"It's not an adventure until something goes wrong." So said Chouinard. I prefer that the adventure not start until I'm at least out the door. Might have to remove this quote from my FB page.
Two weeks ago, I sent off a bundle of paperwork to Travisa Outsourcing in San Francisco. Included with that bundle was my beloved passport containing newly added pages (a nice problem to have—not enough pages remaining to accommodate upcoming visas—that I had just resolved in weeks prior).
Let me preface this story by saying that I am not traveling to India. I am just passing through Delhi for a night on my way to Nepal. With a reservation at the airport transit hotel, technically I would not even need a visa, even a transit visa. But in light of the baggage dilemma I faced when traveling to Kilimanjaro, I decided my safest bet would be to secure a transit visa so I could pass through customs and immigration, claim my bags, put them in storage, and then proceed to the transit hotel. Seemed like a better idea than letting the duffels float around at the Delhi airport overnight until my midday flight to Kathmandu the next day.
I dug around online; the information was often contradictory, but I filled out forms, uploaded my passport photos and signature (in addition to hard copies) to Travisa's website, paid a myriad of fees, and FedExed the envelope off. A transit visa would be good for just three days, only valid for 15 days from the date of issuance. For some reason, this forces a last-minute application.
To make a long story short, Travisa decided I needed a 6-month multiple entry tourist visa instead, so they emailed me asking for another $20, not payable by credit card or check but just by money order. Another trip to the post office for the money order and another $32 to overnight them $20. All was received, and my status was updated online. When March 23 arrived, and my departure date was the 28th, my stomach tied in knots. Don't call us, they say. "Once the Consulate has your passport, it is out of our hands. It usually takes them two to three days. After all, they have to carefully consider each application."
Damn right I called them. Four times. Same story each time. The Consulate has it and will carefully consider it. Consider what? I'm spending one night in the airport hotel. I finally asked them at what point I should start to rebook my flights. And I told them I would hold them responsible for all flight and hotel change fees. I certainly didn't 'fess up that I had used miles for my ticket. Somehow, they managed to get my passport to me a mere 20 hours before departure. I perused the visa and noticed that it was granted on March 22. Wonder whose pile it sat in for four days before I insisted that they send it back to me.
Lucky for them that they have a monopoly on handling all visas for India for Washington State residents. Little blue book in hand, I'm off tomorrow.
Two weeks ago, I sent off a bundle of paperwork to Travisa Outsourcing in San Francisco. Included with that bundle was my beloved passport containing newly added pages (a nice problem to have—not enough pages remaining to accommodate upcoming visas—that I had just resolved in weeks prior).
Let me preface this story by saying that I am not traveling to India. I am just passing through Delhi for a night on my way to Nepal. With a reservation at the airport transit hotel, technically I would not even need a visa, even a transit visa. But in light of the baggage dilemma I faced when traveling to Kilimanjaro, I decided my safest bet would be to secure a transit visa so I could pass through customs and immigration, claim my bags, put them in storage, and then proceed to the transit hotel. Seemed like a better idea than letting the duffels float around at the Delhi airport overnight until my midday flight to Kathmandu the next day.
I dug around online; the information was often contradictory, but I filled out forms, uploaded my passport photos and signature (in addition to hard copies) to Travisa's website, paid a myriad of fees, and FedExed the envelope off. A transit visa would be good for just three days, only valid for 15 days from the date of issuance. For some reason, this forces a last-minute application.
To make a long story short, Travisa decided I needed a 6-month multiple entry tourist visa instead, so they emailed me asking for another $20, not payable by credit card or check but just by money order. Another trip to the post office for the money order and another $32 to overnight them $20. All was received, and my status was updated online. When March 23 arrived, and my departure date was the 28th, my stomach tied in knots. Don't call us, they say. "Once the Consulate has your passport, it is out of our hands. It usually takes them two to three days. After all, they have to carefully consider each application."
Damn right I called them. Four times. Same story each time. The Consulate has it and will carefully consider it. Consider what? I'm spending one night in the airport hotel. I finally asked them at what point I should start to rebook my flights. And I told them I would hold them responsible for all flight and hotel change fees. I certainly didn't 'fess up that I had used miles for my ticket. Somehow, they managed to get my passport to me a mere 20 hours before departure. I perused the visa and noticed that it was granted on March 22. Wonder whose pile it sat in for four days before I insisted that they send it back to me.
Lucky for them that they have a monopoly on handling all visas for India for Washington State residents. Little blue book in hand, I'm off tomorrow.
| 03/11/2012 2:32pm PST | Application imported from NIC. |
| 03/11/2012 3:10pm PST | India visa application completed online |
| 03/13/2012 1:02pm PST | Visa application arrived in the mail at Travisa Outsourcing. |
| 03/13/2012 1:06pm PST | Application assigned for processing |
| 03/14/2012 10:33am PST | Passport and supporting documents received by Travisa Outsourcing, payment processed |
| 03/14/2012 10:36am PST | Outsourcing office has received visa application, but cannot process further. Application is on hold. |
| 03/15/2012 12:47pm PST | Additional documents have been received. It may take several days before further action is displayed. |
| 03/16/2012 5:07pm PST | Travisa Outsourcing has matched up your documents, and we are preparing your application to go to the Consulate shortly. |
| 03/19/2012 5:04pm PST | Documents prepared to go to Consulate |
| 03/20/2012 8:15am PST | Documents dispatched from Travisa Outsourcing to Consulate |
| 03/20/2012 8:52am PST | Documents received by Consulate |
| 03/23/2012 2:00pm PST | Pending approval of the Government of India |
| 03/26/2012 12:11pm PST | Outsourcing office has verified the visa is processed correctly. Waiting for mail courier pick up and is likely to be mailed out tomorrow. |
| 03/26/2012 4:04pm PST | Passport mailed out. Please note that the tracking information may not be active for up to 1 business day. |
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