Please look on the visa thread at the top of the index where my comments on visa surgeries have been moved to.

BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU ARE RELYING ON THESE SO-CALLED SURGERIES, THEY MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTING!

copy of post
Before everyone gets too excited about the "re-born after a years gap in 2008" visa surgeries, can I suggest a hint of caution.

It is far from certain that any given surgery will actually happen, several have not happened so far, including today's at Leicester, as far as I know.

The one and only place where details can be checked is the HCI website at the link given above, but earlier this week all adresses and contact details were removed, just leaving the calendar. So as of now there is no way to find out where they are being held!

It is also far from certain as to whether they are actually issuing visas like before, or whether they are simply acting as a payment and receiving centre, and its almost impossible to find out either.

We, along with "Waterproof" were planning to travel to Leicester, but after a load of wasted phone calls earlier in the week, gave up and I went to Hayes on Wednesday and collected my visa on Friday.

Things might change by the autumn when most of you will be thinking about visas, I am just telling it like it is at present. But while the only source of information is not even telling you where to go....................................

I would normally merge this to the visa sticky but have already had an earlier request to keep visa surgery discussion separate so will leave this to run for now. Please note that at the moment it really is unclear as to what is happening re surgeries.

posted at the same time as Johnny five:)

I live in Plymouth, there are no surgeries anywhere close. guess we'll be applying by post, as usual !!
BOB.

At the risk of getting repetitive, Bob, the issue is not how close the surgeries are, but whether they are any damned use to man or beast. Please read the bit that got moved to the visa sticky. Still trying to get some sense on this from VFS/HCI.

Fiona - Thank you my dear. I feel strongly about this subject as it has given me, Mrs J5 and Mr & Mrs Waterproof a considerable amount of trouble this month due to the usual cavalier attitude of the HCI, experts in misinformation. It has obviously been the fault of their IT Dept (Indian Tosh).

johnny five
thanks for your very useful comments re visa surgeries.
I must admit that when I posted the link to the dates and locations, I was a bit surprised that there was no information about specific addresses, so I share your suspicions.

I would prefer to attend a surgery to get my visa but I'm not sure if there is one near enough to us to be worth while - at this point, we're not even sure that we'll be going to Goa 2009/10 anyway.

PPC
The link had only changed a couple of days earlier so you couldn't have been aware.
Hope you find somewhere nice for your next holiday, if I didn't have a fully-equipped house (rented), dogs, ducks, bikes, and a wife completely determined to hang on to Goa till the bitter (and it probably will be) end, I would never set foot in the place again.
Still, grin & bear it, stiff upper lip and all that!

No Visa surgeries anywhere near Glasgow unfortunately. However, theres never much of a problem with the Visa Centre in Edinburgh. The new place is great.
Mind you ive not even booked to return to Goa so it might not even matter to me

Think i'll just chill out about it for while. not going till jan. will be going to Kos at the end of august. so i'll think about goa visa's while lazing on the beach with a cocktail in my hand. always think better under controlled conditions!!!LOL.
BOB.

IT NOW APPEARS THAT VISA SURGERIES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED ALTOGETHER.
(not that I believe any ever did happen)

Surprise,surprise!

Hopefully Waterproof will elaborate and the latest situation...................

Seems like surgeries have been called off - there was a posting on another site with a reference from the Nottingham Community Centre where they were supposed to being held.

URGENT NOTICE - VISA SURGERY SUSPENDED

Due to unavoidable circumstances the Indian High Commission has temporarily suspended the two visa surgeries planned to take place at The ICCA in 2009.

The first of two dates publicised for a visa surgery was Saturday 27th June. The ICCA strongly recommends that anyone who had planned to attend the June surgery should visit The ICCA offices as soon as possible and obtain their visa via the standard process as detailed below (please note the turn-around times).
__________________

Rang another supposed surgery and they said the same - nothing doing.

There's some info here as well:-

http://www.cgiedinburgh.org/VisaServices.shtml

Glynis, I think you will find that has been there for 11 months, since outsourcing began and visa surgeries stopped forthwith. It does not refer to the farce that has prevailed over the last couple of months with the initially publicised re-launch of visa surgeries (or consular visits as they were renamed) and the subsequent failure to actually run any as far as I can find out.
Typical of the HCI, they have shown no regard for those applying, with a mixture of mis-information and no information, so maybe it is a mercy that the whole mess has come to an end. If these idiots were running a business, even an Indian one, it would have gone bust long ago!
What I could not understand right from the start was why bring them back? We had been clearly told that all visa applications would be handled by VFS and that the HCI wanted nothing more to do with the general public. Then suddenly, out of the blue, they announce a long list of these surgeries for 2009, run by the HCI with "a member of VFS there to offer advice". Why do we let ourselves be sucked in by these buffoons? Because all the time, those of us who have to deal with Indian beauracracy, nurse the hope that they might have started behaving like civilised human beings, thats why!
Thank you Waterproof, I knew you had seen it somewhere on another forum.................

One thing to note if you use a surgery is only postal orders are accepted for payment

One thing to note if you use a surgery is only postal orders are accepted for payment

To repeat yet again.....................

It would appear that surgeries have been abandoned by the HCI. DO NOT rely on attending one for your visa!

May be slightly off topic but in September we are going to Sri Lanka.Now hear this it would appear that just like the Thais Sri Lanka really wants tourists so no messing.Visa on arrival no forms(usual landing card apart)no massive fee no hassle no diabolical to deal with.

Our first trip to Sri Lanka(may times to Thailand).

Will let you know how it goes but does anyone else think the Indians are not really bothered if we come or not.

Sorry to bang on about it but I have never been anywhere where they make it so hard for tourists to come and spend money.

Thought there was a recession on.

Papa

Must admit we have looked at Sri Lanka in the past and one of the big benefits is that you don't need a VISA. I haven't read a bad report about the place.

As for Indian VISA's , although expensive I found their on line application a doddle and very efficient last year................. hope it hasn't changed

Must admit we have looked at Sri Lanka in the past and one of the big benefits is that you don't need a VISA. I haven't read a bad report about the place.

As for Indian VISA's , although expensive I found their on line application a doddle and very efficient last year................. hope it hasn't changed

Agree it has got better although I would not describe the online application process a doddle.

I maintain though that India keeps making it much harder than other countries for tourists to visit.

At the end of the day what do most of us do.We go once(for the lucky ones maybe twice)a year for two weeks.

I believe it is a real issue that maybe does not put us regulars off(used to the aggro)but if you are a potential new visitor and your choice are.Thailand Visa on arrival.Sri Lanka Visa on arrival.Or Goa large fee and major pain obtaining a visa.

Love to see the figures but I bet Goa would see a big increase if the visa rules were relaxed.

Papa

Just nipped into this forum to see if it's any easier to get to Goa after finding a few decent flights into Bombay.
We still have VISA problems, still have awkward times at Mumbai and a long wait in the terminal both ways....or the alternative of two crappy experiences at Dabolim on a charter being treated like cattle.

Why would anybody put themselves through this hassle of getting to a destination that should only be 9 hours away from the UK, if they really wanted you to visit?
It's quicker and easier to go to Singapore/KL/Bangkok then onto any number of destinations where you can have a better time than the "Goa experience" at the moment.
How depressing.