obtaining 5/10 yr visa in the UK

samuraibabaji

Could anyone tell me the present situation regarding getting a 5 year visa from London/Birmingham in the UK. I need at least a 5 yr visa for India. If not available from UK where do I go to get one...thanks

Nick-H

On what basis are you intending to apply for a five year visa?

If you are of Indian origin, then you will quite likely get one. If you have a five-year course lined up at a government-approved institution, you might, or they might give you a one-year renewable. Employment visa would be annual. Business visa the same or less, as far as I know. If you are a British citizen looking for a five year tourist visa, your best route to that might be to acquire USA citizenship; they can get it, you can't.

Your entitlement will be governed by who are and your citizenship, not by where you apply, except to the extent that you might get less away from your home country than you would in it.

Haylo

What is your nationality and family heritage? Just as importantly, what do you "need" a five year visa for?

If it's employment, you might get a shorter visa, which you can extend in India.
If it's because you're marrying someone Indian and want to live there, you can get a shorter tourist visa and have it converted to an entry visa once you're married.
If it's to attend a course, you need to have paid the course fees before you can apply for the student visa.

If it's because you're British, of British origins, and just fancy living in India for five years, basically you can forget it.

__________________
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samuraibabaji

Thanks for that information. I want to live in India. I will be living in a temple in Mathura district. I have a letter of invitation to remain there indefinitely. So will they give me a visa for this in the UK?
I have an English friend who recently got a 5 year visa granted in THAILAND, is this feasible?
Im a British citizen.

Ive just read that there can be no immigration to India, so what is the best move for me to stay as long as possible?

Haylo

No.

An Indian visa? That would be rather surprising to say the least; is this hearsay or have you actually seen it? What type of visa is it, and are they of Indian origins?

But what is your ancestry? It could make the difference between being able to visit India for up to 15 years at a time or even forever, without needing a visa, and being given only a three month singe entry visa and having to give an itinerary in advance and register your presence in each city on arrival.

samuraibabaji

its more or less hearsay about the thailand one...Im British born and bred caucasian no Indian heritage.
So whats the best I can attain. Is there a 5 year tourist visa for British? Can I even get a one year tourist visa??

Haylo

Then frankly I would not give that story too much credibility. There are plenty of stories like that kicking around, but never by anyone who actually has one themself.

Oh well, just a thought.

Absolutely not.

You can easily get a six month tourist visa. You can apply for a one year tourist visa, but you might only get six months. If they only give you six months, you don't get a refund.

Whatever length of tourist visa anyone gets, the longest anyone can stay in India on a tourist visa on any one trip is 180 days. Don't even think of overstaying; if you do they won't let you leave the country until you've jumped through all sorts of not-much-fun bureaucratic hoops.

EDITED TO ADD: s you're in the UK, you have to apply for your visa through VFS - here's a bit of light reading which should answer most of your questions...

Nick-H

<cross-posted>

Have you done your basic homework on this one? Essentially, the visa types specified on the VFS site, and the durations, and entitlements are what is available.

Sorry: there is no other secret answer that we can give you. If there is any way that you can achieve your aim, the institution that is inviting you might know of it, but be aware that, unless they are dealing regularly with incoming foreigners, they, like many prospective employers, are not likely to be familiar with their own country's visa rules.

You can apply for a one-year tourist visa in UK, but you can only stay 180 days before leaving India, although you can then go back again.

Haylo (or anyone!)... do you know if visas for volunteers are issued for longer than 180-day stays?

samuraibabaji

hmmm...thanks a lot, one last question. If I do get a one yr tourist visa, can I leave the country via Nepal then back in the next day (regarding the 180 rule) . I have heard that people do this legitimately.

Oh and can I renew or extend a tourist visa in India or do you have to return to the UK

BTW thanks for VFS info...I went through them late 2008 to get a 6 month tourist visa

Haylo

Volunteers can apply for Entry Visas, which as you know is a visa type which can be issued for varying durations at the discretion of the visa officers at the Indian High Commission; these volunteer entry visas can be used for stays in India for over 180 days, as long as registration is done at the FRO / FRRO.

Having said that, I very much doubt that the visa authorities could be persuaded to view going to live in a temple as "volunteering", even if the intention is that good works are to be done during that time.

Haylo

Yes. Subject of course to the usual caveat about entry into India always being at the whim of the immigration officer. Might be better to make it a few days just in case.

Only for a few weeks, and even then only in cases of genuine emergency such as breaking both legs or similar.

You can apply for a new visa in a nearby country, but you may only get three months or even a refusal if you apply straight away after an existing Indian visa has expired, especially if it is a second "renewal".

Nick-H

OK... Maybe how much weight this letter of invitation would carry might depend on the institution that issued it?
You can renew in another nearby country, but there is increasing disinclination to grant back-to-back visas to those who are using them to live in India. You may be given less than six months, you may be refused.

Yes, people on longer-than-six-month visas only have to go and come, but again, India does not want full-time "toursit" residents, and this may affect your applications in the future.

As you said earlier: India does not want European immigrants, and has no mechanism for accepting them. Errr... Unless you marry an Indian! But even then, as with immigration authorities the world over, they would expect your relationship to be genuine, and finding that you live in a temple, not with your wife, would probably rule out approval.

Sorry... don't see a way to do want you want to do.

Haylo

Nor me.

It's a long shot but... samuraibabaji, I don't suppose that you're a lot younger than you look - and I mean young enough to be adopted by an Indian couple?

samuraibabaji

Thanks for your help here Guys....speak soon

BTW thats not actually me in the photo....but at 39 Im probably a bit old for adoption!!

Haylo

I'll let you into a bit of a secret, that's not me in my photo either...