How extreme do we need to be about getting a visa to India for Oct. 15?
September 28, 2010 5:46 PM Subscribe
Business visa to go to India on October 15 - what's the best way to make this happen in time? Is a drive to the TraVisa office in Washington, DC, required? Also, from whom should these invitation/sponsoring letters be?
We're in North Carolina. This is to travel from here to teach a course at a major international corporation - I mention this in case it makes a difference to the visa granters...
I think I've heard about third-party services to expedite visa applications, but we just talked to a Travisa office (not the local one, we called one in a different time zone that was still open), and they seemed to think those types of services weren't a good idea.
Is there any other way to make sure the visa arrives in time? Some kind of expedite fee? Travisa's web site says 7-9 business days, which has the visa arriving the day before he departs.
We could make a FedEx drop box that closes at 11PM EST, but there's one thing we think we're missing:
The applicant has everything in hand except a "letter from a sponsoring organization in the US" (or similar wording) -- he's not sure if that's the small company that he works for, who has been contracted to provide the course, or the US branch of the hiring corporation.
He's willing to drive six hours each way to do the visa application in person, but would much much rather not - time and energy are very tight right now.
We're in North Carolina. This is to travel from here to teach a course at a major international corporation - I mention this in case it makes a difference to the visa granters...
I think I've heard about third-party services to expedite visa applications, but we just talked to a Travisa office (not the local one, we called one in a different time zone that was still open), and they seemed to think those types of services weren't a good idea.
Is there any other way to make sure the visa arrives in time? Some kind of expedite fee? Travisa's web site says 7-9 business days, which has the visa arriving the day before he departs.
We could make a FedEx drop box that closes at 11PM EST, but there's one thing we think we're missing:
The applicant has everything in hand except a "letter from a sponsoring organization in the US" (or similar wording) -- he's not sure if that's the small company that he works for, who has been contracted to provide the course, or the US branch of the hiring corporation.
He's willing to drive six hours each way to do the visa application in person, but would much much rather not - time and energy are very tight right now.
1. Third-party services for Indian visas are never a good idea.
2. You can use FedEx for faster delivery and cut down the shipping time.
3. The "Sponsor Letter From Parent Company in USA" is exactly what it says it is. The size of the company is not relevant. As long as it is a legit company (registered or whatever you have in the USA), a letter "on company letterhead indicating the nature of the applicant's business, probable duration of stay, validity of visa applied for (1 Year, 5 Year or 10 Year), places and organizations to be visited, and a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses" would be just fine.
4. I hope the applicant already has a similar "Sponsor Letter From Organization in India".
5. If the applicant is going to teach a course, I am not sure if Business Visa would be the right thing. Please check with TraVisa and be sure that an Employment Visa or Entry Visa is not required.
Business Visa: "A Business visa is strictly given those who are doing business in India such as making sales or establishing contacts on behalf of a company outside of India."
Employment Visa: "Applicants going for employment in projects/contracts in India should apply for an Employment visa and not a Business visa. If the applicant does not meet any other visa type standards, they should apply for an Entry visa."
posted by vidur at 6:05 PM on September 28, 2010
2. You can use FedEx for faster delivery and cut down the shipping time.
3. The "Sponsor Letter From Parent Company in USA" is exactly what it says it is. The size of the company is not relevant. As long as it is a legit company (registered or whatever you have in the USA), a letter "on company letterhead indicating the nature of the applicant's business, probable duration of stay, validity of visa applied for (1 Year, 5 Year or 10 Year), places and organizations to be visited, and a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses" would be just fine.
4. I hope the applicant already has a similar "Sponsor Letter From Organization in India".
5. If the applicant is going to teach a course, I am not sure if Business Visa would be the right thing. Please check with TraVisa and be sure that an Employment Visa or Entry Visa is not required.
Business Visa: "A Business visa is strictly given those who are doing business in India such as making sales or establishing contacts on behalf of a company outside of India."
Employment Visa: "Applicants going for employment in projects/contracts in India should apply for an Employment visa and not a Business visa. If the applicant does not meet any other visa type standards, they should apply for an Entry visa."
posted by vidur at 6:05 PM on September 28, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks, vidur. I think our confusion on which company had to do with what the word "Parent" means here. There's company A that employs the traveler, and company B, in India, which employs company A. Company B is the sponsor letter from organization in India -- he's got that. Company B also has a branch in the US (or it may be a US company with a branch in India), which might make the US branch a parent -- or not -- but company A might also be the parent.
