Many visa applicants have expressed concern over the time it is taking to get visas for India during the last few weeks. In the past, applicants were able to get their visas on the same day while these days they are given appointment cards varying from the next day to about 8-10 days.
People have also expressed concern over the suspension of sending visa applications by post, at the long queues outside the High Commission and people losing money on tickets they have purchased in case they are unable to get visas on time and so on.
The High Commission of India would like to clarify the following:
a) We are currently issuing 2000 visas a day. In the peak season, we expect to issue about 3000 visas a day.
b) Of the current 2000, about 800 are those received through travel agents, 600-650 are those who apply on the same day and 500-550 are those who have been given appointment cards for that day.
c) Visas are still issued on the day of application in over 95% of the cases. The problem is that there is a time lag for being able to apply for a visa. The reason for this is that as against the normal number of people applying for visas, there has been a spurt in visa applicants. This spurt (i.e. over and above the normal capacity to handle visa applications) is currently around 500-550. Therefore, instead of turning people away, we are giving them appointment dates for subsequent days because we simply cannot process visa applications of all the applicants on that particular day.
d) As per 'General Information' printed on the reverse of the visa application form, applicants are required to finalise their travel arrangements only after ascertaining visa requirements and obtaining an appropriate visa. Unfortunately many applicants purchase tickets before obtaining a visa and then complain that they would miss their flights if they did not get a visa. While we do take care to ensure that those who are travelling within the next twenty-four hours and have confirmed tickets are provided emergency visas, purchasing tickets before getting a visa is incorrect and clearly mentioned in the instructions for the visa applicants.
e) We have advised the people through our website that due to unavoidable reasons, obtaining a visa for India will take more than one day and they should plan their itinerary accordingly.
f) We have discontinued the practice of receiving visa applications since July 2007 anticipating problems with Royal Mail. As a result of the recent postal strike, the Royal Mail has "significant" volume of mail lying undelivered. We have, therefore, saved visa applicants the apprehension and worry about their passports getting lost/misplaced/delayed in postal transit. We are constantly reviewing this situation with a view to restoring the postal application service for visas as soon as feasible.
g) During the peak tourist season in India, queues outside the High Commission are a normal phenomenon given the number of people applying and the limited capacity of our visa halls. Therefore, the queues at present are neither new nor should be considered out of the ordinary.
h) Our website also shows that the visa applications would be received from 0830 to 1200 hours. Despite this, we try and accommodate those standing in the queue up to 1200 hours. However, people who join the line after 1200 hours, are not issued appointment cards and neither are their applications accepted.
Certain changes are also being implemented in the near future to ensure that the applicants are not put to hardship. These include -
i) Hiring of more staff to cope with the rush of applicants
ii) Providing display counters that indicate the date for which appointments are being given.
iii) A better electronic display system for interviews as well as delivery of passports.
iv) Getting appointment for visas through Internet. This, however, would take some time to operationalise.
As always, we remain open to constructive suggestion to further improve our visa services.
More Information on Visa Services
| 