A Spaniard in the Works
... wrote John Lennon (In His Own Write).
That's what the FRO (Foreigners' Registration Office) has handed me.
The new DSP (Deputy Superintendent of Police) was very polite, very friendly (even invited me to lunch in the senior officers' canteen), and very firm.
"I'm sorry, sir, I have discussed your situation thoroughly with my superior officer, and we cannot extend your visa any more. You have already had eight years, and the maximum is supposed to be five years. You must leave India by June 22 {my annual renewal date}, get a fresh visa abroad, and we will welcome you back."
Basically that leaves me with two options:
1. Go to a nearby country such as Sri Lanka or Singapore for a visa. However, I know that they would only issue me a 6-month tourist visa, and in December I would have to leave India again. I'm not sure how easy it is to get back-to-back tourist visas abroad.
2. Travel to Canada for a while, get a fresh visa, and return to India. At least there would be a (very slight) possibility they would issue me another long-term renewable visa instead of just a 6-monther. But that could ONLY happen in Canada.
I think it makes more sense for me to go to Canada for the summer, and return to India in the autumn, when the weather is best here.
So I leave India on Sunday 22nd June, arrive in Toronto, stay with friends there overnight, visit with my Mom in Grimsby for a few days, then fly to Vancouver, for a summer of music and film festivals, great weather, and visiting many friends after so long. Maybe do a little part-time work tutoring to provide some extra cash.
What I do from there will depend on whether I can get another long-term renewable visa, or just a 6-month Tourist visa. A long-term visa will let me continue to live in India. If I can only get a Tourist visa, I'll have to go back to Canada every year.
I have only booked a one-way ticket to Vancouver. It was not much cheaper (less than $100) to buy a return ticket instead of two one-ways, and this keeps my options much more flexible, both in terms of when I leave Canada and the route I take to return to India.
At this point my plan is to stay in Vancouver until the end of September, then come back to India in October. I'll spend a week or so at home in Chennai, then hit the road for my annual trip to the west coast of Karnataka.
That's what the FRO (Foreigners' Registration Office) has handed me.
The new DSP (Deputy Superintendent of Police) was very polite, very friendly (even invited me to lunch in the senior officers' canteen), and very firm.
"I'm sorry, sir, I have discussed your situation thoroughly with my superior officer, and we cannot extend your visa any more. You have already had eight years, and the maximum is supposed to be five years. You must leave India by June 22 {my annual renewal date}, get a fresh visa abroad, and we will welcome you back."
Basically that leaves me with two options:
1. Go to a nearby country such as Sri Lanka or Singapore for a visa. However, I know that they would only issue me a 6-month tourist visa, and in December I would have to leave India again. I'm not sure how easy it is to get back-to-back tourist visas abroad.
2. Travel to Canada for a while, get a fresh visa, and return to India. At least there would be a (very slight) possibility they would issue me another long-term renewable visa instead of just a 6-monther. But that could ONLY happen in Canada.
I think it makes more sense for me to go to Canada for the summer, and return to India in the autumn, when the weather is best here.
So I leave India on Sunday 22nd June, arrive in Toronto, stay with friends there overnight, visit with my Mom in Grimsby for a few days, then fly to Vancouver, for a summer of music and film festivals, great weather, and visiting many friends after so long. Maybe do a little part-time work tutoring to provide some extra cash.
What I do from there will depend on whether I can get another long-term renewable visa, or just a 6-month Tourist visa. A long-term visa will let me continue to live in India. If I can only get a Tourist visa, I'll have to go back to Canada every year.
I have only booked a one-way ticket to Vancouver. It was not much cheaper (less than $100) to buy a return ticket instead of two one-ways, and this keeps my options much more flexible, both in terms of when I leave Canada and the route I take to return to India.
At this point my plan is to stay in Vancouver until the end of September, then come back to India in October. I'll spend a week or so at home in Chennai, then hit the road for my annual trip to the west coast of Karnataka.
posted by IndiaJP at 2:59 AM
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