Anyone ever been denied a renewal on a work visa for India?
Dec 2nd, 2008, 11:13 AM
#1
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Anyone ever been denied a renewal on a work visa for India?
My son has been living/working in India for the past year and a half (doing microfinancing).He just called and said that he was denied a renewal on his work visa.He is currently working for an Indian bank.
He went down to Delhi yesterday(36 hour trip) to wait in line with all of his documents(letter from employer,etc.)The ministry made him wait all day and then handed him a sealed envelope with the decision inside. He was then to take it back to the police in his town (5 hours north of Delhi) to have the decision revealed to him from the envelope. The police chief told him that he was denied.No reasons-just please leave by your visa expirations date.
His Indian friends say this is how things always are. What? He was thoroughly digusted about the whole processs ie. take numbers and wait but then the higher ups just take whomever they want at what time.
Anyone been refused? Tips on what to do? He wasn't making much money over there so cannot believe that it is that.Thanks!
He went down to Delhi yesterday(36 hour trip) to wait in line with all of his documents(letter from employer,etc.)The ministry made him wait all day and then handed him a sealed envelope with the decision inside. He was then to take it back to the police in his town (5 hours north of Delhi) to have the decision revealed to him from the envelope. The police chief told him that he was denied.No reasons-just please leave by your visa expirations date.
His Indian friends say this is how things always are. What? He was thoroughly digusted about the whole processs ie. take numbers and wait but then the higher ups just take whomever they want at what time.
Anyone been refused? Tips on what to do? He wasn't making much money over there so cannot believe that it is that.Thanks!
Dec 2nd, 2008, 06:02 PM
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Unfortunately, I don’t have any real words of advice. I don’t’ have a work visa for India, just a business visa to travel there for business. (I will say it was a 10 year visa which just expired, and was only renewed for a 1 year visa, which I found odd, as now I have to keep reapplying annually, so perhaps there has been a general tightening of all visas).
I doubt that the US Embassy is going to do anything to involve themselves in internal policies regarding Indian immigration. I don’t think I would even bother to contact them. Read the US Embassy website at http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/. and see if there is any advice, my guess is says something like “the US government does not provide assistance with requests for changes to Indian visa status”. (If you know the ambassador or someone on staff personally, that is a different matter, see below.)
I do find it a bit curious that it was the police chief who read the letter and told him to leave. I find that unusual. I could see a copy being sent to the police, so they would know that the visa was not renewed and that your son should be expected to leave when it expired, but the scenario you laid out seems a bit odd. If my memory is correct, I recall he was doing work in microfinance for a charity in Dehra Dun (?). It may be that the bank or charity has run afoul of the police or a local politician in Uttarakhand (Uttaranchal) state, who would most likely be able to exercise control over things like the issuance of a work visa. (It may be that your son did something as well; pushed or denied a program or a loan, etc that was perhaps embarrassing to a local politician. I do have a work visa for Hong Kong, and have had them for several other countries, and the terms under which it can be cancelled are pretty broad. I am a guest, not a citizen, and don’t have the rights of a citizen when it comes to being allowed to stay here to work.)
He may be able to work in another Indian state either for the same organization or a similar organization. There is not a lot of cross-communication between states or government entities (as recent events have shown), so if he applies again, the national authorities may not flag the application (as seems to have been done in this recent application). He could also go back to the US, or go to a third country, and try applying again.
Also, the way it would work in India is that if your son knows someone higher up in the government than whoever may have gotten his visa denied (assuming that is what happened), then that person may be able to get the visa granted. (I think it may work the same in many places as well, including the US.) If you or anyone you know has any contacts in India, esp. in the Indian government, now is the time to start calling in favours. Also, if you know anyone in the US diplomatic corps in India, contact them as well.
If it makes you feel any better, no country in my experience would ever give a reason for the denial or non-renewal of a work or other visa. They don't need to, and in mnay cases, probably don't want to.
I doubt that the US Embassy is going to do anything to involve themselves in internal policies regarding Indian immigration. I don’t think I would even bother to contact them. Read the US Embassy website at http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/. and see if there is any advice, my guess is says something like “the US government does not provide assistance with requests for changes to Indian visa status”. (If you know the ambassador or someone on staff personally, that is a different matter, see below.)
I do find it a bit curious that it was the police chief who read the letter and told him to leave. I find that unusual. I could see a copy being sent to the police, so they would know that the visa was not renewed and that your son should be expected to leave when it expired, but the scenario you laid out seems a bit odd. If my memory is correct, I recall he was doing work in microfinance for a charity in Dehra Dun (?). It may be that the bank or charity has run afoul of the police or a local politician in Uttarakhand (Uttaranchal) state, who would most likely be able to exercise control over things like the issuance of a work visa. (It may be that your son did something as well; pushed or denied a program or a loan, etc that was perhaps embarrassing to a local politician. I do have a work visa for Hong Kong, and have had them for several other countries, and the terms under which it can be cancelled are pretty broad. I am a guest, not a citizen, and don’t have the rights of a citizen when it comes to being allowed to stay here to work.)
He may be able to work in another Indian state either for the same organization or a similar organization. There is not a lot of cross-communication between states or government entities (as recent events have shown), so if he applies again, the national authorities may not flag the application (as seems to have been done in this recent application). He could also go back to the US, or go to a third country, and try applying again.
Also, the way it would work in India is that if your son knows someone higher up in the government than whoever may have gotten his visa denied (assuming that is what happened), then that person may be able to get the visa granted. (I think it may work the same in many places as well, including the US.) If you or anyone you know has any contacts in India, esp. in the Indian government, now is the time to start calling in favours. Also, if you know anyone in the US diplomatic corps in India, contact them as well.
If it makes you feel any better, no country in my experience would ever give a reason for the denial or non-renewal of a work or other visa. They don't need to, and in mnay cases, probably don't want to.
Dec 4th, 2008, 11:18 PM
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Thanks Cicerone for your thoughts. He is going to come back to the states and will try from this end or else get a tourist visa if possible.
He actually works for a bank and has had no problems either work or personally. His boss is very influential and even he couldn't figure out what happend but perhaps with all its terrorist happenings-they did not want foreigners in that day? Its India-who knows?
On the bright side, his ailing grandmother will get to see him again along with his loving family so there is a silver lining!
He actually works for a bank and has had no problems either work or personally. His boss is very influential and even he couldn't figure out what happend but perhaps with all its terrorist happenings-they did not want foreigners in that day? Its India-who knows?
On the bright side, his ailing grandmother will get to see him again along with his loving family so there is a silver lining!
