Mumbai for a year: work?

cestoyker

Hello, my name is Connor.
I am moving to mumbai in about three months. My fiance is already there. She is with a friend (whos is a resident of mumbai) that writes scripts here and the for bollywood. She will be looking for a job herself and an apartment for the two of us to share when I arrive. I also need a job there, I have been looking around the web but have not really found anything yet. Can I just go there an then look for a job? This our biggest worry at this point, jobs/money. Thinking that $3000 U.S. will be a good amount to start off there with, until I find another income. Cooking jobs would be ideal, nothing to fancy but nice though.

Any thoughts?
Thanks
-Connor

machadinha

Hm, search around this site, it will have been discussed many times before.

Assuming you are American and have no more-or-less direct Indian backgrounds over say the past few generations, and if you are not married to her, the answer should be no. You would need to find a job there, whether from home or on the spot, then technically return to your home country to apply for an employment visa there on the basis of that contract. Note that as in most countries it must be reasonably arguable that the same position can't be filled by a resident Indian, i.e., you're not supposed to take up positions that could be filled in by the local market.

If you were married i.e. her legal partner and she could legally stay there, you could stay there as her spouse as long as the provisions of her stay there (employment or whatever; one wonders if her being a freelance script writer if that's what she is would meet the requirements) are met. This is called an X-visa or entry visa I think, and to my knowledge this still doesn't allow you to legally work there; again, it just allows you to stay as her partner, as long as she meets whatever conditions. (Note that if she were there on an employment visa, this is technically bound to that precise employment with that one employer, as far as I know. If that is terminated, the visa is rendered invalid, i.e., it's technically time for you to go home.) And note that as in most countries again but certainly in India, trying to go about this illegally may get you into dire trouble, and in any event prevent you from ever returning there.

If you were legal partners there and you would still want to work, you'd have to follow the same employment visa route etc.

Naturally none of this holds up for boy- or girlfriends or even fiancés, or not to my knowledge anyway.

Finally, I'm not up on the scene there but I wouldn't expect India to be like some other parts of the world, where a job in the service industry (restaurants, hotels, etc.) might get you by as a foreigner. If you're a cook of some experience and standing and applying with a posh hotel chain, sure, could be a different thing. But other than that, I imagine such jobs to be in stiff demand and not well-paying in any case (and likely involving hours that might have even an American surprised), and again, unless you're a top chef, that requirement of making a case you can't be missed (touristically relevant and somewhat serious language capacities might be helpful here) might prove a hurdle. Again, if you can wiggle your way in at all; it doesn't sound like an attractive proposition to me, at all, unless again you're at the top end of that branch.

So all in all I think you have some serious studying up to do; in the "travel links" in my signature you'll find some links to relevant ministries and the Indian immigration services and so on to hopefully get you going. I suppose your own Ministry of Foreign Affairs may have relevant info for you as well or be able to point you further, etc.

Good luck with it in any case. nb If either you or she is Indian or of Indian origin, that would change the whole story around again, of course. You'd still need to get legally attached first though.

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Nick-H

You're right, Mach. Being foreign cheap labour is not (except maybe for migrants/refugees from a small handful of nearby countries) an option in India. There is a local pool of hundreds of millions of people to fill these positions.

Not that the employers are necessarily bothered by the law: when the day comes that they are, a lot of young children will no longer be working in hotel kitchens etc.

In practical terms, it just wouldn't work out anyway. Linguistic issues would make it impossible for a start. Itinerant workers within India have enough problems if they don't speak the local language; someone who does not speak any Indian language would just drown in it, I should think.

wonderwomanusa

Sorry to add further discouragement, but in Mumbai, the most expensive city in India, $3000 will not go very far.

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navinkurian2002

Hi Connor

Can I just go there an then look for a job? yes
Cooking jobs are too vague.What kind of food can you prepare italian,spanish etc? Then look for restaurants which serve these foods.

other places on the net is timesjobs.com and nauki.com

$3000 would depend on your lifestyle .I think 50$ per day (on the higher side without alcohol ) for food and transport.This can reduce as you find better places to eat and better modes of transport.

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machadinha

Like I said, if you can outdo the local cooks, there may well be a market there yes. (I'd be surprised if the OP were calling in here and giving little information on that basis though. He'd probably be negotiating with the Marriot instead.)

I still think you'd need to technically arrange the employment visa from home though.

cestoyker

I find you optimism to be akin to my own. thank you. thank you thank you.
Im doing this as an adventure not a career move. If it doesn't work out that's fine.
If you have any other information that you think will help me please let me know.
It sounds like my fiance and I will be living in/around Andheri West. Are you familiar?
Cheers
-cestoyker

navinkurian2002

machadinha is right if you are not on an employment visa your application would be rejected in a lot of places. But there have been many who come here and then network.There is Tim Collins who started lindy hop in india.

There are been friends who have stayed for a year but had to go to nepal ever 6 months to get their visa renewed.

Andheri West is a nice place with everything you need ,though the roads are super congested at times.
If you are still looking for a place check the property sites listed here

You can checkout couchsurfing to connected with other expats and locals.

cestoyker

The visa will be easy to get. I understand the way work visas are and tourist visas. That's all fine.
So how realistic do you think it is for me to go there with the 3000-4000 (us) and no job. I know I will be able to survive. We have friends there. I not going into this blind, and I done my research. I guess I'm just looking to talk to some who know the city. Every single person I've talked to (including friend who live or have lived there) seems to have a different opinion about Mumbai and India. It's hard to sift through all of that.
-cestoyker

brishti

you've got to have specific questions cestoyker.
what kind of information are you looking for?
does it involve the economics of living in mumbai?
does it involve lifestyle?
does it involve accomodation?

like i said - be specific. you'll get them answers and then some.


:brishti

mairangi_vice

Ive just left Mumbai after living there for 3 months with no job, and trying to find one, with no luck. Also in Andheri west. Visas will be a problem for you. A tourist visa is easy, but employment visas will require a trip back to your home country. You will need to find a company that is either ignorant or willing to flaunt the rules to hire you.

As for the money, the question is what will you be paying as rent? you say your fiancee is there with her friend, will you be staying there too? all 3 of you paying rent then 3-4000 usd will be more than enough. a 1 bedroom place in andheri west will be around 20,000 rupees per month