Traveling to India end of May 2011 (so three months from now).
Going to Mexico beginning of April (so a little more than a month from now and returning 6-7 weeks before India trip).
I need my passport for Mexico.
Website seems to suggest only 5-10 day processing for Visa (US Citizen). But anecdotally Indian friends are telling me there are lots of delays in obtaining Visa. They are mostly US Citizens of Indian origin. I am not of Indian origin. Although married to US citizen of Indian origin who has PIO card. I am applying for myself and three kids.
I think I'll get the 10 year visa even though probably only 1-2 more trips in 10 years but if just one more trip it would be worth it.
We live in Atlanta and would have to send to Houston.

Seeking any thoughts on how to sequence trips and visa applications. Other ideas for expediting?

Thanks so much!

Travisa processes all Indian visas in the US. People here have reported that persons of Indian origin seem to have longer processing times than those who are not of Indian origin. We are not of Indian origin, and our visas were done quickly. Travisa kept us informed of the progress of our visas via email.

Note that the India visa requires more documentation than most visas, with the a copy of your birth certificate and proof of address required. Take a look at the travisa website. if you can put together all of the documentation quickly, I'd apply before the Mexico trip. If not, have all the documentation ready as soon as you return from the Mexico trip.

You can email Travisa with any questions you have about the process. Email seems to work better with them than trying to call.

The Travisa site warned me that since I was a naturalized US citizen (born in the UK) my visa would take longer, but it only took a week - I FedEx'ed on Monday and got it back on Friday. That was Washington, though.

I am an American citizen. I recently (3 weeks ago) got an India visa. Travisa received my passport on Wednesday and I had it back in my hands the following Monday. No problems or delays at all, and you can track your passport every step of the way with their on line service. Just have everything on the check list and send it when you return, no problem.

I wanted to add, we paid by money order, as they recommended, and included the extra $$ for the express return. BTW, they processed 3 visas in my order, all in the same few days.

Thanks everyone - we're off to get passport photos and make photo copies - I think we'll be good before we go to Mexico.

send it now...i think they have a rush option as well

I read that a utility bill is also required for an Indian visa. I do all of my banking on line and do not receive paper bills. The only paper bill I receive is my cable bill. Do you know if that would be accepted as proof of residence?

Also, I read that they want you to list all of the countries that you visited in the last 10 years. Does that include ports of calls from a cruiseship too?

Thanks so much.

They require a proof of address in the US. A utility bill will work, as will a drivers license. That's on the travisa website.

If you got off at a port of call, I expect they would want that listed.

Kathie - thanks for your reply. Since I don't receive any paper bills, I guess I would have to contact my electric company and ask them to send me a copy of a bill. On their website they say that phone bills and cell phone bills are not accepted. I guess that is one drawback of on line banking. No paper bills.

I thought that maybe you didn't have list the port of calls because your passport is not stamped, but if that is what they require, then I'll have to try to remember all of the ports that we visited.

Many thanks.

So I delayed a little bit..... and got them out the door on March 4th. They were in the consulate by 3/9th according to website and we're still waiting for approval (1 week later). 2 weeks until we go to Mexico. Hmmm No reason to panic yet! I do like Travisa's online tracking and appreciate their email updates.

You can call them. They answer their phone and are very informative.

I spoke to a person from Travisa yesterday and I was told that as of last week you do not need your birth certificate or a copy of a utility bill. The only documentation that you need is a copy of your drivers license. I don't know when they will change their website, but that is the latest news.

Interesting... thanks for letting us know, flygirl.

I did get all my papers on 3/25.... so just in time for my trip.

All good.

I did appreciate the tracking tool of Travisa.

I hear that ATL is getting a consulate so this will go a bit differently in future.

Happy travels