YOUR India visa application experience with CKGS @USA
Jan 22, 2015, 12:53 pm
#226
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
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Drat, drat, drat..I made a mistake on the application form (which I printed but haven't yet submitted it to CKGS.)
Before you ask, the online visa won't work for us, we're not arriving my plane.
About 4 hours into the process I managed to miss that the "visa duration" period was from date of issue, not first entry. I said "1 month" but we'll be there for a week in April. (You get a little bleary after 4 hours of work!)
I could just abandon the application and start over, except I'd already paid CKGS online and was planning to go in next week with all the paperwork. I paid for "6 months" on their form since that's what came up after I'd entered my application number and didn't even think about it.
I wrote them this morning and am awaiting a reply. I'm hoping that they can just change the application from 1 to 6 months when they submit it after my appointment?
If they can't I guess my two options are 1) start over again call the original fee paid "lesson learned." Or wait until mid-March to make the appointment with them, but that cuts it closer to the trip than I'd like. Can one even wait that long after starting the process?
Oh - can't do the online visa, we're not arriving by plane.
Before you ask, the online visa won't work for us, we're not arriving my plane.
About 4 hours into the process I managed to miss that the "visa duration" period was from date of issue, not first entry. I said "1 month" but we'll be there for a week in April. (You get a little bleary after 4 hours of work!)
I could just abandon the application and start over, except I'd already paid CKGS online and was planning to go in next week with all the paperwork. I paid for "6 months" on their form since that's what came up after I'd entered my application number and didn't even think about it.
I wrote them this morning and am awaiting a reply. I'm hoping that they can just change the application from 1 to 6 months when they submit it after my appointment?
If they can't I guess my two options are 1) start over again call the original fee paid "lesson learned." Or wait until mid-March to make the appointment with them, but that cuts it closer to the trip than I'd like. Can one even wait that long after starting the process?
Oh - can't do the online visa, we're not arriving by plane.
Jan 23, 2015, 5:41 am
#227
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Drat, drat, drat..I made a mistake on the application form (which I printed but haven't yet submitted it to CKGS.)
Before you ask, the online visa won't work for us, we're not arriving my plane.
About 4 hours into the process I managed to miss that the "visa duration" period was from date of issue, not first entry. I said "1 month" but we'll be there for a week in April. (You get a little bleary after 4 hours of work!)
I could just abandon the application and start over, except I'd already paid CKGS online and was planning to go in next week with all the paperwork. I paid for "6 months" on their form since that's what came up after I'd entered my application number and didn't even think about it.
I wrote them this morning and am awaiting a reply. I'm hoping that they can just change the application from 1 to 6 months when they submit it after my appointment?
If they can't I guess my two options are 1) start over again call the original fee paid "lesson learned." Or wait until mid-March to make the appointment with them, but that cuts it closer to the trip than I'd like. Can one even wait that long after starting the process?
Oh - can't do the online visa, we're not arriving by plane.
Before you ask, the online visa won't work for us, we're not arriving my plane.
About 4 hours into the process I managed to miss that the "visa duration" period was from date of issue, not first entry. I said "1 month" but we'll be there for a week in April. (You get a little bleary after 4 hours of work!)
I could just abandon the application and start over, except I'd already paid CKGS online and was planning to go in next week with all the paperwork. I paid for "6 months" on their form since that's what came up after I'd entered my application number and didn't even think about it.
I wrote them this morning and am awaiting a reply. I'm hoping that they can just change the application from 1 to 6 months when they submit it after my appointment?
If they can't I guess my two options are 1) start over again call the original fee paid "lesson learned." Or wait until mid-March to make the appointment with them, but that cuts it closer to the trip than I'd like. Can one even wait that long after starting the process?
Oh - can't do the online visa, we're not arriving by plane.
