where we are giving it back decently to the EU on farm subsidies and crap. our beaurocracy also takes care of a lot of such matters too...makes it difficult for anything.

the RBI should insist on financial statements and shouldnt allow anyone foreign national for realestate, residency..etc beyond a certain limit. have a million poounds/dollar hey foreign citizen, move that money here and we will give you a staying visa. i hope they do that..alteast thats what the americans, canadians and others do....are you a millionarie, we give you a green card...move your money, employ locals and what not...