What is causing Delay in Houston

[In_Atlanta_GA]

Did you get to go to Houston? How was the experience?

Would you recommend it?

Thank you Guys.I think, I have no option other than flying to Houston. Can anyone please share his/her experience on visiting Houston consulate for Entry Visa? Will they entertain walk-in to the office? What’s the earliest time of the day to allow visa inquiry? Is there any success to get visa done within a day or two in person? Recommendation on any hotel near to consulate will be greatly appreciated.
Good Luck.

[vellabadu]

Waiting for Entry Visa/OCI in Houston

We have applied for OCI back in August and we still did not get it. So we applied for Entry Visa in October and its been more than 4 weeks, we still didn't hear anything. The latest status says, the documents have been submitted to the Indian consulate. We purchased tickets to India to travel on December 3rd. It looks like we are not going to get the visa. Based on the current situation I don't think we will get the entry visa anytime soon.

I just applied visa for my wife only, my son has PIO and I have OCI. My wife already traveled to India once on entry visa. So when we applied entry visa in October 2009, they canceled her Indian passport (they have a stamp in her Indian passport and it says "Passport Canceled on acquisition of foreign citizenship"). Since she got citizenship before May 31st, 2010 and she has cancellation stamp, we never applied for her surrender certificate. I don't think we need to apply for surrender certificate. Do you think this is still an issue? Also we already applied her OCI and the latest status is "Photos scanned on September 24"). If surrender certificate is the issue, then they should have raised that when we applied for OCI.

So here are my questions.

1. Can we fly to Houston from Atlanta directly and request the Indian consulate to grant entry visa?
2. Do I need to take an appointment (I tried to take a personal appointment, but I couldn't find it).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I know I shouldn't buy the tickets until we get the visa in our hands, but we have to go to India to attend my brother-in-law's marriage.

It's been nightmare with Houston Indian consulate.

P.S: My friend also applied for entry visa for his family, their U.S born daughter got the visa in one day but the parents are in the same boat as mine. And the consulate is not going to send his daughter's passport until the parents get entry visa.

[skalyani99]

After 2 months of wait I atlast made my pilgrimage to Houston to get my Surrender certificate for my entry visa. Well I was told that there are 15 boxes full of applications regarding it and they cant help with it. It will take its time. So they suggested that if there is a immediate need to go to India, apply for a 6 month max Tourist visa. I had a Entry visa application for submission, so I went to Travisa without appointment and after waiting for a while got them to change my application to Tourist visa. I paid 40 dollars less and got my visa in the evening. Those who have already applied for Entry visa may be out of luck as I saw several people daily making rounds of the consulate. Also starting today they had a new hire at the consulate to speed up processing.

CAP,
Could you clarify what date you visited the Houston Consulate ?
Also, did you apply for OCI and Surrender Cert together 2 months prior to your visit to Houston ?

So you originally were intending to apply for Entry visa, which you changed to Tourist VISA upon input from the consulate. However, in checking with TRAVISA, if you were born in India, you can only apply for a ENTRY VISA and not a TOURIST VISA !! Bummer. Not sure how to handle this part yet.

Do you know if paying a personal visit with a new Surrender Certificate request would be processed the same day ? so that we could take it to the TRAVISA office the same afternoon ?

I am intending to apply for an OCI + SC, however, due to delays, I might go for a SC + VISA (Entry or any other criteria) whichever is the expeditious, and apply for OCI at a later stage. Hence the questions above.

Thanks,

[vellabadu]

OCI Still Pending - Entry Visa Approved

This information is for the folks waiting for OCI but their travel is coming soon and looking for entry visa.

I applied OCI for my wife in August and the latest status is: Photo/Signature Scanned on 24-SEP-2010

So we applied for entry visa (we booked tickets for December 3rd) and it is just approved today and here is the time line:
10/24/2010 11:21pm CST India visa application completed online
10/26/2010 12:02pm CST India visa application arrived in the mail at Travisa Outsoucing
11/03/2010 3:13pm CST Passport and supporting documents received, payment processed.
11/03/2010 5:09pm CST Documents prepared to go to Embassy.
11/04/2010 8:37am CST Documents dispatched from Travisa Outsourcing Office to Consulate
11/04/2010 9:47am CST Documents received by Consulate
11/19/2010 9:28am CST Outsourcing office has verified the visa is processed correctly. Ready for pickup between 4:30pm and 6:00pm. If mail back, waiting for FedEx pick up and is likely to be mailed out tomorrow.

We are expecting to receive the passport back to us on Monday. I will keep you posted. We were planning to fly to Houston on Nov 28th (since we are flying on December 3rd) if we don't get the visa by then. But luckily we got it approved. It seems there is no guarantee that the entry visa will be received on time. It seems they have a lot of applications pending in Houston to approve (just for visas).

