[council] Visas for ICANN Meeting in New Delhi, India

["GNSO.SECRETARIAT@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <gnso.secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

[To: Council[at]gnso.icann.org]
[To: liaison6c[at]gnso.icann.org]

Dear All,

With the holiday season approaching and with little time to the next 
ICANN meeting in New Delhi, please note the following information about 
visas, and please make a timely application for such if you need one.
http://del.icann.org/node/11

To request an invitation letter from ICANN for the meeting, click here
http://forms.icann.org/cgi/invitation-request

Foreign Nationals desirous of coming into India are required to possess 
a valid passport of their country and a valid Indian Visa. They are very 
easy to obtain and the application is very straight forward and can 
easily be obtained from your nearest Indian Mission (Embassy, consulate 
or high commission).
There is no provision of 'Visa on Arrival' in India and no fee is 
charged for immigration facilities at the airports. Foreign passengers 
should ensure that they are in possession of valid Indian Visa before 
they start their journey to India except nationals of Nepal and Bhutan 
who do not require visa to enter India and nationals of Maldives who do 
not require visa for entry in India for a period up to 90 days (a 
separate Visa regime exists for diplomatic/official passport holders).
The Consular Passport and Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of 
External Affairs is responsible for issuance of Indian visas to the 
foreign nationals for their visit for various purposes. This facility is 
granted through various Indian missions abroad.
Visa fees are non-refundable and subject to change without notice. The 
High Commission reserves the right on granting and deciding 
type/duration of visa irrespective of the fees tendered at the time of 
making application. Granting of Visa does not confer the right of entry 
to India and is subject to the discretion of the Immigration Authorities.
Specific Visas are granted for a variety of purposes. The principal 
types of Visa issued are mentioned below.
TOURIST VISA

Tourist visas valid for six-month and one year (six months stay each 
time) are available. Ten-year Tourist visas permitting a stay of maximum 
of six-month on each visit are available to U.S. citizens who are 
frequent visitors to India. A person desirous of visiting India 
frequently but not intending to stay for more than six months at a time 
is advised to apply for this type of visa. Please note that it is not 
possible to extend your stay in India beyond 6 months if you are 
visiting India on this visa. For non-US nationals, who are permanent 
residents of US 5 year tourist visa with six months stay each visit is 
available.
ENTRY VISA

Valid for six months to one-year stay with multiple entries for 
legitimate purposes only. Five-year long-term stay visas are available 
only for US citizens of Indian origin. The five-year entry visa allows 
the holder to stay in India for up to 5 years after they have registered 
themselves with the authorities in India. This visa is advisable for 
people who intend to live in India on a long-term basis and for more 
than six months at a time. There is no Ten-year entry visa.
BUSINESS VISA

Valid for six months and one year with multiple entries. A letter 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. may 
accompany the application. Ten-year Business visas are available to U.S 
passport holders. A business letter from India or US may accompany the 
application.
STUDENT VISA

Depending upon the duration of the course, multiple entry student visas 
for bonafide students to pursue regular studies at recognized 
institution in India are available. Visa is valid for up to five years 
or the duration of the course whichever is less. A letter confirming 
admission from such an institution along with evidence of financial 
arrangements for stay in India should accompany the application. In case 
of admission in medical or para-medical courses in India, a letter of 
approval or No Objection Certificate from Ministry of Health, Government 
of India, New Delhi, is mandatory. Likewise for admission in graduate or 
post-graduate courses in Engineering or Technical Institutions in India, 
a letter of approval or a No Objection from Ministry of Human Resources 
Development (Dept. of Education), Government of India, New Delhi, should 
be submitted. For research purposes detailed synopsis of the research 
project, countersigned by the sponsoring institution in India should be 
submitted. Processing of applications for research may take about three 
months.
TRANSIT VISA

Valid for single/double entry for short stop over for travelling to a 
third country is available. Confirmed onward tickets must accompany the 
applications.
Missionaries: Valid for single entry and duration as permitted by the 
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. Processing of 
applications for missionaries may take up to three months.
JOURNALIST VISA

Journalist visas are given to professional journalists and photographers 
for three months stay in India.
EMPLOYMENT VISA

Employment visas are initially issued for one-year stay. A copy of the 
contract with the employer has to be enclosed. Kindly note that 
Employment Visa is given only for jobs that require very high level of 
skills and expertise. This can be extended by Foreigners Regional 
Registration Office in India, if the job contract continues. Spouses and 
children are granted co-terminus entry visas on request.
CONFERENCE VISAS

Letter of invitation from the organizer of the conference and approvals 
of Indian authorities are to be submitted along with the visa application.
TRANSFER OF VISAS

To transfer visas from an expired passport to the new passport, 
application form duly filled in along with one photo and the required 
fees. It is possible to travel with expired old passport with valid 
Indian visa and valid new passport issued subsequent to issue of Indian 
visa.
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.
Contact

For further clarification on Visa rules or related problems, contact the 
Officer of the Consular Division, of the Mission in which Visa is to be 
applied.
VISA APPLICATION FORMS

Indian Missions / Embassies Abroad -- 
http://www.meaindia.nic.in/onmouse/mission.htm
Delhi Tourism
http://delhitourism.nic.in/index.aspx
India Tourism
http://tourism.gov.in/ or http://www.incredibleindia.org
http://www.delhimapindia.com
--
Glen de Saint Géry
GNSO Secretariat - ICANN
gnso.secretariat[at]gnso.icann.org
http://gnso.icann.org