Tourist visa registration possible these days? Change visa classification in India?

I have a 10-year multiple entry tourist visa. My visa has the stamp on it that says, "Registration not required if stay is less than 180 days." I haven't been able to register (in Kerala, at least) -- I was told by the police that Delhi is not allowing it these days.

Briefly, my questions are:

1. Is it true that registration is not possible these days?

2. Is it possible to change my visa classification while in India or in a nearby country? (I do service and study in an ashram, so I am not sure which one I can qualify for.)

3. Is registration necessary for Student visa or X visa? (If so, I might have a problem.)


Here's my story:

I've been in India for nearly 5 years in ashrams, always on tourist visa. I had previously been registered at a different city so I could stay longer than 6 months at a time. But my new home (in Kerala) is not allowing me to register. The last time I arrived from out of the country, I tried to inquire about registration with the local Police Commissioner's Office. They told me two different times (January and June 2009) that I was not able to register at all, so I'd have to leave after 180 days. Which I did.

They said my only chance was to try to change my visa to an X Visa or a Student Visa in Delhi. I've tried asking around and receive no leads on whether this is at all possible or feasible.

The FROs that I have talked to (Hyderabad, Chennai) tell me it is not possible to change the visa classification while in India. (The FRO for my area is Chennai.) One Consulate said she thought it *might* be possible to change the classification if I go to another country and reapply, but I don't know which nearby country could guarantee that. (I am on a budget so I can't go back to my country.)

My next 180 days will be up soon, so I would really like to know what I should do.

Thanks for any ideas.

You'll find the answer to your first question give 1,638,268 times on the forum already (approximately )

2. If your organisation is recognised by the government, then you may be able to get student visa.

3. Yes.
Contradiction in terms. "Re-applying" is not changing the old visa type, it is applying for a new one.

It is, generally, not possible to change a tourist visa to any other kind of visa. I know of only one exception to that, and it is not relevant.

Thanks, Nick. I guess I won't try to change it.

1. I'm confused about what I've read here so far because I had been able to get a Residence Permit before on a Tourist visa. I stayed longer than 180 days and met no problems. Shall I consider that a rare exception, and not think about trying to get one again in Chennai?

2. My organisation is registered as a non-charitable organisation, not as an educational institution. Entry visa, then? Are these given (easily) in Nepal?

3. If I get an X / Student visa, will registering be easier??

I would think so, and many here would agree, yes --- but why, I wonder, were you given that exception?

The straight answer to your question 1 is, 1,638,268 times, No! --- but you have had an exception to that.

What nationality are you? Where is your home country? Ithink we need more detail.

On an student visa you must register, on an x, only if staying more than 180 days.

Sorry... have to rush out now...

10 year multiple entry visa would imply a US passport holder.

Yes, I'm American, US passport, but permanent in India, as far as may be allowed.

I believe I had an exception to get the residence permit because at that time, I was new to India, and I paid a travel agent to register me without really knowing what he was doing. But I have heard he is not able to do it anymore.

So registering on a Student or X visa should be easily done? Is there a maximum number of years they give those for? Just trying to figure out whether it is worth it to apply for a Student or X visa. If there is a doubt I won't be given it, or if it's only for one year, I may just stick with my tourist visa, which is at least a guarantee that I have a visa for 10 years. But it's a big expense and a hassle.

Thanks...

Your visa will be endorsed if you must leave before 180 days. Otherwise, insist on registering.

Ahh, yes... I was reading, and writing, in a hurry .

What is the big thing about registration as such? It is the visa type that determines your stay in India, not whether or not you are registered. The registration is a requirement, in certain circumstances. It does not override your visa

I want to buy a new scooter.

This is flatly wrong.

I think what GoanGoan may mean is if you leave every 180 days, as the US 10-year tourist visa requires you to, you will get marked as having exited and re-entered. Registration doesn't come into the question.

I admit though terminology used sometimes leaves one a little

Since the FRO's in smaller places are just the local cops, they often don't know what they're doing and would "register" even people who had only tourist visas (some of them are still doing it, even though it's incorrect), particularly if the person seeking registration had the kind of long-term, multiple entry tourist visa Americans can get. This would then give the "registered" person the erroneous impression that this entitled him/her to stay in the country for more than 180 days at a time. This was (and is) incorrect.

Generally, the actual FRRO's (i.e., the people handling the registration of foreigners in the large regional offices) are better informed about what the law actually is, and who can and cannot be "registered". And what you are being told by the authorities now is correct. You cannot register with only a tourist visa, and there is no need for you to do so because you must leave the country at least every 180 days in any event. Moreover, "registering" does not give you the right to stay in the country for more than 180 days at a stretch if you hold only a tourist visa. Registration is simply the way a person who already has a visa that confers the right to stay longer obtains the residential permit that allows one to do certain "residential" things (like get a gas hook-up). While I have no personal experience of this, from everything I've heard or read, the likelihood of being able to get a student visa or some other kind of longer-term visa (e.g., an entry visa for volunteer work) is lower if you apply while in some country other than your home country. As an American citizen you should read up on the requirements for various types of Indian visas on the website for Travisa, the outsourcing outfit retained by the Indian Govt to handle all visa applications in the U.S. While student visas do not require one to leave every 180 days, they are issued only for the duration of the course of study and I think there's a maximum term of five years. As for Entry visas ("X" visas) for volunteer work, I suspect if the Indian Govt thought you wanted one in order to stay indefinitely/permanently - essentially to immigrate to India - they'd turn you down flat.

No, when he refers to endorsement, he's not talking about exit and entry stamps. Based on some of his other posts, he apparently believes that the requirement that one must leave every 180 days on a tourist visa applies only if there's some kind of "endorsement" to that effect on the visa itself. But this is incorrect. He also apparently believes that if the visa does not have such an "endorsement," one can register (and thereby stay for more than 180 days at a time, so he believes, again erroneously) and should insist on doing so. Wrong again. goangoangone should just stop giving out this incorrect advice. Period.

Nick is correct. Registration does NOT override the visa. As I said above, registration is just the way people who already have the right to stay for more than 180 days can get a residential permit that allows them to do certain things like get a gas hook up or a driver's license; and it's also a way for the Indian Govt to keep track of foreigners who are in the country long term (with a visa that allows that). With a tourist visa, even a long term one, the Govt can keep track of foreigners' comings and goings by way of the record of entries and exits when the person goes through immigration.

This is a helpful website for info about Student visas (thanks!), but so far I haven't found anything on it about Entry visa requirements.

I ask because I have a friend, also doing service work in an ashram, who was able to receive a 10-year entry visa when she applied in the USA recently. But upon registering it, they told her she'd lose it if she left India (!) My hope is to be able to do the same, except not have to go to the USA for it.

But, from what I'm hearing, it sounds like my chances are slim.

Understood. And about the government's hesitation to let "hippies" or ashramites stay on long term. However, I *am* doing service work for this country, that is a large part of why I am happy to be here.

Thanks, everyone, for your input. If I have any unprecedented outcome, I'll be sure to post.

Then presumably it is a single entry visa.