Originally Posted by
PhlyingRPh
Oh, how the tables have turned.
It's going to be turning more.
Originally Posted by
jpatokal
At the risk of stating the obvious... why not use a tourist visa? They're easily obtained, allow multiple entries and are valid 6 months, and you can get them issued back to back without anybody blinking an eye. Yes, you're not allowed to "work" on a tourist visa... but if you're getting paid at home by the home office, not by an Indian company in India, then you aren't really working in India now are you?
As a data point, I spent over a year (off and on) working... err... attending a project in India on an unholy mix of tourist and business visas, traveling back and forth every month or so, and Immigration never even batted an eyelid.
For those of South Asian backgrounds, it's probably going to still work out for those in the kind of arrangement you mention because of a presumption of social visit purpose if so declaring that for those with a tourist visa and/or tourist & business visas; for those of other ethnic backgrounds and staying at higher end hotels for long durations, it might become a bit more difficult if the Home Ministry decides to go full force with updated training and implementation at the international ports of entry.
PIO and OCI applications should see a spike due to this too since that's a more predictable -- if not also easier -- process than these contractor/employment-related visa requirements.