Good point about business vs. employment visa. I guess we should just call them tomorrow and hope for some help.
We're definitely using FedEx, but it's still a very close thing.
Can anyone say why third-party services for Indian visas are a bad idea? I'm getting conflicting reports form more than just these two answers :)
posted by amtho at 6:50 PM on September 28, 2010
Good point about business vs. employment visa. I guess we should just call them tomorrow and hope for some help.
We're definitely using FedEx, but it's still a very close thing.
Can anyone say why third-party services for Indian visas are a bad idea? I'm getting conflicting reports form more than just these two answers :)
posted by amtho at 6:50 PM on September 28, 2010
amtho, third-party services for speeding up the Indian visa process are a bad idea because Indian government does not have a "legal" faster queue (the emergency illness/death cases are in a different category, of course). So, whatever such a service provider is doing, is probably not entirely above-board (unless they just send someone to pester Indian officials till they cave in). Not saying that some folks will not have positive experiences, but I don't see how such services can be relied upon.
In your example, you need a letter from Company A (US-based, real employer of traveler) in addition to the letter from Company B (India-based, real inviting company).
Unless Company C (the US branch of Company B or whatever it is technically) is involved in some way (did someone from Company C sign a contract with A or B for this traveler?), you don't need anything from them.
posted by vidur at 7:30 PM on September 28, 2010
In your example, you need a letter from Company A (US-based, real employer of traveler) in addition to the letter from Company B (India-based, real inviting company).
Unless Company C (the US branch of Company B or whatever it is technically) is involved in some way (did someone from Company C sign a contract with A or B for this traveler?), you don't need anything from them.
posted by vidur at 7:30 PM on September 28, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks, vidur! My impression is that if you go to the Travisa office you can get a visa in one day; I assumed that a third-party service would just do that (go deliver documents in the morning, pick them up at night) for you -- no?
posted by amtho at 7:36 PM on September 28, 2010
posted by amtho at 7:36 PM on September 28, 2010
The process flow for Indian visas (wherever document collection has been outsourced to an agency like TraVisa) is like this:
1. Documents are submitted by applicants to the agency.
2. Data Entry is made by the agency.
3. Physical transmission of all documents (passports included) is done at a fixed frequency (daily, twice/thrice a day, whatever the arrangement is) from the agency to the consulate/embassy. Data is transferred electronically (frequency and finer details vary, but it is not real time).
4. Actual processing of data and examination of documents etc. is done at the consulate/embassy and the agency has no say in this.
5. Visa stickers are printed, signed and affixed to passports after data processing and internal approvals at the embassy/consulate.
6. Physical transmission of passports back to the agency is done at a fixed frequency.
7. The agency sends out the passports to applicants.
Except steps 4 and 5, the rest is pretty much on auto-pilot. So, you could speed an application up by taking that one visa sticker out of the bunch and getting it signed by the concerned official. But if a third-party agency is doing this, and charging you money for it, I am not sure how they are accomplishing this legally (except, as I said, by pestering the officials).
You might try one thing though: Send a fax requesting a speedy decision (stating your reasons), on Company A's letterhead to the Consular Wing at the Embassy. Also send a copy of the fax message to the Commerce Wing. This should be done after the application has been formally submitted and you have a tracking number that you should refer to in the letter. This will ensure that a higher-level diplomat will look at it and will take a call on whatever speeding up may be considered appropriate.
posted by vidur at 7:54 PM on September 28, 2010
1. Documents are submitted by applicants to the agency.
2. Data Entry is made by the agency.
3. Physical transmission of all documents (passports included) is done at a fixed frequency (daily, twice/thrice a day, whatever the arrangement is) from the agency to the consulate/embassy. Data is transferred electronically (frequency and finer details vary, but it is not real time).
4. Actual processing of data and examination of documents etc. is done at the consulate/embassy and the agency has no say in this.
5. Visa stickers are printed, signed and affixed to passports after data processing and internal approvals at the embassy/consulate.
6. Physical transmission of passports back to the agency is done at a fixed frequency.
7. The agency sends out the passports to applicants.
Except steps 4 and 5, the rest is pretty much on auto-pilot. So, you could speed an application up by taking that one visa sticker out of the bunch and getting it signed by the concerned official. But if a third-party agency is doing this, and charging you money for it, I am not sure how they are accomplishing this legally (except, as I said, by pestering the officials).
