Support NeoGAF

[Clay Davis]

Good morning, Gaf. How is everyone doing today?

I'm really frustrated right now, I applied for an Indian Visa almost six weeks ago as a very close friends wedding is in December (she asked me to be there as the person who walks her down the aisle), but I keep hitting roadblocks in applying for a simple Visa.

So far they have asked for six months of bank statements, asked me to ask the bank to send them statements directly as they weren't sure if the statements were legitimate (I can only assume this is due to the amount of transactions and their amounts, what other reason could they have for asking this?), they've also asked repeated questions about where my mothers and fathers grandfathers lived during 1947 and what they did.

This question is impossible to answer as my grandfather on my dads side was in the UK at that time and we no longer know where he was living at the time and with my mum having passed on, I don't have anyone to ask on her side of the family where her father was. This has meant they have to do their own research which they've said can take up to up to eight weeks.

To add to this, they've asked me twice if I've ever been to Pakistan. Both time I have told them no and both time they've said it would be easier to apply for a Visa through my Pakistani passport, a passport I don't have, because I was born in the UK and have never been to Pakistan.

I'm at my wits end. My friend is becoming more and more anxious as she wants me to be there but with the issues I'm facing, it's becoming increasingly obvious I won't get a Visa.

Has anyone else with Pakistani heritage/origin (why does it matter where my parents and grandparents are from if I'm a British Citizen by birth?) had any luck dealing with the Indian Visa process?

 

[QuantumDerp]

Yea...about that, you are going to be discriminated, if not already, based on your lineage. It is going to be a process for you.


It shouldn't matter...I mean you were not born in Pakistan. Although the separation happened between Indian and Pakistani citizen, it fairly recent, plus terrorist attacks that have had happened in India, Indian media blame a person of Pakistani origin...

 

[tbm24]

My co-worker dealt with very similar problem. He’s a dual citizen with Pakistan. If he wanted a visa through his blue US passport they demanded he renounce his Pakistani citizenship. Naturally my coworker didn’t do it, so the only realistic route was to order a new Pakistani passport and apply through that. The process took a very long time with multiple trips to the Indian embassy in manhattan. He only recently got the visa for his week Work trip to our India location. It’s not a fun process even after you get it. You have to enter through Delhi and register at a police station when you get there(and again at your destination assuming Delhi isn’t your destination). I wish you the best of luck, my experience is watching my coworker jump through hundreds of hoops and that’s with the backing of a major company with business in India helping him along. I should add, not to discourage you, but it took him almost 3 months to get the approval from the Indian embassy.

 

[EternalDarko]

Unfortunately mate, the Indians hate the Pakistani's and will make it as impossible as possible for you to get a Visa.
A few years back I worked on a project and my development team was based in India, one of my colleagues who's got a Pakistani background (and has also been to Pakistan before) tried for 6 months to get a Visa until we all just thought it was a useless effort so didn't bother going ahead.
Your mileage may vary, but best of luck in your efforts. If you care for this friend that much then keep trying!

 

[Charles Brandon]

How did your Pakistani heritage come into play? Did they just go off your name? I'm trying to understand how the process was different for you, as a UK citizen with a Pakistani background and me, a UK citizen with a UK background. Hope it works out OK.

 

[Clay Davis]

Thank you for the replies. I knew it might be difficult to obtain a visa based on some research I did prior to applying, but I thought as I was a British Citizen and have never been to Pakistan, nor ever held a Pakistani passport, it would be easier, but it's turned out to be anything but.

They haven't asked to renounce any Pakistani citizenship, at least not yet, but I'm not sure how I'd even go about doing such a thing if they were to ask. I have no ties to Pakistan whatsoever.

How did your Pakistani heritage come into play? Did they just go off your name? I'm trying to understand how the process was different for you, as a UK citizen with a Pakistani background and me, a UK citizen with a UK background. Hope it works out OK.

The visa applications asks where your parents are born and there's another question asking if your grandparents/parents were Pakistani nationals in 1947.

Talking to VFS and the high commission is frustrating in itself. They were rude, dismissive and completely unhelpful. They don't listen and ask the same questions repeatedly and the only seem to care about dragging the process out so I'll give up.

I feel awful, every time I talk to my friend she gets more and anxious about if I'll have it by the time the wedding comes around and what she'll do if I don't. It's so maddening that where I'm born doesn't seem to matter. I can't think of any other country that bases their visa decisions on where your parents are born.

 

[Clay Davis]

I finally managed to speak to someone who was better informed about the process. He made it clear I won't be getting the visa this year, the checks they have to do can take up to 6 months because I haven't been able to provide all the necessary information.

Telling the person I spoke to that it's impossible for me to know that information fell on deaf ears, they said I either know the information so they can speed up the process or I don't which means it takes up to six months. There's no consideration for the fact I want to attend a wedding, a letter supporting this won't make a difference either. They can't issue a visa without knowing my grandparents history.

How utterly, utterly ridiculous. The visa fee, which was £121 is also non-refundable. I don't know how I'm going to break this to my friend.