New Visa Requirements?
Mar 30, 2010, 9:13 pm
#61
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Right, just like other visas most often dont expire with the expiration of the passport. With the OCI, however, since the status never expires, having a booklet as well as a stamped visa on the passport means that one has to carry that particular passport with the stamped visa, for their entire lifetime, since the validity of the OCI status is a lifetime.
We are not talking about OCI.
Mar 30, 2010, 9:15 pm
#62
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I asked the last time I was leaving DEL. The immigration officer said that I HAD to carry the booklet as well as the passport that contains the visa. Then he looked at my ten year valid visa and decided that if I didnt want to, then I didnt need to carry the booklet.
I'm not sure but I dont remember there being a separate visa stamped on the passport with a PIO card. Is there?
I'm not sure but I dont remember there being a separate visa stamped on the passport with a PIO card. Is there?
And I believe you're right, the PIO card allows for visa-free travel (no visa in passport).
Mar 30, 2010, 9:41 pm
#63
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I do question the logic of the "Lifetime" visa that comes with the OCI booklet. Its pretty pointless. One additional travel document to carry in case when the passport with the (forever) valid OCI visa is expired. Just the OCI booklet should be enough, in my opinion. I wonder why both are necessary.
Mar 30, 2010, 9:56 pm
#64
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Many people my age have parents/ grandparents who were born in what is now Pakistan. They moved to India during the partition. What would, for instance, pre-independence Lahore be considered if you wanted to answer whether your grandparents were born in Pakistan? It was all India back then.
Mar 30, 2010, 10:05 pm
#65
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I did, thank you.
My question is, and it is purely in the interest of discussion, where would you say a particular person was born if they were born in pre-partition "Pakistan". Now I dont know the exact language of the question on the visa application is, but if they ask "were they born in Pakistan" as against "were they Pakistani", what's the right answer? Also, what if one's grandparents never moved to India in '47, possibly because they died before the partition?
My question is, and it is purely in the interest of discussion, where would you say a particular person was born if they were born in pre-partition "Pakistan". Now I dont know the exact language of the question on the visa application is, but if they ask "were they born in Pakistan" as against "were they Pakistani", what's the right answer? Also, what if one's grandparents never moved to India in '47, possibly because they died before the partition?
Mar 30, 2010, 10:33 pm
#66
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I did, thank you.
My question is, and it is purely in the interest of discussion, where would you say a particular person was born if they were born in pre-partition "Pakistan". Now I dont know the exact language of the question on the visa application is, but if they ask "were they born in Pakistan" as against "were they Pakistani", what's the right answer? Also, what if one's grandparents never moved to India in '47, possibly because they died before the partition?
My question is, and it is purely in the interest of discussion, where would you say a particular person was born if they were born in pre-partition "Pakistan". Now I dont know the exact language of the question on the visa application is, but if they ask "were they born in Pakistan" as against "were they Pakistani", what's the right answer? Also, what if one's grandparents never moved to India in '47, possibly because they died before the partition?
my grandmother was born in lahore in the 1920s but has always had indian citizenship....i even remember her filling up a form many years ago when we were going to pakistan for a relative's wedding....at place of birth she wrote lahore (pre-partition)....
Mar 30, 2010, 11:02 pm
#67
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India has been very strict in considering visa applications by anyone with a Muslim name for about ten years now. In my case, both my parents were born in British India. I am British by birth and I have had trouble whenever I have applied for a tourist visa to visit India. My wife, also being the offspring of Indian born parents but being born in North America has had an Indian business visa refused in the last year. In both cases, we understand the reason is due to heavy travel to Pakistan. As I say, this is long before the Headley days discussed above.
Mar 31, 2010, 2:01 am
#68
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India has been very strict in considering visa applications by anyone with a Muslim name for about ten years now. In my case, both my parents were born in British India. I am British by birth and I have had trouble whenever I have applied for a tourist visa to visit India. My wife, also being the offspring of Indian born parents but being born in North America has had an Indian business visa refused in the last year. In both cases, we understand the reason is due to heavy travel to Pakistan. As I say, this is long before the Headley days discussed above.
Mar 31, 2010, 8:13 am
#69
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I did, thank you.
My question is, and it is purely in the interest of discussion, where would you say a particular person was born if they were born in pre-partition "Pakistan". Now I dont know the exact language of the question on the visa application is, but if they ask "were they born in Pakistan" as against "were they Pakistani", what's the right answer? Also, what if one's grandparents never moved to India in '47, possibly because they died before the partition?