You might try one thing though: Send a fax requesting a speedy decision (stating your reasons), on Company A's letterhead to the Consular Wing at the Embassy. Also send a copy of the fax message to the Commerce Wing. This should be done after the application has been formally submitted and you have a tracking number that you should refer to in the letter. This will ensure that a higher-level diplomat will look at it and will take a call on whatever speeding up may be considered appropriate.
posted by vidur at 7:54 PM on September 28, 2010
Response by poster: Then how is it that mailed applications take 7-9 days of processing, after all documents are received, and in-person applications take one day?
posted by amtho at 8:08 PM on September 28, 2010
posted by amtho at 8:08 PM on September 28, 2010
Response by poster: Also, though, thanks for those links, vidur!
posted by amtho at 8:09 PM on September 28, 2010
posted by amtho at 8:09 PM on September 28, 2010
The point of expedition services is so that you don't waste.time doing these onerous things, my employer is a large multinational and we use them all the time. As a result my Indian business visa was turned around in 24 hrs although the Indian High Commission in London specifically offers a fast track process. Incidentally I was teaching courses at our offshoring facility (different legal entity to my UK firm) and I did need a business visa...
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:38 PM on September 28, 2010
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:38 PM on September 28, 2010
The "processing" in 7-9 days usually refers to the overall time it would take, because the applicants are not concerned with the entire chain - they just want to know how long it would take to get the visa. The estimate given is generally on the higher side, so that most applicants are pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed.
The "processing" that I referred to in Step 4/5 (in my comment above) is the internal process at the embassy/consulate. Since all Indian visas have to be signed by an authorized official, there is sometimes a delay due to the sheer number of visas to be signed and the number of officials available to sign them. So, this processing time has a fair bit of variation.
Unless there is something snowflakey about an applicant (or if the Indian embassy/consulate in Country X is insisting on taking as much time as Country X takes to grant visas to Indians back in Delhi), the internal process shouldn't take more than 1 or 2 days.
posted by vidur at 8:44 PM on September 28, 2010
The "processing" that I referred to in Step 4/5 (in my comment above) is the internal process at the embassy/consulate. Since all Indian visas have to be signed by an authorized official, there is sometimes a delay due to the sheer number of visas to be signed and the number of officials available to sign them. So, this processing time has a fair bit of variation.
Unless there is something snowflakey about an applicant (or if the Indian embassy/consulate in Country X is insisting on taking as much time as Country X takes to grant visas to Indians back in Delhi), the internal process shouldn't take more than 1 or 2 days.
posted by vidur at 8:44 PM on September 28, 2010
I was pleasantly surprised to see that (as koahiatamadl said) Indian High Commission in London has started a new category of "Urgent Business Visa". But it appears to be a special case in London. There is certainly no such thing in Sydney (where I am based). I can't see anything similar on the website of Indian Embassy in Washington either.
Do write those faxes. Indian government is trying to make doing business with India easier. Good luck.
posted by vidur at 8:49 PM on September 28, 2010
Do write those faxes. Indian government is trying to make doing business with India easier. Good luck.
posted by vidur at 8:49 PM on September 28, 2010
Response by poster: He's prepared to actually drive to Washington DC on Sunday to do the visa application on Monday, with (we hope) one-day turnaround. Has anybody done this? Is it a good idea if we absolutely need the visa on time? It's a six-hour drive each way, plus a hotel stay the night before.
posted by amtho at 3:25 AM on September 29, 2010
posted by amtho at 3:25 AM on September 29, 2010
I've gotten an Indian tourist visa from the consulate in Washington, DC. It was a one day thing -- but you should get there right when the office opens. You wait in line, go up to the window and turn in your form and passport. If everything is in order, they just sign/stamp the form and tell you to come back later to pick up the visa. I just came back in the afternoon, but I noticed other people were told to come back the next day. It's true, they do tell you it can take 5-7 days on the forms, but talking to other people in the line, it seems like most people got it within a day or two. This was the process as of 1.5 years ago.
(Also, make sure you go to the consulate and not the embassy; they're in different locations).
posted by bluefly at 5:57 AM on September 29, 2010
(Also, make sure you go to the consulate and not the embassy; they're in different locations).
posted by bluefly at 5:57 AM on September 29, 2010
Response by poster: bluefly, when was that? Was it through Travisa?
And are you saying it took a day or two through the mail for the people you talked to in line?
