Visa for India
Aug 18th, 2015, 09:24 AM
#44
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Thanks all for clarification about Travisa vs C&K.
SC Dreamer, a friend just did exactly as you and dropped off the needed stuff at the SF office. However, it wasnt a same-day turnaround , as it was in the good ol' days. Who knows...maybe that will have changed but the time you get up here!!??
When are you coming? Maybe we can do a mini gtg if you like!!
SC Dreamer, a friend just did exactly as you and dropped off the needed stuff at the SF office. However, it wasnt a same-day turnaround , as it was in the good ol' days. Who knows...maybe that will have changed but the time you get up here!!??
When are you coming? Maybe we can do a mini gtg if you like!!
Aug 18th, 2015, 01:06 PM
#45
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Just as an update - my wife and I are travelling to India in early September and applied for the e-TV yesterday online.
It's a pretty standard questionnaire - with a couple odd questions, such as what religion you are - along with photo of ourselves with white background, and photo of passport. We received email confirmation of visa less than 24 hours later.
From accounts I read online, once we arrive in India we bring a copy of the confirmation to customs and they collect fingerprints and another photo, and then we'll be on our way.
It's a pretty standard questionnaire - with a couple odd questions, such as what religion you are - along with photo of ourselves with white background, and photo of passport. We received email confirmation of visa less than 24 hours later.
From accounts I read online, once we arrive in India we bring a copy of the confirmation to customs and they collect fingerprints and another photo, and then we'll be on our way.
Aug 18th, 2015, 01:25 PM
#46
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I just filled out the paperwork for our visas and made an appointment to drop everything off in mid September at the C&K center. Even got the photos this morning.
I booked the earliest time slot - so we'll see if we can get our visas the same day (doubtful) or if we may have to drive back up a few days later. Probably would have been okay to FedEx it all, but I just have a thing about putting passports in an envelope and sending them off.
I didn't see anywhere on the website if there is a preferred method of payment. Credit card okay? Personal check? Anyone know?
I booked the earliest time slot - so we'll see if we can get our visas the same day (doubtful) or if we may have to drive back up a few days later. Probably would have been okay to FedEx it all, but I just have a thing about putting passports in an envelope and sending them off.
I didn't see anywhere on the website if there is a preferred method of payment. Credit card okay? Personal check? Anyone know?
Aug 19th, 2015, 09:06 AM
#49
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Hi scdreamer, it is a one-time use visa good for a 30 day visit. So if you plan on visiting India several times in the next few years then the 10 year is probably better, but if not then it seems to be a much simpler, easier, cheaper process than the 10 year visa.
Aug 22nd, 2015, 01:18 PM
#50
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Here's some more info re. C&K.
My wife and I dropped off our passports and the forms (available on the C&K site) for our visas at the local FedEx office on August 14th. We chose to use the C&K courier service, and they provided the FedEx shipping label (each passport must be shipped separately, not combined in one envelope). I should note that C&K would have arranged for FedEx to pick up the passports at our house, but I chose to deliver them to the local FedEx office, which is nearby.
I received my passport with visa at my house (by return FedEx) on August 19th.
My wife will receive her passport on August 24th. It's at our local FedEx office today (August 22), but they don't deliver on weekends.
Progress and tracking notifications were provided throughout the process (both by FedEx and C&K), so it was easy to follow the progress of our applications.
As far as I can tell, C&K is only a middleman; they provide the courier service (if requested), vet the documents, and then forward them to the Indian consulate for processing and return to C&K. They don't have any control of the process while the passports are at the consulate.
The service is convenient, and reasonably quick (the slight delay of my wife's visa was on the part of the consulate, not C&K), although not particularly cheap.
Apparently, the only tourist visa available to us (using this process) was the 10-year visa, for $120.00 each.
Round-trip FedEx courier service (shipping labels provided by C&K) was $30.00 per passport.
Total cost (which includes some small fees added by C&K) was $154.50 per passport.
There might have been a way to do this more quickly or more cheaply (especially if I lived near an Indian consulate), but this was fairly easy and convenient.