My question is, and it is purely in the interest of discussion, where would you say a particular person was born if they were born in pre-partition "Pakistan". Now I dont know the exact language of the question on the visa application is, but if they ask "were they born in Pakistan" as against "were they Pakistani", what's the right answer? Also, what if one's grandparents never moved to India in '47, possibly because they died before the partition?
Mar 31, 2010, 10:33 am
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).
Mar 31, 2010, 1:52 pm
#71
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Yes, we had been advised about OCI, but I was told recently, any applications flagged as suspect (by individuals suspected of ties to Pakistan) would require both passport and application be forwarded to New Delhi for consideration and approval. If that is indeed the case, I can well do without the humiliation and profiling (not like I don't get enough of that as it is ).
).EDIT to add: Actually, I think the visas are issued "locally", but instead the OCI booklets are sent from Delhi. In any case, all applications are forwarded to India and the decisions are made by MHA in India.
Last edited by Mr. Bean; Mar 31, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Mar 31, 2010, 2:19 pm
#72
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Yes, we had been advised about OCI, but I was told recently, any applications flagged as suspect (by individuals suspected of ties to Pakistan) would require both passport and application be forwarded to New Delhi for consideration and approval. If that is indeed the case, I can well do without the humiliation and profiling (not like I don't get enough of that as it is ).
).) through your parents. If they went to U.K. before the partition, you are eligible for OCI. However, if your parents held Pakistani citizenship before going to U.K., you are not eligible. There are Indians with ties to Pakistan through marriage in extended families. It is true that Pakistani ties will generate extra scrutiny. But once you get the OCI, no one will know in India about your Pakistani ties, except the guy who stamps you in at the immigration. Not sure what they will do if you presented yourself with OCI and a passport full of entry stamps to Pakistan.
As far as humiliation and profiling is concerned, why is humiliation or profiling from Indian bureaucrats less welcome than those the U.S.
Mar 31, 2010, 2:32 pm
#73
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Right, just like other visas most often dont expire with the expiration of the passport. With the OCI, however, since the status never expires, having a booklet as well as a stamped visa on the passport means that one has to carry that particular passport with the stamped visa, for their entire lifetime, since the validity of the OCI status is a lifetime.
But to answer my question by citing OCI and comparing the situation with OCI to that with a muti-year visa is strays further from the topic, does not answer my question and causes unnecessary confusion.. There are many things that OCI are allowed but people with a multi-year visa are denied.
OCI is meant for a select group of people. It's a lifetime visa. A multi-year visa is available to anyone, even those not of Indian origin. Rules that govern entry of those with OCI have absolutely nothing to do with rules of entry for other visas.
It would be silly to call it a lifetime visa, if you had to apply for it every time your passport expired. Ability to use your visa in an expired passport was not always there. One cannot take it for granted that something that's allowed to an OCI is allowed to a person holding a multi-year visa
Mixing up OCI with ten-year visa is causing confusion among more than a poster or two.
Mar 31, 2010, 2:40 pm
#74
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Sorry for the confusion. The ten-year visa is the visa that I had before I became an OCI.
I do question the logic of the "Lifetime" visa that comes with the OCI booklet. Its pretty pointless. One additional travel document to carry in case when the passport with the (forever) valid OCI visa is expired. Just the OCI booklet should be enough, in my opinion. I wonder why both are necessary.
I do question the logic of the "Lifetime" visa that comes with the OCI booklet. Its pretty pointless. One additional travel document to carry in case when the passport with the (forever) valid OCI visa is expired. Just the OCI booklet should be enough, in my opinion. I wonder why both are necessary.
What do they do with the booklet? Does it have multiple pages? Do they stamp you in and out on that booklet? I cannot make a comment about requiring the booklet unless I knew what it is used for.
If the visa is stamped in a passport, how would the booklet be enough? The booklet would be enough only of the visa was stamped in the booklet. But visa cannot be stamped in a booklet, for it's not a passport.
Mar 31, 2010, 3:13 pm
#75
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Are you questioning the logic of the life time visa or the logic of requiring a booklet?
What do they do with the booklet? Does it have multiple pages? Do they stamp you in and out on that booklet? I cannot make a comment about requiring the booklet unless I knew what it is used for.
If the visa is stamped in a passport, how would the booklet be enough? The booklet would be enough only of the visa was stamped in the booklet. But visa cannot be stamped in a booklet, for it's not a passport.
What do they do with the booklet? Does it have multiple pages? Do they stamp you in and out on that booklet? I cannot make a comment about requiring the booklet unless I knew what it is used for.
If the visa is stamped in a passport, how would the booklet be enough? The booklet would be enough only of the visa was stamped in the booklet. But visa cannot be stamped in a booklet, for it's not a passport.