What exactly IS a residence permit?

NonIndianResident · Jan 9th, 2004, 15:24

I occasionally hear or see references to foreigners living in India on a residence permit. What IS that? Is it instead of a visa? In addition to a visa? Allow you to work legally for whoever you like? Have a "6-month maximum stay on each visit" restriction?

Thanks

gweno' bribri · Jan 13th, 2004, 19:07

I've got one of those. You need to have valid visa in order to apply. And then it's done for the lenght of your visa : one year in my case. I don't know about tourist visa, but it can be done with an X (multipurpose) or an E (employment) visa. In my case it was difficult to obtain because i Had an X visa and was working, so I first had to change my visa. BUt otherwise I think it's ok.
It is issued by the FRRO (foreigners regional registration officer)

oldhippie · Jan 13th, 2004, 19:46

Its pretty easy to get one as long as the company hiring you is well known and well established. It also depends on your nationality. I recently got mine very easily with no hassle. I work on contract for the Indian Govermnent.

Good Luck
Bill

sggal · Jan 13th, 2004, 20:13

I have a residence permit issued by the FRRO as i am a citizen of another country but settled in India.I have had no problems getting it renewed.I have a 5 year mutilple entry visa that allows me to leave and return to India.

oldhippie · Jan 13th, 2004, 22:58

sqgal

Aren't you of Indian origin ?

Bill

sggal · Jan 13th, 2004, 23:29

Bill

I am not of indian origin

oldhippie · Jan 13th, 2004, 23:53

I guess I mistook you for someone else in the photos posted

I thought you were the Indian looking woman.

Bill

sggal · Jan 14th, 2004, 13:25

I am the Indian looking woman but not of Indian origin

DianeShen · May 24th, 2004, 16:03

Quote:

Originally posted by gweno' bribri
I've got one of those. You need to have valid visa in order to apply. And then it's done for the lenght of your visa : one year in my case. I don't know about tourist visa, but it can be done with an X (multipurpose) or an E (employment) visa. In my case it was difficult to obtain because i Had an X visa and was working, so I first had to change my visa. BUt otherwise I think it's ok.
It is issued by the FRRO (foreigners regional registration officer)

Thanks gweno' bribri and everybody. I think I can get a clue to this issue... (because i cannot get anything useful from the association in our country

I accept a traineeship from Cognizant (IT corp) recently and planning to get an 1-year employment visa. Well, my traineeship lasts only for 6 month but I'm going to stay a bit longer for a short trip (maybe 1 month).

According to you guy's experience, I have a couple of questions to confirm:

1) I have to apply for a residence permit. After that, I don't have to leave India after 6 month?

2) I will not have to change my Visa to Tourist Visa after 6 month, right?

federica · Jul 19th, 2004, 23:57

Hi DianeShen,

I wanted to ask you whether you got the 1-year-visa. I am in the same situation, i am going for 6 month traineeship and want to travel afterwards. But I don't think they will give me the 1 year visa as they seem to be quite strict :-(

cyberhippie · Jul 20th, 2004, 02:14

The trick is getting a visa, any visa either a multi purpose x visa or an employment/educational visa that last more than 6 months!!
After that you can apply for residency status anywhere in India, which means you no longer have to leave the country after six months!!
These visas are not easy to come by for reasons you'll see in a minute.You might find that even with a six month traineeship you only get an visa for six months!
This means you will have to leave and come back at the end of your six month stay.
Once you have residency from what I've heard extending it is not too difficult, hence the reason they're strict on the visas that allow you to do this! Also be aware your status binds you to the place where you applied for residency status. So legally your status doesn't extend to the whole of India. (though you can transfer this)
So if you're registered in Goa say, this entitles you to stay, own property, buy vehicles etc in Goa only!
This does not stop you traveling of course just you don't have the same rights in other states as stated above.

Get the visa and from what I've been told the rest should fall into place!!

Good luck and please get back to us on how you got on, there are many folks on this forum looking for a way"in"

federica · Jul 20th, 2004, 04:02

Hi cyberhippie,

yes, I guess the problem is the visa for more then six month.... for me it would be ok to get a visa which is extendable (as tourist visas are not...). I don't want to spend the rest of my life there, but want to have the opportunity of travelling after my traineeship without stress. Or extend my traineeship. Can you tell me more about the advantages of this residency status? I am not planning to buy property or whatever, I just don't want to go abroad for one week to apply for another visa and have the risk not to get it, that's not the excitement I like....I also don't understand why they make ppl to spend their money in Nepal or Sri Lanka or wherever instead of India.

