Visa for US Citizens-Time to Get?
Jul 9, 2011 | 1:27 am
#1
Original Poster
In memoriam
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,020
Visa for US Citizens-Time to Get?
We are taking our first trip to India--leaving July 28. And, I was surprised to learn, US citizens have to get visas (my bad, I've been a lot of places and the only place I had to get a visa in advance was China, so, guess I was just uninformed about India).
So, is there likely to be a problem if we overnight our apps and two pics with passports to San Francisco counsel office for arrival on July 12?
Or, should I put the tickets on hold?
So, is there likely to be a problem if we overnight our apps and two pics with passports to San Francisco counsel office for arrival on July 12?
Or, should I put the tickets on hold?
Jul 9, 2011 | 4:29 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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if you have no ties to pakistan then you should get your visa fairly quickly, well before july 28th....
but if you or any family member of yours was born in pakistan or is a pakistani citizen then the visa process takes about 6 weeks to clear....
but if you or any family member of yours was born in pakistan or is a pakistani citizen then the visa process takes about 6 weeks to clear....
)
Jul 10, 2011 | 12:43 pm
#6
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i have clients & family members traveling to india all the time....it has never taken them 18 days or longer to get their visas....
Jul 10, 2011 | 2:27 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2003
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I would be pretty reluctant to apply for any country's visa using standard service if I had only 18 days before my departure. There are any number of snags that can screw things up, not just the issuing consulate's relaxed attitude toward on-time customer service.
Jul 10, 2011 | 5:31 pm
#8
Original Poster
In memoriam
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,020
Thanks for the additional input. I sent the application of Express Mail yesterday. So, should be at the processor on Monday morning with the FedEx overnight return paid for.
Based on what I saw on the Travisa website I am optomistically thinking we are okay. And, thanks to Kayer for his never over eighteen days info which is comforting.
If not, fortunately, we have changable tickets (which I hope never comes into play).
Based on what I saw on the Travisa website I am optomistically thinking we are okay. And, thanks to Kayer for his never over eighteen days info which is comforting.
If not, fortunately, we have changable tickets (which I hope never comes into play).
Jul 10, 2011 | 9:50 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MSP
Posts: 68
We applied in March (our trip is in July as well) and from mail date to return to me, the total time was 7 days. We had 3 US-born applicants and 1 Indian-born US citizen (that application was more involved than just a straight US-born applicant). I overnight mailed in both directions and the Chicago consulate was very fast. Just make sure every last T is crossed on the checklist - a cousin forgot some paperwork and entered some bureaucratic Indian purgatory.
Jul 11, 2011 | 1:33 am
#10
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i don't know how things work in the US but i have applied for countless number of visas here & have never had to wait 18 days or over to get it....the maximum has been 10-12 days....
Jul 11, 2011 | 5:51 am
#11
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I have had several occasions where visas took much longer than expected/promised (just in the last year or so, I can point to Russia and Nigeria as examples). Things happen.
Jul 11, 2011 | 6:13 am
#12
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personally i have never had an issue with a visa & have always got it in under 2 weeks....infact, i know a bunch of people in the US who managed to get their indian visa in under 48 hours....18 days is long enough....
Jul 12, 2011 | 4:59 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Philadelphia
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Posts: 92
Travisa
India has outsourced the visa process to a private company. http://india.travisa.com/VisaInstruc...?CountryID=IN&.
It takes 7 business days to get your Passport back with the visa.
It takes 7 business days to get your Passport back with the visa.
Jul 13, 2011 | 11:33 am
#15
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Circle City
Posts: 3,568
They have outsourced visa handling, which is not the bottleneck. The bottleneck is in the adjudications and issuances of the visas. It's well known that time depends on a number of variables. Some, such as the consulate/embassy used, are within your control, while others, such as the entire operation took a tea break, are not. The shortest I have heard is 7 or 8 days. The longest we have had is about 2 months. Mine was about a month. You learn to be patient dealing with the Government of India. Oddly, the most vocal about the problem is the Indian-American diaspora who have to wait absurd amounts of time for their visas.