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Indian Visa: Experience with BLS International?

Indian Visa: Experience with BLS International?

Old Jun 28th, 2013, 11:56 AM
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Indian Visa: Experience with BLS International?

We are applying for Indian visas and our tour company recommended a firm charging $183 per person.

The Embassy of India has outsourced visa applications to BLS International and they charge $68 per person.

Does anyone have experience with BLS International. I would hate to have my passport lost or in limbo.

Thanks in advance.

Roosevelt G.
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Old Jun 28th, 2013, 12:02 PM
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If the embassy (consulate) has outsourced the visas do you have a choice?

If you do have a choice, for a recent RTW trip where I needed several visas, I had excellent service from http://www.visahq.com/ recommended by the consolidator I've done business with for years.
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Old Jun 28th, 2013, 12:08 PM
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Thanks. There are many companies that will do this for a fee.

I am not sure if BLS International is new to this process or a company with a track record.

Roosevelt G.
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Old Jun 28th, 2013, 12:28 PM
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Right. So can you use another company or does the Indian consulate dictate that you use that agency?
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Old Jun 28th, 2013, 12:38 PM
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You can use any company but the one recommended by the Embassy is the least expensive.

There are many posts where people complain about slow service, lost passports, etc.

Roosevelt G.
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Old Jun 28th, 2013, 12:39 PM
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I too need an Indian visa. BSL is taking over from Travisa effective July 1, and my gut feeling is that I would not mail them my passport until they are in operation for at least one month, and then only if I got positive feedback on how they are doing. If you need to get a visa immediately, I'd use another company. Just my opinion.
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Old Jun 28th, 2013, 12:50 PM
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My first visa for India was facilitated by Travisa. I needed another as well which they forgot and returned my passport with just 1 of the 2. Truly terrible service.

I agree with shellyk, use a company that is recommended. A few dollars extra is well worth the convenience as well as peace of mind.
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Old Jun 28th, 2013, 05:46 PM
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Thanks.

Probably good advice.