I am going again to the consulate tomorrow, last time the guy in front of me got the one year when he applied for the 5-years....don't know how he did it. Seems he was just lucky!

Anyway, I will tell you how it was...

cyberhippie · Jul 20th, 2004, 04:19

Well the main advantage of course is not having to go to Pakistan or Nepal for a new visa!!
But as I said you won't be able to get it without first having a visa that allows you to stay for more than six months.
I imagine that you will only be able to extend your visa if you extend your traineeship and I'm pretty sure that you can only apply for a tourist visa outside of the country.
However there may some special case scenario for someone like yourself who wishes to travel after using an employment/educational visa! I'm not aware of this but the rules here are at the discresion of the powers that be.
Another idea would be to ask where you're employed if they could extend your traineeship on paper allowing you to travel a little whist on paper your still studying!!
Not illegal really just bending the rules. I did this myself to get residency in the Netherlands.

As for the visa rules well I suppose on balance they run in accordance with most countries where there is always a cut off point on a visa! tourist or otherwise.

Let us know tomorrow!!

federica · Jul 23rd, 2004, 16:01

I got the visa! And I felt the problem was not the time span, the difficult thing was to convince them to get abusiness or x- visa ! But I got a nice letter from the NGO I will be working for and this convinced them. Thanks for your good wishes and to the consulate!

salima · Aug 14th, 2004, 11:09

hi everyone-
i was not told my residency permit could be nenewed, it was given to me at the end of my tourist visa because i was waiting for my pio card to be received. due to more red tape it was not received, and new delhi told me there was nothing else they could do for me, that i had to leave.

so now i am in bangkok and have already applied for another tourist visa, which they would only issue for six months. i didnt knkow there was any other kind of visa i could apply for-i dont qualify for anything else that i know of. i am supposed to pick it up on tuesday...

but i want a backup plan for what to do if the pio card never comes. just because i am indian and entitled to it doesnt mean i will get it. they are still trying to verify the documents which have now been taken to bangalore, and have to be returned after verification to new delhi by mail, when i will have to pay a second time for the application because the first demand draft already expired before the government could get anything accomplished. i began this process in january!

so what is an x visa, and how do i get one? would i have to go to america to get it? i am thinking there is no way for me to get a visa longer than six months without going to usa, or mailing my passport there. my plan is to stay in india permanently, i dont want to have to leave every six months. the pio card would give me fifteen years of freedom, but if it doesnt come what is the next best thing?

Jan 9th, 2004, 15:24	#1
NonIndianResident Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: India Posts: 57	What exactly IS a residence permit? I occasionally hear or see references to foreigners living in India on a residence permit. What IS that? Is it instead of a visa? In addition to a visa? Allow you to work legally for whoever you like? Have a "6-month maximum stay on each visit" restriction? Thanks

Jan 13th, 2004, 19:46	#3
oldhippie Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 412	Its pretty easy to get one as long as the company hiring you is well known and well established. It also depends on your nationality. I recently got mine very easily with no hassle. I work on contract for the Indian Govermnent. Good Luck Bill __________________ Too Many Gandus, Too Few Bullets.

Aug 14th, 2004, 11:09	#15
salima Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: america today-new delhi in a week Posts: 189	x visa hi everyone- i was not told my residency permit could be nenewed, it was given to me at the end of my tourist visa because i was waiting for my pio card to be received. due to more red tape it was not received, and new delhi told me there was nothing else they could do for me, that i had to leave. so now i am in bangkok and have already applied for another tourist visa, which they would only issue for six months. i didnt knkow there was any other kind of visa i could apply for-i dont qualify for anything else that i know of. i am supposed to pick it up on tuesday... but i want a backup plan for what to do if the pio card never comes. just because i am indian and entitled to it doesnt mean i will get it. they are still trying to verify the documents which have now been taken to bangalore, and have to be returned after verification to new delhi by mail, when i will have to pay a second time for the application because the first demand draft already expired before the government could get anything accomplished. i began this process in january! so what is an x visa, and how do i get one? would i have to go to america to get it? i am thinking there is no way for me to get a visa longer than six months without going to usa, or mailing my passport there. my plan is to stay in india permanently, i dont want to have to leave every six months. the pio card would give me fifteen years of freedom, but if it doesnt come what is the next best thing?