Last edited by GUWonder; Jan 23, 2015 at 5:47 am
Jan 23, 2015, 6:57 am
#228
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 16,901
The short duration tourist visas issued to US passport holders going for tourism purposes is most commonly valid for six months from date of issue even if you state you are going only for a month. I haven't encountered a one month tourist visa in a US passport in years and years and years. You should be fine, unless perhaps you are of some Pakistani, Afghan or Bangaldeshi heritage. I would be shocked if otherwise you end up with a visa valid only for one month from date of issue. Don't worry, odds are you'll be fine if you aren't of Asian heritage of the sort specified.
Jan 23, 2015, 7:18 am
#229
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Thanks for this. I had a missed callback from CKGS last evening but they gave me a number to call today. We're totally normal Americans, born and bred and with no other citizenship, who haven't even traveled to any odd countries - I'm hoping they can just stick a note on the file that says "be sure the visa is valid through April", as it sounds like the period is assigned when the visa is actually issued.
Jan 23, 2015, 7:52 am
#230
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The Indian consulate in Chicago willl be giving you a visa valid for six months if you submitted everything appropriately for any kind of short-term tourist visa. The validity period is from the date of visa issuance, so you should be fine. They won't give you a one month visa. They'll give you a visa valid for entry within six months of date of issuance.
Jan 23, 2015, 7:55 am
#231
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When you get your visa back, I'm sure you'll let us know if I end up being wrong about this -- although I'm unlikely to be wrong about his. 
I've been assured that unless they want to mess around with you, they issue visas valid for entry within six months, five years or ten years of visa issue date..
I've been assured that unless they want to mess around with you, they issue visas valid for entry within six months, five years or ten years of visa issue date..
Jan 23, 2015, 8:13 am
#232
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Join Date: Nov 2004
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When you get your visa back, I'm sure you'll let us know if I end up being wrong about this -- although I'm unlikely to be wrong about his.
I've been assured that unless they want to mess around with you, they issue visas valid for entry within six months, five years or ten years of visa issue date..
I've been assured that unless they want to mess around with you, they issue visas valid for entry within six months, five years or ten years of visa issue date..
I'll report back in after we've been to the CKGS Chicago office.
Jan 23, 2015, 10:05 am
#233
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Just an update, the call to CKGS was less than successful, the person could only read back text from an obviously prepared script. At the end I did say "but you haven't answered my question" and repeated that the application says 1 month and that's a problem. He then said he'd made a note in the file and that the processor in the office would take care of it. I'm going with that and will take this all in next week. I asked several times that I'd heard tourist visas are almost always issued for 6 months, could he confirm that and I got the same nonsense back.
I'll report back in after we've been to the CKGS Chicago office.
I'll report back in after we've been to the CKGS Chicago office.
Jan 27, 2015, 1:27 pm
#234
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1
ckgs Atlanta center
Hi,
I applied for oci minor. I submitted all documents to ckgs office. Officer present on that window was little quick so I was surprised. Within 10 minutes everything was done. I was very happy .
I came back to home n I checked all receipts I got and I SHOCKED. They entered wrong name. How?
Because for oci we have to submit online form so we get file number. Processing should be against that a application number. Right?
Then immediately I called to ckgs office . their customer support person told me they will escalate this issue after that you will get a call with 48 hours...
Is anyone facing same situation with ckgs?
I applied for oci minor. I submitted all documents to ckgs office. Officer present on that window was little quick so I was surprised. Within 10 minutes everything was done. I was very happy .
I came back to home n I checked all receipts I got and I SHOCKED. They entered wrong name. How?
Because for oci we have to submit online form so we get file number. Processing should be against that a application number. Right?
Then immediately I called to ckgs office . their customer support person told me they will escalate this issue after that you will get a call with 48 hours...
Is anyone facing same situation with ckgs?
Jan 29, 2015, 9:54 am
#235
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Join Date: Nov 2004
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I'm pretty sure the former CGIs in Chicago and their current government acquaintances know this stuff better than CKGS reps answering phones. It's not easy to end up with a one month Indian tourist visa issued in the US in a US passport. I hope CKGS "notes" don't confuse things. Look forward to the rest of the story.
