LOL! I wanted to see Taj Mahal so much but didn't even bother to know who the PM is! Hopefully, Modi can fix the visa application problem. On the other hand, what does Modi care?!

Well, the elections were just about a month ago, so he hasn't been PM for very long. I'm also skeptical that the PM would care much about this issue since the people affected aren't going to be voters in Indian elections :p

He cares about the image of India and there is a lot of money to be made on tourism and investment. So yes those people besides voters matter.

Not care enough to process entry visa the right way! If I drop off my passport at the Chinese ambassy, I know for sure that I will have it back in 4 business days!

48 Hours to complete processing of a visa application? I will believe it when I start seeing applicant reporting it back here or some where else!

"...Visa processing agencies must issue visas or a clear rejection within 48 hours of submission of applications or face a heavy penalty under the new policy, ..."

CKGS turns around a visa same day in Germany if you report to the counter, regular visas are done in 3 days if you are not in a hurry. So its possible. They charge 10EUR+VAT though, so the arbitrary 5$ quoted in the article is quite off.

http://www.in.de.coxandkings.com/munich/

But everything needs to be absolutely right when you apply. I'm always amazed how many show up at the counter unprepared with incorrect photos, manually filled out forms etc. And then show attitude when told things needed to be done in a different way. :rolleyes:

Give it time

But I thought that it was black and white in the article saying that the new Modi government's order is starting this month, now! New visa application should be turn around within 48-hour effective immediately.

Perhaps the fine money collection should be made payable to the affected applicant to make up for the lost (passport) time. LOL!

Seriously, I really hope that this issue could be fixed soon since I really want to see Taj Mahal badly this year as the tickets have already been booked and that I can't afford to loose my passport to CKGS for more than a couple weeks due to my current travel plan!

It said by the end of the month. The biggest blame goes to bls.

So did, and same for, the previous government; and we know those characters didn't do anything to stop outsourcing these visa application functions that have acted as a restrain on trade and tourism.

If I want a Chinese visa, they routinely give it to me even in third countries same-day. The Indian government won't do such a thing as readily despite my obvious evidence of hundreds of entries into India, obvious ties to various Indian governments, and my penchant for crossing all my "t" letters and dotting all my "i" letters when submitting my visa applications.

I just hope they proceed with expanding the visa on arrival scheme and make it easier to use than what it is; that, or just swap to an evisa sort of a la Turkey but better.

Congress party cared about nothing but their wallets. There is a reason it was voted out. Modi seems to be a go getter type of guy.

I agree the visa on arrival will make a huge difference, because that will keep out a huge percentage of people from having to deal with these outsourcing guys in the first place. Most tourists are not going to stay over 30 days.

I kind of understand the justification of not having consulates do visa applications because it keeps them from doing other tasks, but other consulates don't seem to mind. I think it's a cheaper way of having it done without having to hire people in house.

Every party cares about money in one way or another. Birds of a feather, the flock, with their beaks gawking for money and claws grasping for it .... near the nest and even far away. Even those which win c. 30% of the Indian popular vote vs c 20% of the Indian popular vote and then proclaim a majority mandate that neither current "majority" nor prior "majority" had.

The prior government was going toward expanding visa on arrival and moving toward an evisa kind of regime. The ones before didn't go that far, but at least they didn't do the outsourcing stupidity. Let's see if this government is such a go getter in delivering more on this matter or not, and let's see how quickly that happens (assuming it would happen to some degree at least).

China, Pakistan and Bangladesh can afford to issue visas at consulates/embassies in OECD countries without as much reliance on contractors, but India can't?

i'm amazed everytime i hear people say this....give it time & you will realise no party is better than the other....there is a reason the bjp was voted out after just one term in 2004....

Does anyone have any updates? Has anyone successfully gotten a visa processed yet? Or at least some tracking information?