Roosevelt.
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Old Jun 29th, 2013, 11:34 AM
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I too need a visa for our trip in October and was directed to BLS International by the Indian Embassy site.
My daughter got her Indian visa in March through Travisa and had a very good experience with them. She received her visa within a week of mailing it.
I also have reservations about sending my passport to a new agency.
I just did a quick search and it seems the Indian Embassy had a previous contract with them but revoked it in October 2012. Makes me wonder why the changed their mind and awarded them the contract now. thhttp://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-10-24/news/34707969_1_indian-embassy-bls-international-travisa
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Old Jul 12th, 2013, 04:27 PM
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I just got my visa from transvisa for $76 . I did it online and picked it up in NYC.
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Old Jul 12th, 2013, 05:06 PM
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millie, just to clarify, did you get your visa from the "old" contractor, travisa, or is there a different company called "transvisa"?
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Old Jul 15th, 2013, 11:35 AM
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Kathie I know your question is directed at Mille however I know that for now the only way to get an Indian visa is through the new provider BLS. One must fill out the application online then send it along with your passport and money order to the corresponding BLS office. Basically it is the same procedure as was required with Travisa, the previous visa processing company.
From my experience so far, this is a challenging and frustrating company to deal with. It is virtually impossible to speak to anyone at the processing offices so you have no choice but to call an 800 # which is rings at a call center in India. At the moment their phone lines have crashed and I have no idea where our passports are and if they are even being processed. Keeping my fingers crossed that by some miracle it will all work out in time for our September departure....
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Old Jul 15th, 2013, 06:16 PM
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Sorry for the mistake. I dealt with Travisa. I just did it in June . I had to fill out the info online. When I needed help I called a 212 number in NY. They were great and answered my questions. After doing the online application, I filled out an order form and chose an appointment date and time ( two days later) . I submitted my application in person at the ny office and it was ready in two days. No problem!
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Old Jul 15th, 2013, 06:36 PM
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Thanks, Millie. I also had a good experience with Travisa a few years ago. I do hope that the new contractor will become easier to work with.
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Old Jul 16th, 2013, 06:37 AM
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Up here in Canada,it would appear that BLS is the only provider of visas-same online application process.I did try to call for more info.,but could not get through-the line was busy,or I was put on hold with long-distance charges.At any rate,since we do not live in a city with a consular office,I just sent off to the Vancouver office every conceivable signed document I felt was necessary(on-line form,checklist,mail return form as well as photos and passport).With a $30 return courier fee,the total was $114.We don't leave until late October,so we have lots of time.I will let you know how it goes.Who knows-if I never hear back a quick trip to Vancouver may be in order!!
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Old Jul 17th, 2013, 08:38 AM
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It took exactly 2 weeks to get the tourist visa back but they mailed me someone else's passport. They are very difficult to get through to by phone and I do not have my passport back. They said it takes 48 hours for someone to get back to me by phone. I am very nervous about this situation and I travel in 2 weeks. Travisa was MUCH better!!!
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Old Jul 18th, 2013, 05:03 PM
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My husband and I sent my applications and passports to the San Francisco office a week ago. I have confirmation they received it, but every time I try to track my application on the website it says "No Records Found." Anyone else have this experience (with hopefully positive results)?
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Old Jul 23rd, 2013, 10:01 AM
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I sent my passport 3 weeks througa ABriggs for Indian Visa. Booked airline at the time not knowing for a pending change and still waiting for my visa. My flight leaves on 28th and I can't get hold of airlines, don't know if my passport with vis will be here on time or anything. This is nightmare as I could not have picked up worse timing for my travel.
I purchased flight insurance but it does not seem it matters. They still want to charge hundreds for any changes if needed. i don't know what to do...I have only few days left.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2013, 02:56 PM
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Heres what happened with me. First of all let me explain something. Three yrs. ago my Indian wife had a nightmare of a problem getting a visa for a trip home even though she is a naturalized US citizen with a US passport. We got tons of contradictory info from travisa offices in various parts of the country and thought we would have to cancel our trip. We finally ended up hiring a lawyer who was able to get her visa. Just suffice it to say it was hell. For me getting my visa as a born US citizen had a glitch but turned out to be fairly easy. We both needed visas again so I hired the same lawyer for her and again it was no problem. However it doesn't hurt that he has contacts w/i the Indian consulate here. I thought getting mine would be fine so I waited and then found out that travisa was out and BLS was now in and I read here about problems so I bit the bullet and asked him to procure mine so heres what happened. I did get it BTW.

He went to the BLS office in Chicago and had to wait four hrs. to be seen. Yes, four hrs. They were handing out numbers as you arrived but they were not calling them in order! He had #12 and they called # 32 so he spoke up and they let him go. He presented all the papers, photos etc. and was told that they needed a photo copy of my drivers license which of course was not communicated ahead of time so I took a pic and emailed it to them and him. Then they said they could not print it because their printer ran out of ink. So how about a fax copy? Nope, they do not have a fax machine. So here is a business w/o a fax and who lets their ink supply run out. Then they said he should go make a copy "somewhere" and bring it back. Now its about 4.5 hrs. in the office so he decided to speak to someone higher up only to be met with disgust by the woman taking care of him. So finally he talks to a manager and was told all would be fine. He would take care of things. This was last Tuesday. Well by today I still had not gotten an email from BLS telling me my app was even in process. Travisa did this right away so I called my lawyer and he said he called the manager yesterday as he had not heard either and was told that it was ready. So how will one know if they don't email. I still haven't gotten and email but I do have the passport and visa.

My lawyer who is Indian and specializes in immigration issues and another Indian pal of mine told me that the owner of BLS, an Indian, got the contract from "connections" he had back home and that it seems he is in it to make a quick buck, quality be damned. The lawyer also said that the people at the consulate here are aware of these problems and are going to give them a little time to fix it so if that does not happen then they will be out as well. We'll see.

Good luck folks!!
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Old Jul 24th, 2013, 02:03 AM
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My sympathies to anyone who has to get a visa in the near future and does not have a lawyer to represent their interests. Has anyone had a trouble free interaction with BLS? I would not send them my passport until they get things straightened out, even if it means canceling/postponing a trip.
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