Dear CD's - my mother is going to have bypass surgery in Mumbai - the dates are being finalized and its likely to be in the next 2 or 3 weeks. My passport is expiring May 2006 - is it OK if I fly to India and come back by mid April or so? I have my Canadian PR card - will that suffice for entry into Canada? or will they create any problems because PP is about to expire.
I dont want to get into a situation where I send my PP off to Indian Consulate in Vancouver (which has jurisdiction over Calgary) and then am waiting for the new PP and unable to travel. The Consulate website says about 2 weeks required for issuing new PP, I called them up and they said, "most cases they send PP in 15 days", PP sent by mail takes about a week longer.
I also dont want to get into a situation where I fly to India on current PP and try to get a new one in Mumbai - the wait, service times, etc. over there are likely to be much longer - and I may not be able to get extended leave from job.
Please advise.
Thanks!
PS: if anybody knows good travel agents/ airfare deals/ websites, etc please let me know - I did a quick check on orbitz and expedia and am getting fares in excess of $1500 from Calgary.
Thx again.
Location: God's own country
Posted on: 05-03-06 17:26:01
Canadian Dream,
You can travel to india till and enter Canada even up to the last day of your passport.
Only when you apply for a visa to a 3rd. country (other than Canada and India in your case), that they need a passport with an expiry after 6 months of the time that you travel.
So you are good enough to travel to india under the current circumstances.
I would suggest that you renew your passport/ get a new passport in mumbai - provided thay you got your passport there ,under thatkal scheme (since you have your confirmed return ticket to Canada). This will save you both time and money. Check the Mumbai Passport office for the time lines.
Also remember that you have to have the old cancelled passport with you when you come back and to inform the Immigration at mumbai airport (before he asks) that you got a new passport. This is b'cos that they can see your entry passport number and they will try to compare it with your exit passport number.
Wish that your mother has a sucessful surgery and wish you all the very best.
TK
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