Obtaining a volunteer visa, traveling from Canada

Glandith

Hi everyone,

I have a contact in India who is involved in a project to build a cancer care center for terminally-ill patients and I am planning on joining her in January to volunteer my time and skills. The undertaking will be fairly long, which is why I would like to obtain a long-term visa. I have visited the following site (in Visa Categories & Checklists), and see that a 6-month, 1-year and 5-year volunteer visa is available. I wish to aim for a 5-year one.

Would this be my best bet to enter and remain in the country for 5 years (or longer, if I wish to obtain an extension)? Having read many posts in this forum, I see that obtaining a long-term visa isn't as easy as I thought it was. I would appreciate any tips or advice that would help make my application go as smoothly as possible and give me the best chance at obtaining what I'm looking for. Thank you very much!

Glandith

nycank

As a volunteer for 5 years, how do you plan to sustain yourself financially ? Most easiest to get is a tourist visa, which is unfortunately not a long-term visa.

Read the threads on volunteer visas to get a sense of what all issues could crop up.

__________________
bade bhaisaheb is outsourced

Glandith

I will be staying at an ashram in Uttarkashi where room and board will be provided.

Glandith

Glandith

Thanks nycank.

I've read through the volunteer threads in the forum, and I have a better idea of the challenges that I'll be facing in obtaining my visa. I see that what I need is an entry visa, which can be used for volunteer work.

To better my odds, I see that I should include an invitation letter with my application. I believe that the charity in question would be willing to write me one. My question is, what should I ask that they include in this letter, so that I have the best chance at getting the visa I'm looking for? Who should it be addressed to, and in what format should it be written?

Aside from this letter, is there anything else that I can do? I read about a cover letter stating specifically what I'm asking for, which is a 5-year entry visa. That sounds like a good idea. Maybe a letter from my friend who runs the ashram? She said that it isn't an officially registered ashram, so she couldn't help me there, but I'm thinking that at least if they see that I have a place to stay, they might be more willing to give me what I'm asking for.

Would a copy of my diplomas be of any help when applying? I have studied in both computer science and carpentry, which will be the nature of my work there.

Glandith

Haylo

Umm... Have you been to India before?

Five years is an awfully long time to commit yourself to living somewhere so... *cough* interesting.

Just sayin'

__________________
The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful - E.E. Cummings, poet (1894-1962)

Glandith

I have not, but the project itself will take two years minimum to complete. I would rather get a 5-year visa and leave before it's up if I'd like to, than assume that I will get sick of the country in my first year there. If I need to stay longer, I might have trouble getting an extension. I'd like to avoid this.

Glandith

Haylo

Hmmm... The visa officials have suspicious minds, they much prefer to have invitations from official organisations. Otherwise anyone could just get a friend in India to invent an organisation so they could get a visa.

The Indian government has to watch many of its own people starve and die from lack of proper nutrition and basic medical attention. There is no welfare state that you could be a burden on, so why on earth do you think that the Indian authorities care in the slightest whether or not a foreigner, who can afford to fly to India and is therefore uber-rich by Indian standards in comparison to the majority of the Indian population, has a place to stay or not?

Glandith

Heh, good point Haylo. But my intention was to show that I'm organized, that the details of my stay are planned and were not simply thought up on my way to the visa and consular services centre. From what I read on this forum they don't just let anyone into the country. I want to maximize my chances here.

Glandith

Haylo

Oh, they're happy to let any old person into India, but not just for any old reason!

I should emphasise that I have no idea whether or not this is relevant to Entry Visas for Volunteering, but I do know that although in theory Canadians can apply for a five year Tourist Visa, in practice they are rarely given to people who have not already visited India several times already.

That is part of the reason I asked whether you have been to India in the past. That and the fact that I'm nosy of course.

Glandith

So, no one has any tips they can share?

Maybe a different question. What are they worried about when they look at an application like mine? What would be their reasons for refusing a visa, or the requested term? What are their fears? Knowing what to avoid could help a lot. Thanks!

Glandith

nycank

1. You are going to volunteer for five years;
2. Your sponsor is not a registered entity as a charity. Nor is it an NGO.
3. You cannot show source of finances for sustenance for five years.
4. Computer Science (a.k.a programming) and carpentry are the skill sets you have, that are in abundance in India and not directly related to the Cancer Center.
5. What do the ashram and the Cancer Center have connecting them ? Funding source ? Sponsors of the Center ? These questions one will ask.

Lots of red-flags for any official reviewing your paperwork. You and your sponsors have to connect the dots with respect to your volunteering and the relevance to the project you mention that will take years.

Your ashram is not registered, is as good as you staying with a friend/cousin/neighbour - same in the eyes of the consular. If room and board, an extra room and doing community service were the yardstick lots of households in india would qualify to be called an ashram.

The consulate aint gonna be swayed by any argument.

They might give you a one year visa; and then you may have to do a visa run after 180 days.

federica

Is the charity registered with the Ministry of Home Affairs? Their registration number should be included in the invitation letter. The whole letter should be as formal as possible and give information about the project and your tasks.

nycank

I think she said, it was not.

federica

I wasn't sure whether this was related only to the ashram

Paleface

Ganga Prem Hospice. Nani Ma - Right!!!

__________________
Only a mediocre person is always at his best. Somerset Maugham.