I hope this information helps.
My wife and I dropped off our passports and the forms (available on the C&K site) for our visas at the local FedEx office on August 14th. We chose to use the C&K courier service, and they provided the FedEx shipping label (each passport must be shipped separately, not combined in one envelope). I should note that C&K would have arranged for FedEx to pick up the passports at our house, but I chose to deliver them to the local FedEx office, which is nearby.
I received my passport with visa at my house (by return FedEx) on August 19th.
My wife will receive her passport on August 24th. It's at our local FedEx office today (August 22), but they don't deliver on weekends.
Progress and tracking notifications were provided throughout the process (both by FedEx and C&K), so it was easy to follow the progress of our applications.
As far as I can tell, C&K is only a middleman; they provide the courier service (if requested), vet the documents, and then forward them to the Indian consulate for processing and return to C&K. They don't have any control of the process while the passports are at the consulate.
The service is convenient, and reasonably quick (the slight delay of my wife's visa was on the part of the consulate, not C&K), although not particularly cheap.
Apparently, the only tourist visa available to us (using this process) was the 10-year visa, for $120.00 each.
Round-trip FedEx courier service (shipping labels provided by C&K) was $30.00 per passport.
Total cost (which includes some small fees added by C&K) was $154.50 per passport.
There might have been a way to do this more quickly or more cheaply (especially if I lived near an Indian consulate), but this was fairly easy and convenient.
I hope this information helps.
Aug 22nd, 2015, 02:11 PM
#51
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Les - Thank you for that information - it sure seems quick and painless. I have to admit, I am surprised that it was taken care of so efficiently. Did you pay by credit card or by check?
Also - which consulate did your documents go to?
Also - which consulate did your documents go to?
Aug 22nd, 2015, 10:31 PM
#52
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Hi, scdreamer.
Paid online with a credit card (separate payments for the Visa and C&K services).
You can start the process by calling C&K at (516)206-1483, which is what I'd recommend. The people there are very helpful, and can walk you through the process).
Or you can go to this web site:
http://www.in.ckgs.us/visa/type-of-v...st-visa.shtml#
(which is where you'll eventually be directed to by the helpful people above).
The C&K office (and the consulate) where your documents go depends upon where you live. We live in the Denver area, so all our paperwork went through the C&K Houston office.
This site:
http://www.in.ckgs.us/indian-embassy...sdiction.shtml
will tell you which jurisdiction will serve your area.
Hope this helps.
Paid online with a credit card (separate payments for the Visa and C&K services).
You can start the process by calling C&K at (516)206-1483, which is what I'd recommend. The people there are very helpful, and can walk you through the process).
Or you can go to this web site:
http://www.in.ckgs.us/visa/type-of-v...st-visa.shtml#
(which is where you'll eventually be directed to by the helpful people above).
The C&K office (and the consulate) where your documents go depends upon where you live. We live in the Denver area, so all our paperwork went through the C&K Houston office.
This site:
http://www.in.ckgs.us/indian-embassy...sdiction.shtml
will tell you which jurisdiction will serve your area.
Hope this helps.
Sep 22nd, 2015, 07:01 AM
#53
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Wanted to update our visa quest - we had our application appointment with Cox & Kings in San Francisco yesterday morning. I had spoken to them on the phone, as well as had completed the application online. I checked and rechecked their "check-list" but in the end, we hadn't completed everything. Luckily the extra form they needed was very simple, and the clerk allowed us each to fill one out at the window. The other thing I should have brought was a copy of our marriage license (because my maiden name was changed to my married name 34 years ago - yes, they are that thorough). Hopefully, it will still go through, but no guarantees.
Just to let everyone know - in SF they DO NOT allow for the pick-up of the visas in person. That is not what the person I spoke with via telephone or their website indicated, but there are signs everywhere at the office saying that has been in effect since June 2104. So - they will be Fed-Exing our visas, which are supposed to arrive within five to seven business days. Apparently we will not be asked to sign for the delivery - it will be left at our door by Fed Ex if we are not home. They gave us a tracking number, but the clerk said that it will not tell us when the visas will arrive. Not sure what it WILL do.