Thank you!
posted by amtho at 6:13 AM on September 29, 2010
And are you saying it took a day or two through the mail for the people you talked to in line?
Thank you!
posted by amtho at 6:13 AM on September 29, 2010
I think Bluefly did that before Travisa entered the picture. I remember the good old days when you applied directly at the consulate. However, back in 2007 or 2008, that all changed, and now foreign nationals don't ever set foot near the Indian consulate; it all goes through Travisa.
I've never applied through Travisa in person -- I've always done it through mail, and had amazingly quick turnaround times, even for research visas, which are notoriously slow to process -- but I do recall considering an in-person application and discovering that you need to request an appointment time for this, and that it's a fifteen minute window you have to book in advance. So, amtho, if your colleague decides to do this, he should book the appointment TODAY to make sure he gets a good slot.
Also, tell him to pay special attention to the rules -- when I was looking into making an appointment, I remember being amazed to learn that I wouldn't be able to take pretty much anything inside the Travisa office -- not even sunglasses or a wallet!
posted by artemisia at 7:11 AM on September 29, 2010
I've never applied through Travisa in person -- I've always done it through mail, and had amazingly quick turnaround times, even for research visas, which are notoriously slow to process -- but I do recall considering an in-person application and discovering that you need to request an appointment time for this, and that it's a fifteen minute window you have to book in advance. So, amtho, if your colleague decides to do this, he should book the appointment TODAY to make sure he gets a good slot.
Also, tell him to pay special attention to the rules -- when I was looking into making an appointment, I remember being amazed to learn that I wouldn't be able to take pretty much anything inside the Travisa office -- not even sunglasses or a wallet!
posted by artemisia at 7:11 AM on September 29, 2010
amtho - I had the same experience as bluefly, but at the New York Travisa location. About 2 years ago. Also for a tourist visa. Dropped by sometime in the AM, waited in an irritating line, dropped off all the paperwork, they looked it over and told me to come back later in the day to pick up my visa. It all happened exactly according to what they said. If you've been told that they do business visas as a same-day turnaround as a matter of course, that is what you should do.
Think of it this way. Mailing everything in = up to 9 business days. Going in person = 24 hours and change. It's irritating that you can't just pass it off to FedEx and have other people take care of it, but if you want it done as quickly as possible, this is how you have to do it.
Is there a reason the applicant has to go to DC himself? I remember being in line with people who were dropping off several sets of paperwork for different people in their company, assistants dropping off paperwork for their boss, stuff like that. Could you send someone else to DC with paperwork in hand if this particular person's schedule is tight?
discovering that you need to request an appointment time for this, and that it's a fifteen minute window you have to book in advance.
This was not the case for my tourist visa 2 years ago. You dropped by within a certain window of time, and that guaranteed your visa would be ready same day. It was like going to the DMV or the post office. Not sure if this has changed in the past couple years or if it's different for business visas, though.
posted by Sara C. at 8:15 AM on September 29, 2010
Think of it this way. Mailing everything in = up to 9 business days. Going in person = 24 hours and change. It's irritating that you can't just pass it off to FedEx and have other people take care of it, but if you want it done as quickly as possible, this is how you have to do it.
Is there a reason the applicant has to go to DC himself? I remember being in line with people who were dropping off several sets of paperwork for different people in their company, assistants dropping off paperwork for their boss, stuff like that. Could you send someone else to DC with paperwork in hand if this particular person's schedule is tight?
discovering that you need to request an appointment time for this, and that it's a fifteen minute window you have to book in advance.
This was not the case for my tourist visa 2 years ago. You dropped by within a certain window of time, and that guaranteed your visa would be ready same day. It was like going to the DMV or the post office. Not sure if this has changed in the past couple years or if it's different for business visas, though.
posted by Sara C. at 8:15 AM on September 29, 2010
Ah, you're right, I did go to a Travisa office in 2009 (but I had forgotten, in 2007, I went to the consulate -- I conflated the two). I went to a Travisa office in Georgetown (I think), and it was very much as Sara C describes. I did not mail anything. Some of the people in line came back the next day to pick up their visa.
Again this was for a tourist visa NOT a business/employment one.
posted by bluefly at 5:42 AM on October 1, 2010
Again this was for a tourist visa NOT a business/employment one.
posted by bluefly at 5:42 AM on October 1, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by cyndigo at 6:03 PM on September 28, 2010