Hope this will help.

[pinfam]

This information is for the folks waiting for OCI but their travel is coming soon and looking for entry visa.

I applied OCI for my wife in August and the latest status is: Photo/Signature Scanned on 24-SEP-2010

So we applied for entry visa (we booked tickets for December 3rd) and it is just approved today and here is the time line:
10/24/2010 11:21pm CST India visa application completed online
10/26/2010 12:02pm CST India visa application arrived in the mail at Travisa Outsoucing
11/03/2010 3:13pm CST Passport and supporting documents received, payment processed.
11/03/2010 5:09pm CST Documents prepared to go to Embassy.
11/04/2010 8:37am CST Documents dispatched from Travisa Outsourcing Office to Consulate
11/04/2010 9:47am CST Documents received by Consulate
11/19/2010 9:28am CST Outsourcing office has verified the visa is processed correctly. Ready for pickup between 4:30pm and 6:00pm. If mail back, waiting for FedEx pick up and is likely to be mailed out tomorrow.

We are expecting to receive the passport back to us on Monday. I will keep you posted. We were planning to fly to Houston on Nov 28th (since we are flying on December 3rd) if we don't get the visa by then. But luckily we got it approved. It seems there is no guarantee that the entry visa will be received on time. It seems they have a lot of applications pending in Houston to approve (just for visas).

Hope this will help.

We applied for our entry visas for our two toddler children...

10/28/2010 India Visa application completed online
11/02/2010 Passport and supporting documents received, payment processed
11/10/2010 Documents prepared to go to Embassy
11/11/2010 Documents dispatched from Travisa Outsourcing Office to Consulate
11/11/2010 Documents Received by Consulate

We travel Dec 9th. Am very nervous.

[cap]

Forget OCI and SC. Go for Tourist Visa.

CAP,
Could you clarify what date you visited the Houston Consulate ?
Also, did you apply for OCI and Surrender Cert together 2 months prior to your visit to Houston ?

So you originally were intending to apply for Entry visa, which you changed to Tourist VISA upon input from the consulate. However, in checking with TRAVISA, if you were born in India, you can only apply for a ENTRY VISA and not a TOURIST VISA !! Bummer. Not sure how to handle this part yet.

Do you know if paying a personal visit with a new Surrender Certificate request would be processed the same day ? so that we could take it to the TRAVISA office the same afternoon ?

I am intending to apply for an OCI + SC, however, due to delays, I might go for a SC + VISA (Entry or any other criteria) whichever is the expeditious, and apply for OCI at a later stage. Hence the questions above.

Thanks,

I had been to Houston 11/11 because I had applied for OCI + SC 2 months before that.
I have not yet got any update on that and was ready to apply for Entry Visa. You cannot send an application for Entry visa if you dont have a Surrender certificate or cancelled Indian passport. The consulate said they cant help me with the SC application as they have 15 boxes of mail and they cant go though it right away just for me
. Since the consulate cannot provide me with a SC they suggested I apply for 6 month Tourist visa.

Same day processing of SC is not likely to happen.

Travisa officers can make changes to your Entry Visa application and make it Tourist Visa. If you have to go to India apply for Tourist visa . It does not require Surrender certificate. I dont know how long this exception might be there from the Houston Consulate. It may be just because of the heavy travel season this quarter.

People who already applied for Entry visa can be out of luck as I saw several local people saying they daily come to the Travisa and Consulate offices to get their visas and get the runaround.

[houston]

Still waiting for entyr visa for my 1 year old

Vellabadu,

your timeline is very close to mine so I have some hope now. Did you call the consulate or travisa to get your visa approved or did it get approved without special request on your part??

I am travelling on Dec 9th as well and it is very nerve racking!

My timeline:

10/28/2010 2:16pm CST India visa application completed online
11/01/2010 4:03pm CST India visa application arrived in the mail at Travisa Outsoucing
11/06/2010 9:03am CST Application assigned for processing
11/06/2010 10:15am CST Passport and supporting documents received, payment processed.
11/06/2010 10:46am CST Documents prepared to go to Embassy.
11/08/2010 1:22pm CST Documents dispatched from Travisa Outsourcing Office to Consulate
11/08/2010 2:06pm CST Documents received by Consulate

I received 2 emails from travisa (11/18 & 11/22) stating that they have checked on my status and my applicaton is still in process and awaiting approval. I was quite surprised by this as I have not called them or emailed them to ask for an update. Has anyone else recieved these emails?