We had the first appointments of the morning; the instructions said to arrive 15 minutes early, which we (and about 40 others) did. But the office was closed until 9 a.m. - our appointment time. They did not want people gathering on the street, so a man came and took us all into another building and up some elevators to a waiting room, where we sat for about 15 minutes, and then back down the elevators and out to the street, where we had to line up to get into the C&K office. Once we were ushered into the offices, we were at the service window within ten minutes. The clerk was very friendly and helpful.
Cost was $139.05 per visa - payable with debit card or credit card.
For us the bad news is that we are leaving for a week-long trip on Saturday - which leaves us within the time frame for the delivery of the visas. The clerk said we should have them by Friday - but that's only four business days, so I am skeptical. Will have to get someone to check our front door every afternoon. Luckily we live in a fairly safe neighborhood, with a front fence - fingers crossed it all goes well.
Just to let everyone know - in SF they DO NOT allow for the pick-up of the visas in person. That is not what the person I spoke with via telephone or their website indicated, but there are signs everywhere at the office saying that has been in effect since June 2104. So - they will be Fed-Exing our visas, which are supposed to arrive within five to seven business days. Apparently we will not be asked to sign for the delivery - it will be left at our door by Fed Ex if we are not home. They gave us a tracking number, but the clerk said that it will not tell us when the visas will arrive. Not sure what it WILL do.
We had the first appointments of the morning; the instructions said to arrive 15 minutes early, which we (and about 40 others) did. But the office was closed until 9 a.m. - our appointment time. They did not want people gathering on the street, so a man came and took us all into another building and up some elevators to a waiting room, where we sat for about 15 minutes, and then back down the elevators and out to the street, where we had to line up to get into the C&K office. Once we were ushered into the offices, we were at the service window within ten minutes. The clerk was very friendly and helpful.
Cost was $139.05 per visa - payable with debit card or credit card.
For us the bad news is that we are leaving for a week-long trip on Saturday - which leaves us within the time frame for the delivery of the visas. The clerk said we should have them by Friday - but that's only four business days, so I am skeptical. Will have to get someone to check our front door every afternoon. Luckily we live in a fairly safe neighborhood, with a front fence - fingers crossed it all goes well.
Sep 22nd, 2015, 07:29 PM
#55
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Kathie - Just to clarify ... we don't actually need the visas until January. And the trip we will be taking next is domestic, so it will not be a problem if we don't have our passports.
Just hate the idea of the Fed-Ex delivery drop-off and our being away. Had planned to return to the C&K in a couple days to pick up the passports and visas, but no dice.
Just hate the idea of the Fed-Ex delivery drop-off and our being away. Had planned to return to the C&K in a couple days to pick up the passports and visas, but no dice.
Sep 23rd, 2015, 05:04 AM
#56
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A dreamer - I would suggest you either leave a note on your door for fedex asking them to either hold your delivery for you to pick up the following week, ask a neighbor to check daily, or ask fedex to deliver to a neighbor's home.
Sep 23rd, 2015, 04:57 PM
#59
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Problem is - we have no idea when the Fed Ex delivery will take place. And it will be TWO deliveries, because they send each visa separately: my husband's and mine. They may or may not arrive on the same day, and could even be different Fed Ex drivers. Not really keen on leaving a random note on my front door, and most of my neighbors are at work during the day.
My daughter said she will stop by our house to check for the deliveries on her way home from work over the next week. Hopefully that will take care of it.
In retrospect, it was not a great idea to make the appointment when I did - but had it worked out the way I was told on the phone, it would have been easy enough to return to C&K to pick the visas up.
Yes, jobin, it's a process to get to India - but I am pretty sure it will be worth it!
My daughter said she will stop by our house to check for the deliveries on her way home from work over the next week. Hopefully that will take care of it.
In retrospect, it was not a great idea to make the appointment when I did - but had it worked out the way I was told on the phone, it would have been easy enough to return to C&K to pick the visas up.
Yes, jobin, it's a process to get to India - but I am pretty sure it will be worth it!
