Get a 10 year visa while living in SF?
Mar 31, 2014, 3:10 pm
#1
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Get a 10 year visa while living in SF?
Hi all,
I'm trying to get a 10 year multiple entry tourist visa. Looks like as of 1/1/14 the SF consulate no longer offers the 10 year visa, only the 5 year one. Is there a legal way for me to get a 10 year one? The reason I ask, is I think **legally** the consulate serving the area of your residence is the only one who is supposed to issue your visa.
Is there a way for me to get it issued in NYC or DC, that is not illegal?
Sorry if this question has been asked elsewhere.
Thanks!
I'm trying to get a 10 year multiple entry tourist visa. Looks like as of 1/1/14 the SF consulate no longer offers the 10 year visa, only the 5 year one. Is there a legal way for me to get a 10 year one? The reason I ask, is I think **legally** the consulate serving the area of your residence is the only one who is supposed to issue your visa.
Is there a way for me to get it issued in NYC or DC, that is not illegal?
Sorry if this question has been asked elsewhere.
Thanks!
Apr 1, 2014, 9:18 am
#3
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Looks like it: Travisa visa and consular fees
Apr 1, 2014, 1:10 pm
#4
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Looks like it: Travisa visa and consular fees
i thought bls was doing this now....
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/india...residents.html
Apr 2, 2014, 8:44 am
#5
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No, they still process applications. BLS does as well, but given they almost lost the contract, and have lost people's passports, I'll stick with the devil I know. Anyway BLS similarly does not issue 10 year visas from SF.
Apr 5, 2014, 2:42 am
#6
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I didn't think Travisa was doing them anymore either. I thought they could only be done through BLS. Would have gotten my PIO through Travisa if I could...my tourist visa a couple of years ago was very easy and fast through them....
On the other hand, I thought they were taking bids to replace BLS. On the other hand, rumor here is visa on arrival is supposed to start by the end of the year, so the visa thing for tourists should be much easier at that point. Of course, saying it will be done by the end of the year doesn't mean it will actually happen by then.
On the other hand, I thought they were taking bids to replace BLS. On the other hand, rumor here is visa on arrival is supposed to start by the end of the year, so the visa thing for tourists should be much easier at that point. Of course, saying it will be done by the end of the year doesn't mean it will actually happen by then.
Apr 9, 2014, 4:16 pm
#7
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May 1, 2014, 10:58 am
#8
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I'm going tomorrow morning and since I don't live in DC the earliest I can pick it up is mid June. I had a visa transferred in 2011 by Travisa and that took about 3 weeks. Trying to decide if I should pick up in person or have it FedExed to me.
May 5, 2014, 12:30 pm
#9
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I went on Friday to the BLS processing office in DC. Was told that because of jurisdiction issues they couldn't process my application, I'd have to do it in SF. When I asked if there was any way to get a 10 year visa while living in SF the ever helpful employee just kept repeating he couldn't process it here. Another win for critical thinking skills.
Long story short: you cannot get a 10 year visa if SF is your assigned consulate.
Long story short: you cannot get a 10 year visa if SF is your assigned consulate.
May 5, 2014, 2:55 pm
#10
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I had a huge run around today. Since my residency is in LA I can't get a visa processed in NY. Have to have not only an ID but a utility bill.
Longest story in the shortest version, you can get a 10 yr visa, it would cost around 300 + dollars, BUT you have to have it done in your place of residence.
So I went to a highly recommended Indian travel agency, and the gentleman told me to start the procedure ASAP, because by the end of May BLS won't be authorized anymore and they don't know who it is, and BLS has the reputation of losing passports (he said someone found a stack of them in the garbage).
So, this is the latest that I know off.
Longest story in the shortest version, you can get a 10 yr visa, it would cost around 300 + dollars, BUT you have to have it done in your place of residence.
So I went to a highly recommended Indian travel agency, and the gentleman told me to start the procedure ASAP, because by the end of May BLS won't be authorized anymore and they don't know who it is, and BLS has the reputation of losing passports (he said someone found a stack of them in the garbage).
So, this is the latest that I know off.
May 8, 2014, 3:42 pm
#11
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I had a huge run around today. Since my residency is in LA I can't get a visa processed in NY. Have to have not only an ID but a utility bill.
Longest story in the shortest version, you can get a 10 yr visa, it would cost around 300 + dollars, BUT you have to have it done in your place of residence.
So I went to a highly recommended Indian travel agency, and the gentleman told me to start the procedure ASAP, because by the end of May BLS won't be authorized anymore and they don't know who it is, and BLS has the reputation of losing passports (he said someone found a stack of them in the garbage).
So, this is the latest that I know off.
Longest story in the shortest version, you can get a 10 yr visa, it would cost around 300 + dollars, BUT you have to have it done in your place of residence.
So I went to a highly recommended Indian travel agency, and the gentleman told me to start the procedure ASAP, because by the end of May BLS won't be authorized anymore and they don't know who it is, and BLS has the reputation of losing passports (he said someone found a stack of them in the garbage).
So, this is the latest that I know off.
My experience with C&K as Indian visa gatekeeper in parts of Europe has been far better than what I've experienced with BLS as Indian visa gatekeeper in the US.
May 10, 2014, 5:00 am
#13
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 167
My experience last October was that SF issued a 10 year visa and NYC issued a 5 year visa when both applications were for 10 year visas. So getting it done through the NY consulate may not be a useful strategy anyway.