Hi,

I have a question re. visit to India. My wife doesn't have any PIO/OCI and requires a visa to visit India for a month. Does she have to apply for e-Tourist Visa or have to go through the traditional route of applying it via. BLS?

I am just confused. If it's e-Tourist Visa, I believe we have to simply fill the form online, upload the picture, and receive the permit in the email. Right? Any caveat before/during/after the travel? Since, it's the first time and considering it's about India travel, I am a bit iffy about the process.

Also, she hasn't got her Indian passport cancelled yet. Is it required to be done for the tourist visa, or could be done at a later date when she applies for her OCI?

Can someone please clarifies if it's that straight forward as it's shown on the site:

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html

Thanks.

Yes she needs to get her Indian PP cancelled. Typical red tape and bureaucracy by BSL and CGI - Canada.

Not only that depending on when she got her Cad citizenship and whether she has travelled on her Indian PP or not after getting her citizenship, expect them to loot her big time.

Surrender certificate, Renunciation certificate, Passport cancellation fees, penalties for not cancelling Indian PP on time, penalties for travelling on Indian PP after getting Cad citizenship.

You are at the mercy of the Babu's who work there. Depending on their moods and whims and fancies and her luck, they might charge her only 1 or all of the above.

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Actually she is very lucky, she won't have to go for any of the above crap stuff, since she is going for LESS than 30 days.

So it will be a simple straight forward process and will be strictly online. Basically nothing but a Visa on arrival, but HAS to be applied and approved from here in Canada.

https://india-evisa.travisa-online.com/india-eta/faqs

Make sure she doesn't physically go to a BSL office or CGI, and its not more than 30 days, otherwise all the crap above in the second post will happen.

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America Ka Vyapaari Canada Ka Bhikari

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Make sure she does the following step, when you get the email.
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What should I do after I get my eVisa by email?

Once your visa application is approved, it will be sent to you by email. You must print a copy to carry with your passport and bring it along when you travel to India. We recommend that you print two copies and keep one with your records. When you arrive in India, you must have your eVisa with your passport.

At the airport on arrival, your biometric information ( scanned fingerprints) will be taken and the visa sticker will be placed inside your passport.

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America Ka Vyapaari Canada Ka Bhikari

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Right now the above stuff is fine, and she will travel hassle free and easily to India for 30 days.

But in future when she goes for an OCI or a longer visa like 6 months or more. They might see that 30 day EVisa sticker on her Canadian PP and she travelled to India without cancelling her Indian PP. They might charge her penalties for that.

So sooner or later they will try to get you and loot you. But don't worry about it for now, for the tine being and for this current 30 day visit she is fine. No hassle.

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America Ka Vyapaari Canada Ka Bhikari

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Read this page carefully. Sooner or later they will try to loot one or all of the below fees from her, depending on the situation, dates, timing, circumstances.

http://www.blsindia-canada.com/renunciation_ppt.php

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Thanks. I am aware of the renunciation of Indian passport and we need to get it done once she gets back from India. I think she needs to go for more than 30 days (about 5-7 days more than that), so she might have to get through the tradition visa route. May as well restrict the visit to 30 days to save ourselves the hassle. Last year when she visited India, she applied and got the 'regular' visa without any request for the renunciation certificate. I will see if it is required this time, which I don't think so for just a single entry visa.

Thanks again.