Visa India
Jun 1st, 2012, 11:14 PM
#21
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I just tried again, same thing happened. This time I installed the security certificate. It did take several attempts to load the page as it couldn't establish a connection... maybe the problem was with my browser. I have the page open again now... Thanks for posting the links.
Jun 2nd, 2012, 03:08 AM
#23
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Rasputin1, thanks for your reply. Think I'll go with the online option, now that it appears I can use the website (seems ok after installing the security certificate). There's also a good thread on IndiaMike about the visa application process from Australia.
Jul 26th, 2012, 07:18 PM
#27
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Topping this to say that you guys weren't kidding - this is truly the mother of all visa applications. We've traveled all over the place and nobody before has ever cared where our parents were born.
Mr. C just spent the whole afternoon crankily filling out the form and has not yet finished. I'm afraid that there's going to be an essay section.
Just read through this thread and saw JulieS's warning about going to the wrong site and having to redo everything - I can just imagine her call to tech support!
Mr. C just spent the whole afternoon crankily filling out the form and has not yet finished. I'm afraid that there's going to be an essay section.
Just read through this thread and saw JulieS's warning about going to the wrong site and having to redo everything - I can just imagine her call to tech support!
Jul 27th, 2012, 12:50 AM
#28
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Given what Rasputin1 and dogster (and others) had to say, I decided to avoid the queues and stress as described above by Ras... Went for the cheaper of the two lower stress options, ie, VFS online application sent in by post. I didn't find the instructions on their website particularly helpful but managed to find some good "how to" info on a couple of other websites... the process was a bit gruelling as using Firefox was a nightmare... it would drop out almost every time you had to move on to the next page, so went back to the start on numerous occasions. I almost gave up, but decided to download Chrome and give that a try and it was a breeze after that.
Filled in forms - carefully - signed, added money order, posted via registered mail. Waited anxiously.... We had our visas in our hands exactly one week after we had posted them! We were able to track progress online and although it was a bit painful getting the application together, once that was done the whole process was very fast.
Be really careful though because we almost missed signing one page. I also sent in our itinerary, flight details and gave our agent's details as our Indian reference, probably overkill but we managed to get our visas with minimal hassle!
Filled in forms - carefully - signed, added money order, posted via registered mail. Waited anxiously.... We had our visas in our hands exactly one week after we had posted them! We were able to track progress online and although it was a bit painful getting the application together, once that was done the whole process was very fast.
Be really careful though because we almost missed signing one page. I also sent in our itinerary, flight details and gave our agent's details as our Indian reference, probably overkill but we managed to get our visas with minimal hassle!
Jul 27th, 2012, 03:53 PM
#30
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Nobody is more type A than Mr. Crosscheck. He meticulously screened the video yet screwed up several times along the way, and has still not finished. He seemed to be doing lots of scanning, retyping and muttering under his breath. At one point my signature was not positioned properly in the allotted box and he thought he would have to redo everything, but luckily found that he had saved a version along the way.
And to further complicate the process, we realized last week that I didn't have room in my passport for the visa. I ended up having to pay an expediter to urgently get me extra pages.
And to further complicate the process, we realized last week that I didn't have room in my passport for the visa. I ended up having to pay an expediter to urgently get me extra pages.
Jul 27th, 2012, 04:15 PM
#32
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Nobody is more type A than Mr. Crosscheck. He meticulously screened the video, yet screwed up several times along the way. It is now Day 2 and has still not finished. He seems to be doing lots of scanning, retyping and muttering under his breath.
He said to tell you that he had to call Travisa in SF to find out whether to upload the photo on p. 3 of the govt. form. Travisa acknowledged that the video was not clear and said that the photo only gets uploaded on the Travisa form.
Finally, the task was almost complete...and a checklist appeared showing that my signature was not positioned properly - there was one squiggle outside the allotted box. For a tense moment, Mr. C thought he would have to redo everything, but luckily found that he had saved an unsigned version along the way.
And to further complicate the process, we realized last week that I didn't have enough room in my passport for the visa (which I'm assuming will be humongous). Ended up having to pay an expediter to urgently get me extra pages.
He said to tell you that he had to call Travisa in SF to find out whether to upload the photo on p. 3 of the govt. form. Travisa acknowledged that the video was not clear and said that the photo only gets uploaded on the Travisa form.
Finally, the task was almost complete...and a checklist appeared showing that my signature was not positioned properly - there was one squiggle outside the allotted box. For a tense moment, Mr. C thought he would have to redo everything, but luckily found that he had saved an unsigned version along the way.
And to further complicate the process, we realized last week that I didn't have enough room in my passport for the visa (which I'm assuming will be humongous). Ended up having to pay an expediter to urgently get me extra pages.
Jul 28th, 2012, 09:21 AM
#35
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They must mean that it's easy to get your visa approved once you deal with the bureaucracy of the forms. But out of 50+ countries that we've visited, this was by far the most detailed and time consuming visa application process...and probably the first online form I've seen that needed a video to explain how to fill it out.
Jul 28th, 2012, 02:40 PM
#37
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Yes crosscheck, you would. I don't get it either. Though I note that there are 8 pages of questions for Indians applying for a tourist visa in Australia which allows them to stay for up to 12 months... there are some questions that I didn't have to answer to get an Indian visa, such as who in my family won't be travelling with me and providing evidence of funds...
Jul 30th, 2012, 08:19 AM
#38
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Farhan: Take it from one whose been there. It can be a nightmare sometimes. Definitely not easy. My wife, a US citizen now but who was born in India went thru hell to get her visa. Never underestimate the workings of the Indian bureaucrat mindset. 
Aug 26th, 2012, 12:18 PM
#39
I'm now in the middle of the application process - and am so glad I read this before I started it.
Crosscheck, it was thanks to your post that I was able to convince my husband that we don't upload the photo on the gov't VISA form, but will do it when we complete the Travisa form.
I'm now muddling through the Travisa application - will finish tomorrow, I hope.
Crosscheck, it was thanks to your post that I was able to convince my husband that we don't upload the photo on the gov't VISA form, but will do it when we complete the Travisa form.
I'm now muddling through the Travisa application - will finish tomorrow, I hope.
