Hi, I’m a British Indian origin (Born and live in UK) and my wife is a British Pakistani origin (Born and live in UK). We both are going to India for a holiday and meet relatives in Novemeber and fill in the paperwork for our tourist visa. We’ve now been told that becuase my wife is pakistani origin the following need to be shown
Letter and photo passport from relatives in India (to say intention to come and visit)
Letter from employment granting holiday leave and intention to continue employment when return back from India.
My father in law passport
After gathering all this information, my wife have to arrnage for an Interview at the Indian Embabssy to see if they can grant us a tourist visa?
Has anybody gone through this?? What are they looking for?
Hi, I'm a British Indian origin (Born and live in UK) and my wife is a British Pakistani origin (Born and live in UK). We both are going to India for a holiday and meet relatives in Novemeber and fill in the paperwork for our tourist visa. We've now been told that becuase my wife is pakistani origin the following need to be shown
1. Letter and photo passport from relatives in India (to say intention to come and visit)
2. Letter from employment granting holiday leave and intention to continue employment when return back from India.
3. My father in law passport
After gathering all this information, my wife have to arrnage for an Interview at the Indian Embabssy to see if they can grant us a tourist visa?
Has anybody gone through this?? What are they looking for?
Any advice is very much appreciated!!
Be thanksful they haven't give more problems. My mother is a British citizen (born in Pakistan, living in Bahrain) and despite the fact that she hasn't lived in Pakistan since 1983 the Indian authorities demanded to know her current address in Pakistan to grant a tourist visa... when travelling on her British passport.
Re: British Indian married to British Pakistani - Tourist Visa problem HELP!!!
As soon as Indian HC knows one is of Pakistani origin even holding British Passport & born in UK, they actually treat him as if he/she is a spy trying to sneak in India. In you case they haven't asked too many papers, I know a friend who just gave up going to India only because his father was born in Pakistan (mother was born in Kenya).
Re: British Indian married to British Pakistani - Tourist Visa problem HELP!!!
I hate to say this as I'm an Indian myself, but the Indian consulates are notorius for giving people with a Pakistani background, be it their great grand parents from the mughal days, a simple tourist visa. My husband faced so much trouble when he was trying to get his visa to visit India with me that I ended up writing to the Indian Ambassador to US but all I got was a crappy generic letter in return.
Talking about it makes my blood boil because the Indian Consulate is the worst, yes I say the WORST ever government organization. The only way you can get something done is through a contact. So hanif, I say find some sifaarish or forever hold your peace otherwise you'll be waiting until your kids have graduated from college.
On the other hand, I must say the Pakistani consulate was amazing and granted me a tourist visa in 4 business days. They were extremely courteous and organized.
Re: British Indian married to British Pakistani - Tourist Visa problem HELP!!!
i think you guys are right, as soon as they see ‘Pakistan’ written on the form, they go into the panic mode…
i went for my pakistan visa couple of weeks back, my parents and myself all had country of birth as ‘India’, lady at the counter underlined it with red pen. i thought thats it, they will ask me to come back after couple of months and make me fill 10s of forms and all… but nope… i got my visa in 45 minutes. i had a bit bisti done cause i havent been to delhi, jaipur, agra, udaipur, etc but the person who was at the counter had been to all these places, being a pakistani
My husband faced so much trouble when he was trying to get his visa to visit India with me that I ended up writing to the Indian Ambassador to US but all I got was a crappy generic letter in return.
I doubt that the ambassador ever actually read your letter... you probably got a standard reply from some underling who just passed it on for siging at most.
The only way my mother finally got a tourist visa was to pull some strings and get to sit down with the Indian ambassador for a couple of minutes to explain her situation in person to him.... then he agreed to give the visa and it was simple and straightforward from there.
I hate to say this as I'm an Indian myself, but the Indian consulates are notorius for giving people with a Pakistani background, be it their great grand parents from the mughal days, a simple tourist visa. My husband faced so much trouble when he was trying to get his visa to visit India with me that I ended up writing to the Indian Ambassador to US but all I got was a crappy generic letter in return.
Talking about it makes my blood boil because the Indian Consulate is the worst, yes I say the WORST ever government organization. The only way you can get something done is through a contact. So hanif, I say find some sifaarish or forever hold your peace otherwise you'll be waiting until your kids have graduated from college.
On the other hand, I must say the Pakistani consulate was amazing and granted me a tourist visa in 4 business days. They were extremely courteous and organized.
I guess it depends...
I went to India with my family, from Pakistan, and this was right around the time of the Baburi Masjid Incident, and went as tourists. We had no problems getting visas (got it the very same day from Islamabad). We had absolutely no problems because of the fact that we were Pakistanis. At Agra, my dad was wearing a shalwar kameez, and some official just came to see to make sure we had the police permission to travel to the city, but he was polite and only doing his job. I loved the whole experience, and while we had some problems, those werent because we were from Pakistan, they were the same problems that one would face in Pakistan, i.e. inefficiencies at the airport etc.
