kicked out of india!
January 30, 2012 11:10 PM Subscribe
I'm in Mumbai. I just found out my visa situation in India is not ok. I need to speak to an expert about this. Who should I call or where should I go?
So I've got a student visa valid for 6 months. I'm studying for one month, then made very expensive plans for travel in India for another 3 weeks. I just registered today (a requirement on my visa) and was told that I must leave the country within 7 days of the end of my studies. Beyond the expense, I'm meeting my mom when traveling, and I think it would break her heart if our trip-of-a-lifetime was cancelled. At this point I'm willing to do anything- fly anywhere- pay anything- to make this work out. BUT who should I call or meet? I need professional help at this point. I've already posted on indiamike , but haven't had much luck with people being helpful there.
So I've got a student visa valid for 6 months. I'm studying for one month, then made very expensive plans for travel in India for another 3 weeks. I just registered today (a requirement on my visa) and was told that I must leave the country within 7 days of the end of my studies. Beyond the expense, I'm meeting my mom when traveling, and I think it would break her heart if our trip-of-a-lifetime was cancelled. At this point I'm willing to do anything- fly anywhere- pay anything- to make this work out. BUT who should I call or meet? I need professional help at this point. I've already posted on indiamike , but haven't had much luck with people being helpful there.
I don't know anything about Indian bureaucracy, but I'd suggest talking to the professor or other person in charge of your studies. Tell them your situation, and ask if you can pay to extend your studies for a self-guided lesson of India. You can write a report on it in the end, and pay for the privilege of doing a self-guided lesson. Perhaps you can tell this person your travel plans, and receive a specific lesson plan based on where you are going in exchange for a fee paid to the student program, for example.
posted by Pants! at 11:16 PM on January 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Pants! at 11:16 PM on January 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
Not the Embassy, the Consulate.
An Embassy is where foreign governments and the Govt of India deal with each other. The Consulate is where foreign citizens in India go to contact their own government. There's only ever one Embassy, but often multiple consulates in different cities.
There's a US Consulate in Mumbai.
Best of luck.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 11:33 PM on January 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
An Embassy is where foreign governments and the Govt of India deal with each other. The Consulate is where foreign citizens in India go to contact their own government. There's only ever one Embassy, but often multiple consulates in different cities.
There's a US Consulate in Mumbai.
Best of luck.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 11:33 PM on January 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
Does your visa actually say 6 months and list a date 6 months from now? Is this 7 days thing written anywhere on your visa?
posted by acidic at 1:00 AM on January 31, 2012
posted by acidic at 1:00 AM on January 31, 2012
Response by poster: acidic: no, the 7 days thing was given to me on a form when i registered. the visa says "register within 14 days of arrival in india". they gave me a form and wrote a number on the visa itself. do you think i should 'lose' the form?
posted by genmonster at 1:16 AM on January 31, 2012
posted by genmonster at 1:16 AM on January 31, 2012
If you were in China you could change your student visa to a 30-day tourist visa. Bring up that possibility with whoever you talk to.
posted by msittig at 1:40 AM on January 31, 2012
posted by msittig at 1:40 AM on January 31, 2012
You're assuming that India has its act together enough to have a computer system somehow linked to your school that tells them the date your last class ended. From my experience in India and Pakistan: It is just not that well organized. If the visa says it's valid for that period of time, that's what they'll be checking on departure at exit control.
Think of it this way: Other than going on your word, how is the passport exit control going to know when you left school?
posted by thewalrus at 1:45 AM on January 31, 2012 [5 favorites]
Think of it this way: Other than going on your word, how is the passport exit control going to know when you left school?
posted by thewalrus at 1:45 AM on January 31, 2012 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: thewalrus: no i am well aware that they do not have their act together at all. unfortunately they did have a copy of my admission letter which stated my dates of study. new plan is just to present my passport and the stamped receipt and pretend that i never got any other form.
posted by genmonster at 2:47 AM on January 31, 2012
posted by genmonster at 2:47 AM on January 31, 2012
Sorry to hear about your situation. Indian bureaucracy gets onto the nerves of most of the Indians too. I would go back to the same place where you registered and tell them that this is what you have planned (with proof). I would ask them about possibility of extending the visa, or offer them a possibility of getting a tourist visa stamped from Sri Lanka or Nepal. Since Mumbai terrorist attack, Indian system is scrutinizing everyone rather thoroughly (even PIO, i.e. Person of Indian Origin but has nationality other than Pakistan or Bangladesh) so check out if you can re-enter the country after leaving in 60 days.
OR
If you have booked your travel through one agency, ask them to postpone whole plan by 3 months (Read the note of 60 days above), they may charge you a bit but worth it than losing all the money.
OR
as someone mentioned earlier, ask your study coordinator for help.
DO NOT LOSE the documents and pretend that you never got them. I can assure you that will have a record of it. Even though we think they are bunch of idiots, they are actually not. They could stamp deportation on your passport.
@thewalrus,
Every country has its own system set up for what suits them best. Even though I hate Indian system too, explaining it is beyond the scope of this post. I can point out tons of flaws in the US visa/immigration system (watching the debates?)
posted by zaxour at 3:10 AM on January 31, 2012 [1 favorite]
OR
If you have booked your travel through one agency, ask them to postpone whole plan by 3 months (Read the note of 60 days above), they may charge you a bit but worth it than losing all the money.
OR
as someone mentioned earlier, ask your study coordinator for help.
DO NOT LOSE the documents and pretend that you never got them. I can assure you that will have a record of it. Even though we think they are bunch of idiots, they are actually not. They could stamp deportation on your passport.
@thewalrus,
Every country has its own system set up for what suits them best. Even though I hate Indian system too, explaining it is beyond the scope of this post. I can point out tons of flaws in the US visa/immigration system (watching the debates?)
posted by zaxour at 3:10 AM on January 31, 2012 [1 favorite]
IMHO, your best bet is to get help from your study co-ordinator. I don't know anything about the programme but you could get an extension to submit your final report by a few weeks.
If I were you I wouldn't approach the authorities with anything because of two reasons. I would also not try to go out of the country and return.
1) They are usually not empowered to make any change to the category of visa you have unless there is someone high up who is willing to put in a call for you.
2) If your intention to stay over is recorded and in some form and then denied you lose the plausible deniability which you could possibly claim if you were caught out.
posted by london302 at 5:15 AM on January 31, 2012
If I were you I wouldn't approach the authorities with anything because of two reasons. I would also not try to go out of the country and return.
1) They are usually not empowered to make any change to the category of visa you have unless there is someone high up who is willing to put in a call for you.
2) If your intention to stay over is recorded and in some form and then denied you lose the plausible deniability which you could possibly claim if you were caught out.
posted by london302 at 5:15 AM on January 31, 2012
nthing talking to your study co-ordinator. It'd be pretty neat to... have your travels be a part of your studies. A learning experience, if you will. ;)
posted by Senza Volto at 5:53 AM on January 31, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Senza Volto at 5:53 AM on January 31, 2012 [1 favorite]
FRROs -- the places you go to register and get your visa extended -- can be tricky places to navigate. I strongly suggest you take this question to the Indiamike forums, where there are plenty of people who know if this can be done, and/or know who you should ask -- and, just as importantly when it comes to visa matters in India, how you should ask it.
Good luck!
posted by artemisia at 9:08 PM on January 31, 2012
Good luck!
posted by artemisia at 9:08 PM on January 31, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by genmonster at 11:11 PM on January 30, 2012