pio refusal

joseph10

Hi,

I'm a young european man from european origin, happily married to an Indian lady for more than 3 years and we are having a beautiful daughter of 17 months.

Past 3 years i travelled up and down alone to europe for work so i used to enter India on a tourist visa.
A while ago, after the birth of our daughter, we decided we want to stay and live in India so i had to apply for a different visa, after some research PIO seemed to be the best option for me to be with my family and to build up a living so i wouldn't have to travel back to europe all the time.

After legalising all required documents for the application(marriage and birth certificate) i went to the Indian Ambassy.
There they told me it was very difficult and they advised me to apply in India, according to them that was much easier...
In Delhi at the MHA office we were told to apply at the ambassy
of my native country, after checking our documents the officer at the MHA said it would be easy to get the PIO.

So back in my native after telling about my MHA visit and showing the documents i finnaly got an interview. The officer told me to have one more document from my wife (attestation) then he said to forward the application. One week later i delivered the application with the attestation from my wife and i was told to call back after 3 to 4 weeks.

After calling 4 weeks later i was asked to call back next week.
Then after 5 weeks i was told they lost my application and told me to apply again, wich i did immediately. After receiving the second application they called me and said to take care of ir on short term.
After that again i was told to come to the ambassy for an interview, i said i already had an interview 6 weeks ago but i
was told to come so i did.(no other option)

After this interview wich was long and unfriendly they took again took my application, so happily i was expecting to have my PIO and to return to my family soon.

Three weeks after the second interview, i heard through a contact person (Not from the embassy) that there was an objection and PIO was refused.

It's a short version of a long story but i hope someone has some advice or wants to share some experiences with me so i can take a next step and stay with my family in India.

Thanks for reading

JamesW

I'm from the UK and applied for my, and my daughter's, PIO cards from the UK. It was simply a matter of sending the Indian High Commission the relevant documents. It was a while ago, but I remember the turn around time being pretty quick. If you've been married for at least a year, then there shouldn't be any problems.

You said there was an objection. Do you have any more details? If you don't press them for the exact reason. Any ideas what might be the problem? Have you ever overstayed on a tourist visa?, or otherwise tangled with the law in India? You say you are of European origin - I assume that means there are no distant Pakistani or Bangladeshi relatives.

joseph10

Hi James,

Thanks you for your quick response.

I've been married for more than three years.
Because of my documents and my marriage the MHA officer in Delhi told me it would be very easy to get PIO at the embassy in the Netherlands. (my native actually)
Still they refuse to give any details about the objection and refusal.
Personally i think the man who took the interview didn't like me (nor any foreigner anyway). From the start of the second interview he was intimidating, harsh (more than usual) and was trying to give me a hard time.

I found trough several websites that PIO application is easier in UK and USA, probaply, with all respect, because they're more used to western culture and expressions. It seems to be a big difference in wich country the application has been done.

Regards

crvlvr

Joseph, I don't know much about the PIO card process. But, applying in India was a mistake. I don't believe you can reapply in Netherlands, can you? If not, then you should take your wife with you (I assume she is an Indian citizen) to the office in India and she should make the case for you. Again, Iam assuming that she was not present at the first set of interviews?

joseph10

Hi Guru,

Actualy i didn't reply for PIO in India. The MHA officer told me
it is possible in India to convert my tourist visa into a so called X-visa, and after receiving X-visa to apply for a PIO visa
whitin India itself. But he advised me to apply in Holland because the procedure would be much shorter and easier as he said.
I didn't bring my wife because she was in India at the time.
When i wanted to apply the first time at the embassy in the Netherlands, that was some nine months ago, i came with my wife and daughter.
At that time they said it was easier to apply in India so they keep on sending me up and down.

The second interview they offered me a 5 year holiday visa but
i refused because i thought PIO visa was whitin sight now (too naive seeing afterwards..) and to have a family life in India i need permission to work.
Overseeing now i think i just met the wrong person who anyway wasn't planning to give me PIO, but offered me the 5 year holiday visa because even he could see all documents were there and that i really have a Indian wife and daughter.
Now after rejection they only want to give me a 6 months holiday visa or maybe for a year.

Tja, it doesn't come easy, probaply after some time i can laugh about the matter. Anyway i learn a lot and in the future i can help some other people, many more stories and experiences i have.

We are living in 2008 now in a world that becomes smaller and smaller rapidly, i hope there will be more understanding for that from the government.

Thanks for your reply

Nick-H

You can apply for PIO in India if you are there on a 1-yr-or-more visa, hence the 'X' visa. I did so and had no trouble at all, but I was resident here at the time on an X visa issued in London.

I had a lot of problems trying to get the X visa in India, but this was largely down to an idiot 'agent' who gave us a lot of bullshit and very little service.

Joseph, I sympathise. It is not much fun being up against the deaf wall of bureaucracy, especially when it is wrong. There are plenty such officers who enjoy exercising their power, and other than somehow getting into the office of someone senior at the embassy, I don't know what to suggest.

Well, one other possibility is string-pulling... If you have any contact with any Indian-origin person who is big in Industry, business or politics in your country, you could try to enlist their help.

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

joseph10

Hi Nick,

Many different stories from different officers i heard.
As far as i know they can't give me X-visa in Netherlands.

Is a 1 year holiday visa (never heard about it but they said they could offer) sufficiant to start the PIO procedure in India?

Thanks

Nick-H

I'd check out your local embassy site, but if it is in Dutch I wouldn't be much good at understanding it.

"X" visa is "Entry" visa, and I don't know, but don't see why you shouldn't get it in Netherlands. The usual description is that it is given to persons of Indian origin, but it is also given to spouses of Indian citizens, and to spouses of foreigners with employment visas.

Please check your local site for "Entry Visa"

joseph10

Hi Nick,

Naan laarkin la?

Thanks for your help.

I found on the embassy site ex-indian visa, so i suppose that is the X-visa.
If that visa would be granted can i start the PIO in India itself?
If possible I think that would be the best solution as far as i can see now.
Complaining is dangerous, someone told me they could put me on a blacklist.

Also i'm pulling some strings but that will probably take too much time. I like to go home...

Regards

atala

I would want to give you some advice but do not want to write it for everyone to read. However, I cannot send you a private message, because to receive that you need to have written 10 posts. As soon as you have reached that number, I will write you.

Nick-H

--- it's five posts, but also fifteen days membership.

atala

Okay.

joseph10

Hi Atala,

You make me curious, but i understand i'll have to wait some time.
Thanks for your interest and i'm looking forward to hear from you.

This is a nice site and i wish to contribute if needed.

Thanks

Nick-H

You are very welcome!

Many of us come here with one question, and stick around

alabamagoa

In response to PIO case, a friend married to an indian over year ago, on 2 year business visa went to delhi to apply for her PIO,
was refused given 1 month to leave india even through she has 4 months left on her visa and was told it was because she quote "A foreigner under investigation for buying a property" she has has no letters from the directorate of enforcement or any other office in Goa informing her of any investigation, and yet again to her knowledge purchased her home legally!!!
I truely beleive that this is the way the goverment are going to seize properties by refusing visas.