Re: British Indian married to British Pakistani - Tourist Visa problem HELP!!!
Spock, it is easier getting a visa from Pakistan, and I have heard that from many people in Pakistan, but for some reason, a Pakistani residing in another country gets a hard time.
I have heard of a number of cases where British pakistanis have had their applications rejected on the other hand I hear of so many people from pakistan going to India.
Spock, it is easier getting a visa from Pakistan, and I have heard that from many people in Pakistan, but for some reason, a Pakistani residing in another country gets a hard time.
Re: British Indian married to British Pakistani - Tourist Visa problem HELP!!!
I have two passports. One American and one British. I made an application for a tourist visa to go to India using my British passport and I was told that i would get it on the same day. I went there, two weeks before my flight to the embassy and I was told it would take a minimum six months for me to get my visa, because they had to get 'permission' from the Pakistani government (where both my parents were born) to grant me a visa!! I have never in my entire life lived in Pakistan. They wanted my whole itinerary, whom I was staying with, proof of accomodation booked, who i was meeting, why i was meeting them, etc etc. I ended up screaming to the high commissioner who just looked at me and laughed. I camped day and night outside the consulate and made friends with the security guard. I got my visa for my five day trip to India, just so i could attend a party to celebrate the opening of Bollywood dress designer Neeta Lulla's store, hosted by Bollywood egoistics such as Aishwarya Rai, Shahrukh Khan etc etc. Not going back there anytime soon.
Hi, I'm a British Indian origin (Born and live in UK) and my wife is a British Pakistani origin (Born and live in UK). We both are going to India for a holiday and meet relatives in Novemeber and fill in the paperwork for our tourist visa. We've now been told that becuase my wife is pakistani origin the following need to be shown
Your wife is a British-born citizen of the UK. How did her Pakistani origins even come up?
She was never a citizen of Pakistan, neither has her husband, and I'm assuming that her parents have been in the UK long enough that they are now British citizens as well...the form never asks about the parent's place of birth or past nationalities. It sounds to me like there's really no reason to bring her origins up on the application form.
I agree with what has been said above...Indian embassies abroad are generally very obnoxious about giving visas to people of Pakistani origins...but that's usually more of an issue with people who can't hide their Pakistani origins (they are still Pakistani citizens, or they were clearly born in Pakistan, etc). In this case, I would just fill out her form without mentioning Pakistan, and you should get the visa in 24 hrs as usual.
The form for the tourist visa DOES ask where your parents are born and you have to state to truth. It also asks their DOB and names. These governments have ways to find out these details and can verify - even the Indian government. Remember Pak and India were once the same country. They know names of even the smallest town in Pakistan, that can easily be mistaken for an Indian town. My father was born in a small village in the NWFP province of Pakistan, if i didnt disclose it, they would ave found out. I was born in UK, grew up in USA, my mother came to UK when she was 6 years old, father came here to UK nearly 35 years ago, but still, I had this problem.
Your wife is a British-born citizen of the UK. How did her Pakistani origins even come up?
-She was never a citizen of Pakistan, neither has her husband, and I'm assuming that her parents have been in the UK long enough that they are now British citizens as well...and the form never asks about the parent's place of birth or past nationalities. It sounds to me like there's really no reason to bring her origins up on the application form.
I agree with what has been said above...Indian embassies abroad are generally very obnoxious about giving visas to people of Pakistani origins...but that's usually more of an issue with people who can't hide their Pakistani origins (they are still Pakistani citizens, or they were clearly born in Pakistan, etc). In this case, I would just fill out her form without mentioning Pakistan, and you should get the visa in 24 hrs as usual.
Re: British Indian married to British Pakistani - Tourist Visa problem HELP!!!
I’m looking at the form right now. It asks for name and nationality of your father/husband, and mother. There is no question about their place of birth or past nationality.
Well, each embassy in different countries have different forms and they probably change on a yearly basis. I made my application in 2004, so no doubt, would have changed by now. I am sure that a person who applies for an Indian Visa who is not of Indian origin, but looks Indian/Asian will be questioned about their parents place of birth and so on. People in this category are probably given special/different forms these days to those who are white english/American/Canadian/whatever.
Better still, why dont you go to your nearest Indian embassy and attempt to make an application for a tourist visa. If your parents are born in Pakistan and you find that they ask about parents on the form - this it self will clear up any assumptions you may have about whether they care about Pakistan origin people or not.
Re: British Indian married to British Pakistani - Tourist Visa problem HELP!!!
^
I've applied for Indian visas multiple times over the past several years...the form has always been similar to the one that I posted, without any questions about my parents other than their names & current citizenship. I've dropped off the form at the embassy myself for same-day visa service, and I wasn't asked a single thing...and was able to get my visa at the end of the day like everyone else. Granted, I don't look very "desi," but my reference addresses are all in Srinagar, so its not as though my application isn't being scrutinized. I also know people in similar situations as the OP who apply w/o any significant problems because they just neglect to mention Pakistan on their applications.
