India eVisa experience, timeline

[ashikaverma13]

1. Does OCI application under process hold any bearing on the e-tourist visa application?

Answer: OCI is a separate application. If it is under process then It won’t impact your e-tourist visa application. However if it gets approved while you are in India then Immigration Officer may ask you why you are not carrying your OCI? To reply you can tell them that It was under process when you left Canada for India

3. Under present occupation, I am going to with Other and putting 'Consultant' as my option as there isn't a direct drop down option for a Consultant. I work with a Big4 firm in Toronto. Is this okay?

Answer: Yes, that is okay. You may need to upload a work letter from your employer

6. Countries visited in last 10 years - my understanding is this requires details of countries visited in last 10 year on the Canadian Passport and I have only recently traveled to 1 country. Is that what needs to go here?

Answer: You would need to list any country you visited in last 10 years on your Canadian and Indian passport.

Thank you for your quick reply. Really appreciate it. Just a follow-up question on the above responses.

1. Would they have information on my OCI? Anyway, at the moment, I have no idea when it is going to be approved and it will be most likely while I am in India. So hopefully, they will have that information too.

3. The only document that has been asked so far is a copy of my passport. Where would they ask for this information? Do you mean during the processing of the visa?

6. Why would they need information on countries visited on my Indian Passport? Isn't this visa application as a Canadian citizen on the Canadian Passport? So my information should pertain to where all I have visited as a Canadian. Did you indicate similar or know anyone who indicated countries visited on both passports?

 

[mk9353]

Thank you for your quick reply. Really appreciate it. Just a follow-up question on the above responses.

1. Would they have information on my OCI? Anyway, at the moment, I have no idea when it is going to be approved and it will be most likely while I am in India. So hopefully, they will have that information too.

3. The only document that has been asked so far is a copy of my passport. Where would they ask for this information? Do you mean during the processing of the visa?

6. Why would they need information on countries visited on my Indian Passport? Isn't this visa application as a Canadian citizen on the Canadian Passport? So my information should pertain to where all I have visited as a Canadian. Did you indicate similar or know anyone who indicated countries visited on both passports?

1. Would they have information on my OCI? Anyway, at the moment, I have no idea when it is going to be approved and it will be most likely while I am in India. So hopefully, they will have that information too.

Answer: Yes, your OCI information will reflect in their system once it is approved. They may ask you question why you are not visiting India with your OCI? You can just provide them your explanation. Don’t worry the question won’t trouble you

3. The only document that has been asked so far is a copy of my passport. Where would they ask for this information? Do you mean during the processing of the visa?

Answer: To apply for e-visa they just ask for passport copy but to apply for OCI you would need to submit many documents electronically

6. Why would they need information on countries visited on my Indian Passport? Isn't this visa application as a Canadian citizen on the Canadian Passport? So my information should pertain to where all I have visited as a Canadian. Did you indicate similar or know anyone who indicated countries visited on both passports?

Answer: India wants to keep track of travel history of all of its visitors so better to provide name of countries traveled in last 10 years irrespective of your citizenship.

 

[ashikaverma13]

3. The only document that has been asked so far is a copy of my passport. Where would they ask for this information? Do you mean during the processing of the visa?

Answer: To apply for e-visa they just ask for passport copy but to apply for OCI you would need to submit many documents electronically

[/QUOTE]

Thanks, for this I meant where would they ask for my employment information during the e-visa process. The only document asked to be uploaded was the passport.

 

[mk9353]

3. The only document that has been asked so far is a copy of my passport. Where would they ask for this information? Do you mean during the processing of the visa?

Answer: To apply for e-visa they just ask for passport copy but to apply for OCI you would need to submit many documents electronically

Thanks, for this I meant where would they ask for my employment information during the e-visa process. The only document asked to be uploaded was the passport.
[/QUOTE]
Employment letter is only asked for OCI. For e-visa it only asks for a copy of passport.

 

[ashikaverma13]

Thanks, for this I meant where would they ask for my employment information during the e-visa process. The only document asked to be uploaded was the passport.

Employment letter is only asked for OCI. For e-visa it only asks for a copy of passport.
[/QUOTE]

Thank you. Could you please also confirm what to write in 'have you previously visited India?' I have obviously been there as a citizen but not as a tourist. The answer should be no, correct?