[pinfam]

Vellabadu,

your timeline is very close to mine so I have some hope now. Did you call the consulate or travisa to get your visa approved or did it get approved without special request on your part??

I am travelling on Dec 9th as well and it is very nerve racking!

My timeline:

10/28/2010 2:16pm CST India visa application completed online
11/01/2010 4:03pm CST India visa application arrived in the mail at Travisa Outsoucing
11/06/2010 9:03am CST Application assigned for processing
11/06/2010 10:15am CST Passport and supporting documents received, payment processed.
11/06/2010 10:46am CST Documents prepared to go to Embassy.
11/08/2010 1:22pm CST Documents dispatched from Travisa Outsourcing Office to Consulate
11/08/2010 2:06pm CST Documents received by Consulate

I received 2 emails from travisa (11/18 & 11/22) stating that they have checked on my status and my applicaton is still in process and awaiting approval. I was quite surprised by this as I have not called them or emailed them to ask for an update. Has anyone else recieved these emails?

I received the same emails, 2 days in a row, same days... Id actually sent an email on the 17th, however. Possibly coincidence.

Let us cross our fingers we get our visas in time. We are travelling on the same date!

Vella, did you do any special processing???

*sigh* this is so stressful.

[houston]

I am thinking of visiting the consulate this friday...anyone have any tips for success?

[sujitshah]

entry visa

I have similar situation as many here.
I along with my wife + 2 kids have apllied for Entry visa along with renounciation of
our Indian passports. The website tracking says that the apllication was forwarded
on 11/1 and there has been no movement on our application. Do anyone have idea as
to how long does it take. I have a trip planned for dec 16th. Any advice is welcome.

[NeM]

my entry visa status

Well, this is my status for my entry visa:

11/04/2010 9:17am CST India visa application completed online
11/05/2010 1:02pm CST India visa application arrived in the mail at Travisa Outsoucing
11/12/2010 12:11pm CST Application assigned for processing
11/12/2010 12:42pm CST Passport and supporting documents received, payment processed.
11/12/2010 2:20pm CST Documents prepared to go to Embassy.
11/15/2010 8:49am CST Documents dispatched from Travisa Outsourcing Office to Consulate
11/15/2010 9:43am CST Documents received by Consulate

No news yet but just been getting Travisa status update emails like these:
"Your application for an India visa is still in process at the Consulate. We have checked with the Consulate, and at this time, your application is currently awaiting approval. Please be aware that we are working every day to make sure that your application process is not delayed. Please do not call us regarding your status since Travisa Outsourcing doesnt make the decision regarding your visa. We will update the status online once the Indian Consulate makes a decision. We will send a notification by email once a final decision has been reached."

I'm not sure if it will help me at all but I'll try anyway by going to the Houston consulate on Monday Nov 29th and ask about my visa status to see if anything can be done to get it approved before my planned flight to India on Saturday, December 4th.

[vjayram]

same here...

It's been more than 6 weeks now.. Still waiting.
- Have a phone # to call CGI? All the numbers listed on the CGI website, no one pickup.. keeps ringing.
- Going in person will help? do they allow that?
- VERY BAD Service by CGI. They are working, like they do in India.

Date/Time Action
10/11/2010 11:20am CST India visa application completed online
10/14/2010 1:12pm CST India visa application arrived in the mail at Travisa Outsoucing
10/20/2010 12:26pm CST Passport and supporting documents received, payment processed.
10/20/2010 4:44pm CST Documents prepared to go to Embassy.
10/21/2010 8:13am CST Documents dispatched from Travisa Outsourcing Office to Consulate
10/21/2010 9:36am CST Documents received by Consulate

[pinfam]

It's been more than 6 weeks now.. Still waiting.
- Have a phone # to call CGI? All the numbers listed on the CGI website, no one pickup.. keeps ringing.
- Going in person will help? do they allow that?
- VERY BAD Service by CGI. They are working, like they do in India.

Date/Time Action
10/11/2010 11:20am CST India visa application completed online
10/14/2010 1:12pm CST India visa application arrived in the mail at Travisa Outsoucing
10/20/2010 12:26pm CST Passport and supporting documents received, payment processed.
10/20/2010 4:44pm CST Documents prepared to go to Embassy.
10/21/2010 8:13am CST Documents dispatched from Travisa Outsourcing Office to Consulate
10/21/2010 9:36am CST Documents received by Consulate

Wow... what have you applied for?

[vjayram]

Entry VISA and surrender of Indian passport.

[sujitshah]

entry visa

looks like if you already have the renounciation (cancellation of Indian passport) done
and just getting the entry visa, it probably is around ~3-4 weeks but if you are getting
renounciation and entry visa, it is bit longer.