Journalist Visa

the opoponax

So, the time has come to start filling out visa paperwork (I'll do my lining up at the "outsourcing office" one day next week).

Wee hitch -- I'm a filmmaker and graphic designer. I'm sure it's nothing, but reading this thread has me nervous about putting anything even vaguely media related down on my visa application, for fear that a simple process will become a complicated one.

I have no plans to do any formal work while in India.

What should I do? Am I OK saying I'm a graphic designer, or is that close enough to raise suspicion? Should I just invent something more innocuous?

edwardseco

Designer, pure and simple. Make comments like green shag is coming back in. If they say anything ask 'em out for a little drink..

the opoponax

Fantastic! A "designer" I shall be, dahlink!

keneumey

Wish I'd read this first! I wrote "writer" on my application, and the outsourcing people called me to clarify that I was not a journalist.

When the visas arrived, my boyfriend, a corrections officer, had a multiple-entry tourist visa, but I had a single-entry journalist's.

Major inconvenience, because we planned to spend one night in Delhi before going to Kathmandu and later returning to India. Now we have to spend 10 hours in the Delhi airport (not the nicest place, I understand) and hope my passport doesn't get stamped while I'm there!

My title is "information officer" but I thought that would raise more red flags than "writer." Will have to think of something better before the next time I apply for a visa.

Nick-H

Welcome to the site

These people are paranoid. Like, out of all the world's writers, how many are journalists?

But that's the way it is, and this has to be worked around.

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keneumey

After giving it some thought, I'm thinking "spokeswoman" might be a better term to use in the future.

Or is that equally threatening?

Nick-H

Try... Cleaner.

katcalls

This has always been an issue with me as well, as I have a journalism degree and some of the work I do is journalistic in nature. I always avoid putting it on any form, prefering "media coordinator" or even IT manager (some of what I do strays into that). Never journalist. Don't want to go down that road.

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jamiez

What are the procedures and what visa do I need I am a Uk cameraman, and have coming over to india for last three years usually on 6 month BV's looking to work on productions over here, recently I was issued with a 6 month TV and so it happens , have just been offered 2 Movies, one an USA production and the other a Indian film, have signed 2 contracts that i can now apply for employment Visa? so do I have to go to london? my TV expires on 6/8/08 and jobs start next month?? while I was here on the last BV i got a Pan card and an Indian bank account?? any suggestions

escapeartist

Cate,i travelled a lot on business visa's and as far as my knowledge goes you can you can do your work related activities as long as you are not being paid a salary in the country you are visiting (in your case india).

AmyLan

I know (or at least hope?) that I shouldn't be worrying...but is 'administrator' enough to raise suspicion or will I be fine?

Filling in the form in now, trying to get it send off this afternoon, it's a bloomin mindfield!!

clara27

I've made the mistake (clearly) of writing journalist as my occupation on my online form, but haven't sent it off yet by post. I'm really only wanting to have a holiday - NOTHING journalistic - but that's my employment normally. I'm applying for a tourist visa and was going to include a letter from my employer saying I won't do anything journalistic, as well as my own letter, as the checklist says you should if you're a journalist travelling on a tourist visa. But now I'm thinking I should shut up and just put 'researcher' (also true). But if I modify my application online, will they be able to track it?? Dilemma. I've only got 7 weeks until I leave.

Merchant

If you are employed by a media organization, India has been requiring you to apply for a journalist visa -- even if you are just going on vacation and have no intention of working as a journalist during your trip.

So if you list your employer as a media company like a newspaper or magazine, or your profession as journalist, you will have to apply for a journalist visa. In fact, you might just be given a journalist visa anyway, no matter what you originally applied for.

If you are a freelance journalist -- not employed by a media company -- you should be able to list your occupation as artist or consultant, self-employed, and get a tourist visa.

There's nothing inherently more cumbersome about a journalist visa, except that it's three-months and single-entry, as opposed to six-months and multiple-entry for tourist -- depending, of course, on your nationality.

Nick-H

..and, I think, even if you work for said organisation cleaning the drains or servicing the computers, and even if said organisation publishes only Stamp Collectors' Journal.

The are just hyper-sensitive about anything approximating to media.

I wonder what would happen if someone put "blogger"?






... or terrorist?

Merchant

True -- it's not what you do that's at issue; it's who employs you.