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Jan 13th, 2004, 19:07	#2
gweno' bribri Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: New Delhi Posts: 42	I've got one of those. You need to have valid visa in order to apply. And then it's done for the lenght of your visa : one year in my case. I don't know about tourist visa, but it can be done with an X (multipurpose) or an E (employment) visa. In my case it was difficult to obtain because i Had an X visa and was working, so I first had to change my visa. BUt otherwise I think it's ok. It is issued by the FRRO (foreigners regional registration officer)

Jan 13th, 2004, 20:13	#4
sggal Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: India Posts: 81	I have a residence permit issued by the FRRO as i am a citizen of another country but settled in India.I have had no problems getting it renewed.I have a 5 year mutilple entry visa that allows me to leave and return to India.

Jan 13th, 2004, 22:58	#5
oldhippie Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 412	sqgal Aren't you of Indian origin ? Bill

Jan 13th, 2004, 23:29	#6
sggal Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: India Posts: 81	Bill I am not of indian origin

Jan 13th, 2004, 23:53	#7
oldhippie Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 412	I guess I mistook you for someone else in the photos posted I thought you were the Indian looking woman. Bill

Jan 14th, 2004, 13:25	#8
sggal Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: India Posts: 81	I am the Indian looking woman but not of Indian origin

Jul 19th, 2004, 23:57	#10
federica Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Bavaria Posts: 1,093	Hi DianeShen, I wanted to ask you whether you got the 1-year-visa. I am in the same situation, i am going for 6 month traineeship and want to travel afterwards. But I don't think they will give me the 1 year visa as they seem to be quite strict :-(

Jul 20th, 2004, 02:14	#11
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,012	The trick is getting a visa, any visa either a multi purpose x visa or an employment/educational visa that last more than 6 months!! After that you can apply for residency status anywhere in India, which means you no longer have to leave the country after six months!! These visas are not easy to come by for reasons you'll see in a minute.You might find that even with a six month traineeship you only get an visa for six months! This means you will have to leave and come back at the end of your six month stay. Once you have residency from what I've heard extending it is not too difficult, hence the reason they're strict on the visas that allow you to do this! Also be aware your status binds you to the place where you applied for residency status. So legally your status doesn't extend to the whole of India. (though you can transfer this) So if you're registered in Goa say, this entitles you to stay, own property, buy vehicles etc in Goa only! This does not stop you traveling of course just you don't have the same rights in other states as stated above. Get the visa and from what I've been told the rest should fall into place!! Good luck and please get back to us on how you got on, there are many folks on this forum looking for a way"in"

Jul 20th, 2004, 04:02	#12
federica Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Bavaria Posts: 1,093	Hi cyberhippie, yes, I guess the problem is the visa for more then six month.... for me it would be ok to get a visa which is extendable (as tourist visas are not...). I don't want to spend the rest of my life there, but want to have the opportunity of travelling after my traineeship without stress. Or extend my traineeship. Can you tell me more about the advantages of this residency status? I am not planning to buy property or whatever, I just don't want to go abroad for one week to apply for another visa and have the risk not to get it, that's not the excitement I like....I also don't understand why they make ppl to spend their money in Nepal or Sri Lanka or wherever instead of India. I am going again to the consulate tomorrow, last time the guy in front of me got the one year when he applied for the 5-years....don't know how he did it. Seems he was just lucky! Anyway, I will tell you how it was...

Jul 20th, 2004, 04:19	#13
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,012	Well the main advantage of course is not having to go to Pakistan or Nepal for a new visa!! But as I said you won't be able to get it without first having a visa that allows you to stay for more than six months. I imagine that you will only be able to extend your visa if you extend your traineeship and I'm pretty sure that you can only apply for a tourist visa outside of the country. However there may some special case scenario for someone like yourself who wishes to travel after using an employment/educational visa! I'm not aware of this but the rules here are at the discresion of the powers that be. Another idea would be to ask where you're employed if they could extend your traineeship on paper allowing you to travel a little whist on paper your still studying!! Not illegal really just bending the rules. I did this myself to get residency in the Netherlands. As for the visa rules well I suppose on balance they run in accordance with most countries where there is always a cut off point on a visa! tourist or otherwise. Let us know tomorrow!!

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Jul 23rd, 2004, 16:01	#14
federica Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Bavaria Posts: 1,093	I got the visa! And I felt the problem was not the time span, the difficult thing was to convince them to get abusiness or x- visa ! But I got a nice letter from the NGO I will be working for and this convinced them. Thanks for your good wishes and to the consulate!