We had our appointments for 9:00 this morning. We arrived at about 8:45, and were told to wait outside the building until 9:00, which we'd anticipated - we just happened to get there earlier. For appointments later in the day they suggest you arrive 15 minutes early.
We were about the fourth and fifth people in the door, and there was a person at a front desk pre-inspecting everyone's documentation and busily turning people away for one reason or another, but we made it past him in good shape. I'd prepared a full list of all the countries we'd visited in the past 10 years since there were too many for the box, and he just put is aside saying "you don't need this", I'd also prepared a statement about being on the cruise ship and that we'd used the port office address for a reference and included the cruise documentation, but he also just put that aside. He then said to print a single appointment number for the two of us.
We were past him by 9:05 and talking to an agent by 9:10.
I asked again about the extra counties and that we'd listed the port office as a reference, and he just said "you'll be fine."
I also pointed out the "1 month" visa on the form, and he just said "tourist visas are always issued for 6 months, you'll be fine." Just as you said would happen. Mrs. Milepig had left off her middle name in one spot, but he just added it to the record.
He looked everything over, gave us back a bunch of the CKGS paperwork, put stickers on the back of our passports and we were almost good to go by 9:15.
Except - their printer broke at that very moment and it took awhile to fix, so we were out by 9:30, but really you can't blame the printer, so I'd clock the visit at a painless 15 minutes.
He said the return is taking 3-5 days, but he's seen the visas come back the next day.
The people standing at the stations next to us weren't so lucky, one was back for the third time and was still missing something, one was US born of Pakistani parents and was told it would take 60 days for her visa. A third had applied for a business visa but had to change it to a conference visa, and they gave him all sorts of grief since the letter he had from the conference didn't clearly state the days of the conference, but they eventually put through his paperwork. When we left there were two more people standing at the curb who we'd seen in the office, they looked rather forlorn and still had their passports in their hands.
So - be a good Boyscout and be prepared, sign everything and triple check their checklist.
The funny thing? The CKGS checklist clearly says to check every box and to have two copies of it. No one looked at the checklist at all, and just threw both copies back at us.
Jan 29, 2015, 5:21 pm
#236
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
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Update #1:
We had our appointments for 9:00 this morning. We arrived at about 8:45, and were told to wait outside the building until 9:00, which we'd anticipated - we just happened to get there earlier. For appointments later in the day they suggest you arrive 15 minutes early.
We were about the fourth and fifth people in the door, and there was a person at a front desk pre-inspecting everyone's documentation and busily turning people away for one reason or another, but we made it past him in good shape. I'd prepared a full list of all the countries we'd visited in the past 10 years since there were too many for the box, and he just put is aside saying "you don't need this", I'd also prepared a statement about being on the cruise ship and that we'd used the port office address for a reference and included the cruise documentation, but he also just put that aside. He then said to print a single appointment number for the two of us.
We were past him by 9:05 and talking to an agent by 9:10.
I asked again about the extra counties and that we'd listed the port office as a reference, and he just said "you'll be fine."
I also pointed out the "1 month" visa on the form, and he just said "tourist visas are always issued for 6 months, you'll be fine." Just as you said would happen. Mrs. Milepig had left off her middle name in one spot, but he just added it to the record.
He looked everything over, gave us back a bunch of the CKGS paperwork, put stickers on the back of our passports and we were almost good to go by 9:15.
Except - their printer broke at that very moment and it took awhile to fix, so we were out by 9:30, but really you can't blame the printer, so I'd clock the visit at a painless 15 minutes.
He said the return is taking 3-5 days, but he's seen the visas come back the next day.
The people standing at the stations next to us weren't so lucky, one was back for the third time and was still missing something, one was US born of Pakistani parents and was told it would take 60 days for her visa. A third had applied for a business visa but had to change it to a conference visa, and they gave him all sorts of grief since the letter he had from the conference didn't clearly state the days of the conference, but they eventually put through his paperwork. When we left there were two more people standing at the curb who we'd seen in the office, they looked rather forlorn and still had their passports in their hands.
So - be a good Boyscout and be prepared, sign everything and triple check their checklist.
