NOTE 2: Minor children of foreign nationals including those of Indian origin also require appropriate visa to enter India.
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JURISDICTION
Jurisdiction of the Consulate General of India, San Francisco: Alaska, Arizona,
Hawaii, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming,
Colorado, Montana, Idaho and California.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL VISA APPLICANTS:
1. Passport in original valid for a minimum of six months should accompany
visa applications.
2. Paste/staple TWO 2”x2” passport size photograph at the space
provided on the front page (right top corner).
3. Foreigners holding other than United States passports should submit
proof of long- term (at least three years)/ permanent residence (copy of green
card) in the United States. For citizens of other countries, who do not normally
stay in U. S. , a reference has to be made to their country of residence
for which an additional $20 fee is applicable and will involve five to seven
days processing time (see also (a) to (e)). Please refrain from making inquiries
about the status of application during this time.
4. For citizens of other countries, who are visitors in USA please also
submit the Clearance
form.
5. Payment of Fees: All fees should be paid either in cash (accepted only
at the counter) or through money orders, bank drafts or cashier checks (by Mail)
drawn in favor of Consulate General of India, San Francisco, WE DO NOT ACCEPT PERSONAL CHECKS, COMPANY CHECKS AND CREDIT
CARDS.
If such payments are sent the application cannot be processed and it will only
delay the service. Please do not send any cash by mail as cash is accepted only
at the counter. It must be noted that fees once received cannot be refunded
under any circumstances, even if the application is withdrawn by the applicant
or services are not provided to the individual as his case does not qualify for
that particular service. This amount may be combined with the fees and only one
draft/money order/cashier check could be sent.
6. Submission of the visa application does not guarantee that the applicant will receive a visa. There is no entitlement or right to a visa. It is up to the Indian Consulate to determine the eligibility for issue of visa, its type and duration, on an individual basis on the merits of each case.
RECEIPT AND DELIVERY OF PASSPORTS THROUGH MAIL:
For return of passports by mail, please add the under mentioned charges to
the fees, depending on your choice:
i) By Overnight Mail (Recommended): The best option is to send a
self-addressed stamped Express Mail envelope of the US Postal Service OR include
$20.00 with the fees (total of fees + mail back charges can be paid together
through a single money order or cashier’s check in favour of Consulate General
of India, San Francisco).
ii) By Certified Mail: include $10.00 in case of a single passport and an
extra $1 for every additional passport with a self addressed envelope without
stamps (no stamps to be affixed). (total of fees + mail back charges can be paid
together through a single money order or cashier’s check in favor of
Consulate General of India, San Francisco). Consulate will not take any
responsibility for late delivery or loss of mail sent by Certified Mail. Hence
sending of passports etc. by certified mail or requesting for return of
passports by certified mail is not recommended.
Applications sent through Certified mail may take 2-3 weeks for processing and return of the passports after grant of visa. Hence enquires regarding visa applications sent by Certified mail may be made only after 3 weeks from the date of mailing.
Note: It is not advised to use FedEx as a return service, since FedEx is
not picking up any mail from this office. The Consulate shall not be responsible
for any delay on this account.
Processing Duration: Applications
received at the counter between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. will be processed the
same day and serviced passports can be collected at the counter between 4:00
p.m. and 4:45 p.m. Applications sent by mail will take 5 to 10 working days to
process. This time schedule does not apply to services where prior approval is
required from the authorities in India, or embassies in case of applicants not
residing in US. Applicants are advised to refrain from making telephonic /
written /e-mail inquires about status of application. Applicants would be
informed if additional documents are required. The Embassy/Consulate is not
responsible for documents lost in mail.
Please Note: Applications are accepted at the counter from 9:00am to 12:00pm (Mon.-Fri.) ONLY
TYPES OF VISAS:
Tourist Visa: Is issued for
6 months, 1 year and 10 years. The period of stay in India (for each visit) is 6
months only.
Entry Visa: Entry visas are
issued only to people of Indian origin. Such visas are valid for 6 months, 1
year or 5 years.
Business Visa: i) Valid for
6 months/one year with multiple entries. A letter (on company letterhead) from
Sponsoring Organization indicating the nature of applicant's business, probable
duration of stay, places and organizations to be visited incorporating therein a
guarantee to meet maintenance expenses, etc. should accompany the application.
ii) Long term Business visas for ten years (multiple entries) in case of US
Citizens and five years (multiple entries) for other nationals are available
only to those who have set up industrial/business joint ventures in India. This
fact, along with the details of joint venture in India must be mentioned in the
sponsorship letter.
Student Visa: Valid for six
months to one year with multiple entries for bona fide students to pursue
regular studies at recognized institutions in India. A letter confirming
admission from such an institution along with evidence of financial arrangements
for stay in India should accompany application. In case of admission in medical
or para-medical courses in India, a letter of Approval or "No Objection
Certificate" from Indian Ministry of Health is also required. Likewise, for
admission in graduate or post -graduate courses in Engineering or Technical
institutions in India, a letter of approval or a No Objection Certificate from
Ministry of Human Resources Development (Department of Education) should be
submitted. For research purposes detail synopsis of the research project,
countersigned by the sponsoring institution in India should be submitted.
Missionaries: Valid for
single entry and duration as permitted by Government of India. A letter, in
triplicate, from sponsoring organization indicating intended destination in
India, probable length of stay, and nature of duties to be discharged should be
submitted along with guarantee for applicant’s maintenance while in India.
