latest info from Consulate general of India for visa to go to India...pl check following link....as per the link, w.e.f Nov/20/2006, you are not to visit the consulate personally but simply mail/courier your passport with application & self addressed envelope....turn around time is 3 biz days excluding mail time....

http://www.cgitoronto.ca/

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Trust the Indian consulate to make things complicated. My cousin is leaving for India in three weeks and needs visas for himself, wife and two kids. He has to spend $8 for mailing each application and another $8 for the prepaid return envelope ($64 in total for a family of 4). The consulate in it's infinite wisdom wants separate applications for each family member to be mailed individually and will dispatch each processed visa separately. If you are going as a family and if the visa of one person is delayed/falls through the cracks, you've had it!!

By the way , it has been seven working days since my cousin posted the applications and hasn't received anything, until date. The consulate had promised to process applications within 5 days.

So beware and be mentally prepared for a lot of anguish when applying for Indian visas. Apply well in advance.

If you can afford it, take out overseas citizenships for yourself and spouse. It costs $421, but is a life long free entry to India with no restrictions on length of stay. For kids, apply for a PIO card ($240) which is valid for 15 years and get it upgraded to the OCI by paying another $40. You will save approximately $140/kid by adopting this route compared to applying for OCI directly.

All the best.

I went to renew my sons passport on Thursday Feb 1st at the Indian consulate . Reached the consulate at 9.15. waited behind a couple of people for a token. Guy at the reception counter briefly checks the papers. So here's the time line.

Entered at 9.15

Collected token 9.20

Number comes up 9.45

Finished from counter 9.50

Thats it. There is a huge waiting hall indoors but it was only about a quarter full. Yes the guy at the reception counter is quite brusque in his manner, but he's only the security guy. At 'bout 9.30 a lady appeared who handled people quite politely, I guess she's regular staff as opposed to the security guy.

Oh yes there was a ....how do we say it.. non desi.?? in line who wanted to get a visit visa. The sec guy at the counter with his limited English tells him all visa applications by mail only. So the guy politely says that some people came last week and waited in line and got the visa , so sec guy quietly gives him a token without arguing.

If you're going for a pp renewal, you must attach a prepaid self addresed envelope, I got one from Canada post which has an express next day delivery and an online tracking , it cost me 7.21.


UPDATED 7TH FEB
Recieved the new passport today. It shows issue date as 2nd feb.
Pretty quick. Good Job Indian Consulate Toronto

Quote:

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Originally posted by jugjones
If you're going for a pp renewal, you must attach a prepaid self addresed envelope, I got one from Canada post which has an express next day delivery and an online tracking , it cost me 7.21.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by freakoutguy

If you can afford it, take out overseas citizenships for yourself and spouse. It costs $421, but is a life long free entry to India with no restrictions on length of stay. For kids, apply for a PIO card ($240) which is valid for 15 years and get it upgraded to the OCI by paying another $40. You will save approximately $140/kid by adopting this route compared to applying for OCI directly.

All the best.

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