The funny thing? The CKGS checklist clearly says to check every box and to have two copies of it. No one looked at the checklist at all, and just threw both copies back at us.
We had our appointments for 9:00 this morning. We arrived at about 8:45, and were told to wait outside the building until 9:00, which we'd anticipated - we just happened to get there earlier. For appointments later in the day they suggest you arrive 15 minutes early.
We were about the fourth and fifth people in the door, and there was a person at a front desk pre-inspecting everyone's documentation and busily turning people away for one reason or another, but we made it past him in good shape. I'd prepared a full list of all the countries we'd visited in the past 10 years since there were too many for the box, and he just put is aside saying "you don't need this", I'd also prepared a statement about being on the cruise ship and that we'd used the port office address for a reference and included the cruise documentation, but he also just put that aside. He then said to print a single appointment number for the two of us.
We were past him by 9:05 and talking to an agent by 9:10.
I asked again about the extra counties and that we'd listed the port office as a reference, and he just said "you'll be fine."
I also pointed out the "1 month" visa on the form, and he just said "tourist visas are always issued for 6 months, you'll be fine." Just as you said would happen. Mrs. Milepig had left off her middle name in one spot, but he just added it to the record.
He looked everything over, gave us back a bunch of the CKGS paperwork, put stickers on the back of our passports and we were almost good to go by 9:15.
Except - their printer broke at that very moment and it took awhile to fix, so we were out by 9:30, but really you can't blame the printer, so I'd clock the visit at a painless 15 minutes.
He said the return is taking 3-5 days, but he's seen the visas come back the next day.
The people standing at the stations next to us weren't so lucky, one was back for the third time and was still missing something, one was US born of Pakistani parents and was told it would take 60 days for her visa. A third had applied for a business visa but had to change it to a conference visa, and they gave him all sorts of grief since the letter he had from the conference didn't clearly state the days of the conference, but they eventually put through his paperwork. When we left there were two more people standing at the curb who we'd seen in the office, they looked rather forlorn and still had their passports in their hands.
So - be a good Boyscout and be prepared, sign everything and triple check their checklist.
The funny thing? The CKGS checklist clearly says to check every box and to have two copies of it. No one looked at the checklist at all, and just threw both copies back at us.
Jan 30, 2015, 1:42 am
#237
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
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Posts: 102,095
Given tourism visas to India in US passports has been the plurality of visa matters historically handled by the CGI-Chicago, they should be pretty quick in issuing these things given a large chunk of their work has been redirected away and out of the US countey of the Indian evisa scheme.
Jan 30, 2015, 1:11 pm
#238
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SEA
Programs: UA AU (ex 10+ year 1k) 1.5MM, AS Newbie, HH ex Dia
Posts: 337
FedEx'd my application for a ten year business visa on Tuesday, and just (Friday) received my passport with visa back. Used the SFO office. One note, the visa is actually only valid to the expiration date of my passport... which makes sense.
Feb 2, 2015, 5:26 pm
#240
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Alameda, CA, USA
Posts: 4,907
I visited the San Francisco office on Friday. I had five apps (mine, wife's, and three kids'). I only had an appointment for one person, so I asked the first person who stopped me if they could do all five. He asked someone and I was told okay. I had arrived at about 10:30 for my 11am appointment. They assigned me a number and I was called up at about 11. The woman at the desk was worried about trying to do all five, but we called over the guy from earlier and he told her to go ahead. I had made an error on my wife's app, so I had to go to one of their computers and redo the whole thing. We were able to use her signature from the original second page, though. By the time I redid her application and got to turn it in, it was about noon. It seems like most of the people there for tourist visas had to go back and redo theirs to change the request from 1 month to 6. Everyone also complained that there were signs in the office stating everyone had to use a courier for the return and this wasn't on the webiste. We got emails today (the Monday immediately following the Friday I went in) saying the are ready and will be sent back to us tomorrow.
The worst part, by far, was having to get 12 signatures notarized for the applications for our kids.
The worst part, by far, was having to get 12 signatures notarized for the applications for our kids.