NOTE: Processing of applications for research and missionaries may take up to
three months.
Journalist Visa: Journalist
visas are issued to professional journalists and photographers for a maximum of
three months only. “Journalists, who are not accredited to India, irrespective
of their origin, are given only 3 months single entry visa, irrespective of
their origin. Accordingly, journalists who wish to visit India for tourism/
sightseeing or any other purpose are advised to apply for 3 months visa only.
Please note that it will not be possible to refund the excess fees in case a
journalist applies for a long-term visa .”
Conference Visa: Conference
visas are issued for a period of 1 month, or for the duration of the conference
only. A letter of invitation from the organizer of the conference is to be
submitted along with the visa application.
Employment Visa: Employment visas are initially issued for one-year stay. This can be extended by Foreigners Regional Registration Office in India, if the job contract continues. Application for extension is required to be submitted at least 3 months in advance to concerned FRRO/FRO. Kindly note that Employment Visa is given only for jobs that require very high level of skills and expertise. Spouses and children are granted co-terminus entry (X) visas on request. Following documents are to be attached to the application.
a. Letter of terms and conditions from the employer.
b. Copy of contract with concerned Indian company.(Signed by Both)
c. Covering/request letter from the company for issuance of visa.
d. Undertaking from the Indian company on the following lines:
Undertaking
We take full responsibility for the activities and conduct of
Mr./Mrs._____________________________ national of _______________________ during
his/her stay in India. If anything adverse comes to notice during this period,
we undertake to repatriate him/her on our cost.
Date: Signature of Competent Authority
Seal:
Transfer of Valid Visa: Valid
visa can either be transferred from the expired passport to the new passport by
submitting the visa application form, both the passports and required fee (see
below) OR the passport holder could travel with both the expired passport
containing the valid visa and the new passport keeping them together.
Special forms have to be filled by citizens of Pakistan (4 copies with 5
photos) and Bangladesh (2 copies with 3 photos).
FEES: (Effective from 1st
October, 2000 revised visa fees for various types of visas are given below (in
US$).
- VISA FEES :
|
Type of Visa |
For US Nationals* |
For Other Nationals |
| Six months Tourist(T) / Entry(X) /Business (B) Visa - Multiple Entry | $60 |
$40 |
| One Year Tourist(T) / Entry(X) /Business(B) Visa - Multiple Entry | $85 |
$65 |
| Student Visa (valid for the duration of the course or for a period of five years, whichever is less- Multiple Entry) | $95 |
$75 |
| Five Years Entry(X) Visa (Only Issued to People of Indian Origin) - Multiple Entry | $150 |
$130 |
| Ten Years Tourist(T) /Business(B) Visa -Multiple Entry [Not available for Non-US passport holders] | $150 |
N/A |
| Five Years Tourist (T) Visa -- Multiple Entry [Not available for US Passport holders] | N/A |
$130 |
| Transfer of Five Years / Ten Years visa to new passport (Application should be made on regular visa application form and it should be accompanied with both the passports.) |
$25 |
$25 |
| List of Restricted/Protected Areas |
|
|
(The fee structure is based on reciprocity between the two countries)
Visa fees revised for various types of visas, Effective 1st October, 2000
* Including Processing Fee
a. A charge of US$ 40.00 is payable by the Russian nationals for visa
services and of US$6.00 (Equivalent to Rs. 250.00) by Romanian nationals.
b. The visa fees for Pakistani nationals is US$1.00. In addition, they are
required to pay additional charges of US$20.00 for fax/telex charges.
c. The visa fees for Sri Lankan nationals is US$3.00 for a single entry
visa and US$6.00 for double entry. They are also required to pay a charge of
US$20.00 for fax/telex charges.
d. In accordance with bilateral arrangements, visas are issued gratis to
the nationals of Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Jamaica, Maldives,
Mongolia, Mauritius, Slovak Republic, South Africa and Uruguay. However,
Bangladeshi nationals are required to pay US$20.00 for fax/telex charges.
e. Nationals of Nepal and Bhutan do not require visa to enter India.
f. For visit to Restricted/Protected Areas, a separate application on
plain paper, giving details of the places to be visited, should accompany the
visa application (For all foreign nationals, except those mentioned in (b) to
(e) above, are required to obtain permits for each visit to a
restricted/protected area for each such area.)
Emergency Service: (At Counter
only) An amount of $35 is charged over and above the normal fee for rendering
emergency service.
EMERGENCY VISA SERVICE ON HOLIDAYS: In cases of emergency such as
death in the family or serious illness of a near relative, visas can be issued
on holidays in the Consulate only strictly between 11 AM and 1 PM. Applicants
should bring the completed visa application form, 2 photographs, proof of
emergency, copy of confirmed air ticket indicating travel within the holiday
period and the visa fee (an extra charge of $ 35 is charged for visas issued on
holidays).
Miscellaneous Information: The
duration of stay in India, for each visit on a tourist visa or business visa is
only for a period of 6 months even though a valid visa may be for more than 6
months.
For visit to Restricted or Protected
Areas: A separate application on plain paper, giving details of the
places to be visited, should accompany the visa application. (http://www.cgisf.org/visa/restricted.html
)
For FRRO Requirements/Information, please visit