 

[ashikaverma13]

Got 3 emails saying that the evisa is granted. We will have to take print out of these emails, right? There isn't any PDF or anything like that they'll send?

Hi, did you end up selecting travelled to India before as No.

 

[mk9353]

Employment letter is only asked for OCI. For e-visa it only asks for a copy of passport.

Thank you. Could you please also confirm what to write in 'have you previously visited India?' I have obviously been there as a citizen but not as a tourist. The answer should be no, correct?
[/QUOTE]
You can write NA or No. The question really meant is Have you traveled India before as a Canadian?

 

[ashikaverma13]

Hi Folks,

For those who have indicated 'No' to 'have you previously visited India?' (Since you haven't as a Canadian Citizen) in the e-visa form, in the next question that asks to list the country visited in the last 10 years, are you listing India?
If yes, doesn't that contradict the previous answer about visiting India?

 

[abbas.pasha]

Hi Folks,

For those who have indicated 'No' to 'have you previously visited India?' (Since you haven't as a Canadian Citizen) in the e-visa form, in the next question that asks to list the country visited in the last 10 years, are you listing India?
If yes, doesn't that contradict the previous answer about visiting India?

The follow-up question would be also as per Canadian passport only about visiting any country in the last 10 yrs

That would be my suggestion.

 

[ashikaverma13]

The follow-up question would be also as per Canadian passport only about visiting any country in the last 10 yrs

That would be my suggestion.

Thank you, some previous answers have indicated that you enter the countries visited on both Indian and Canadian passports. Could someone who has gotten the visa as a prior indian citizen clarify this? It is urgent as I am traveling in 2 weeks and need to apply for the visa.

 

[mk9353]

Thank you, some previous answers have indicated that you enter the countries visited on both Indian and Canadian passports. Could someone who has gotten the visa as a prior indian citizen clarify this? It is urgent as I am traveling in 2 weeks and need to apply for the visa.

I have applied for visa in the past and listed all the countries visited in the past irrespective of my citizenship. To be on safe side list all countries that you have visited. Did you visit any country that has been hostile to India?

 

[ashikaverma13]

I have applied for visa in the past and listed all the countries visited in the past irrespective of my citizenship. To be on safe side list all countries that you have visited. Did you visit any country that has been hostile to India?

Nope, I have been to North American countries only. My question is does this need to include India also as one of the countries visited in the last 10 years, since technically I have been there.

 

[mk9353]

Nope, I have been to North American countries only. My question is does this need to include India also as one of the countries visited in the last 10 years, since technically I have been there.

Yes, you should list as well. The reason India asks you this question is just to check if you visited any country where your travel may be suspicious. There will be ZERO impact of it on your application if your record is clean. Go ahead and don’t stress yourself about this. If you are applying for e-visa then you will get it approved in just 1 day. Just make sure that you mention your travel date at least one week after your application date. Else system will accept your payment of $40 but deny your application because your application date and travel date are too close.
For instance, if you are applying tomorrow then you application date will be 01/16/2025. Mention your travel date as 01/23/2025 or any date after.

 

[abbas.pasha]

Thank you, some previous answers have indicated that you enter the countries visited on both Indian and Canadian passports. Could someone who has gotten the visa as a prior indian citizen clarify this? It is urgent as I am traveling in 2 weeks and need to apply for the visa.

https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/34277/applying-for-an-indian-visa-after-getting-naturalized-in-a-different-country-aft

This is a sample form for Visa application through BLS (Ref Page 2 Section F): https://www.blsindia-canada.com/toronto-jurisdiction/pdf/VISA-Sample-form-with-common-errors.pdf

 

[ashikaverma13]

https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/34277/applying-for-an-indian-visa-after-getting-naturalized-in-a-different-country-aft

This is a sample form for Visa application through BLS (Ref Page 2 Section F): https://www.blsindia-canada.com/toronto-jurisdiction/pdf/VISA-Sample-form-with-common-errors.pdf

Thank you, I saw this form and section F too. It is very clear that I am supposed to put No for whether previously visited India. However, it is not clear whether the countries listed are on the basis of India and/or Canadian passport. :/