Just got my passport back with my latest Indian visa - STILL only six months, despite this being my third one, and asking for the maximum two years.

What is anyone elses experience in this area? We use an express service at work, so the turnaround is fast, but I'm wondering if this has anything to do with it.

Ok, so I have "lurked" for long enough and having found this forum fascinating and extremely useful I finally plucked up courage to join and post, so apologies in advance for any mistakes I make

I recently renewed my Indian visa and this time was given 2 years (previously always had just 1 year) but I always go to the embassy myself and bypass the express service offered by the clients I work for. Did your letter of invitation specifically request a 2 year visa be granted and the supporting letter from your place of work say the same? I ask because the future Mrs BA1A applied once through her work's express service and she asked for a year but was only given 6 months, so maybe using such a service is the determining factor or is there a company policy you are not aware of maybe, where they overrule whatever you request?

Welcome to FlyerTalk BA1A

BAH

Welcome to FT, BA1A!

Yes, the invitation letter requested a 2 year visa - not sure about the one from our end, though. No company policy involved, for sure.

Thanks for the welcome, was glad to get that first post out of the way

A non-matching letter from your end could well be it or more likely you have just been unlucky and experienced the dreaded human error somewhere along the line (and probably from the express service people). From vast experience I know the embassy staff will always give you what you ask for if the correct fee is submitted and the paperwork matches. That's why I always do it myself, although it's not pleasant queuing up from 07:30 (or earlier!) in The Strand but at least you can ensure you get what you asked for. Sorry I can't be more help.

Thanks for an extremely useful and apposite thread. I'm off to BOM soon (AF J redemption) and, as a freelancer, I'm anxious to minimise non-billable downtime in the visa process.

Further tips most welcome ^

I am a freelancer too so know where you are coming from although because I am always required in India by the client I am able to bill my time spent in the queue at the embassy back to them

If you do decide to apply for a visa in person at the Indian embassy in London, then there is only one main piece of advice - arrive as early as you can! Although they don't open until 08:30 the queue very quickly starts to build from around 07:00. Make sure all the paperwork is in order and that you have cash to pay the fee (as they don't take cheques or cards). Also check the Indian national holiday calendar before you go to make sure they won't be closed. Oh and make sure you get a large coffee and some pastries to keep you going whilst you are in the queue Once you have a ticket number and are at the counter the whole process is pretty good and last time mine was ready for collection in just one hour.

All change as far as Indian visa applications go by the sound of it.

http://www.hcilondon.net/visa/visa-advisory-notice.html

They had been talking about doing this for a while. Thanks for the link. Having a quick read it looks like it will be a major improvement on the previous service.

Anyone else see the irony of India outsourcing this to a UK firm (VF Services (UK) Limited), given all the stuff that happens the other way around

Hmmm ... GBP6.90+VAT seems excellent value, certainly when the alternative is standing about in the rain not earning ^

At least it's only an outsource and not an offshore too. Imagine the additional challenges of a 4.5 or 5.5 hour time difference ... "your passport will be ready for collection at 3am"

Thanks for the heads up - much appreciated.

Yes and the fact it says you can apply online as well looks to be a major bonus. Can you post back when you have applied for your visa to let me know what the new "outsourced" service is like please? Even though I don't need to go through the pain....I mean process again for a while it would be good information to have for my colleagues.

I'll probably drop the application in personally, particularly as they're just round the corner from the passport office ... slightly less than 190 days left, so I have to renew that too

Probably won't be able to do it online, as I won't have my new passport number.

Will definitely post back afterwards ... maybe as a mini-TR with photos

More details here http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/

Whenever the company I work for applies for employment visas on our behalf for India they are almost always for a 2+ year assignment, which is stated in the letter they write requesting the visa. And they always issue 1 year visas only.

The request letter doesn't specifically say "please give Mr expatboy a 2 year visa", just "Mr expatboy will be working in India from dd/mm/yyyy for a 2 year assignment, please issue him with the proper employment visa...etc...". I think it's just a policy not to give people visas valid for more than 12 months. Unfortunately nowadays you don't need to do a visa run back to London anymore, just to the FRRO in downtown Mumbai (in our case at least).

We outsource the application process to worldmark (I think) except when the Indian HC change their minds about the application process and decide that for a few months the applicant has to apply in person. Having said that, it was quicker for me to do it in person than it was to have WM do it, and I got a morning's shopping done in Covent Garden

They have outsourced here in the US which, to me, is indeed ironic. The company handling the visas here was started by a Czech immigrant - truly a sign that we live in a global economy.

Anyone else see the irony of India outsourcing this to a UK firm (VF Services (UK) Limited), given all the stuff that happens the other way around [/QUOTE]


VFS are actually an Indian owned company. They also coordinate most of the visa application process for UK visas worldwide,as well as those for a host of other countries. They are extremely efficient