Major Queries Regarding Visa on arrival for Indians In US!

August 11, 2017March 18, 2019

When it comes to the time duration of the Visa of a specific country, people want to have more time span.

Recently, after months of hard work, there can be seen an extension in the Indian Visa on arrival system to about 113 countries which also includes USA. This new process is on its way to settle and you can apply online and receive an Electronic Travel Authorization. This may prove a little difficult for the long term travelers and for those who are traveling for 30 days or less than that, may face a lot of bureaucratic obstacles as per the new ETA system.

These new additions have been done to improve the tourist ratio in the country as the Indian Subcontinent has a lot to offer to numerous travelers all over the world. From the recent estimations, visitors to India face reduction and receive fewer tourists as compared to Malaysia and Thailand. Here we are discussing the main queries in relation to visa on arrival for Indians in the US.

What is Visa On Arrival?

Firstly, it is necessary to understand the correct meaning of Visa on arrival.

Basically, a ‘visa-on-arrival’ simply means that the citizen of another country does need a visa to enter, but can apply for and receive the visa when you get there. Visa on arrival is issued once you enter the respective country and this kind of visa is usually issued to tourists when they enter the visiting country for holiday or any other purpose.

The Existing Tourist Visa Process:

Currently, the tourist Visa process for India has many drawbacks like it involves many non-refundable application fees, inappropriate travel plans, travelers need to complete a lengthy and time-consuming form and more.

In case, the visitor wants to stay in India for more than 30 days or want multiple entries, then he/she will need to apply for a tourist visa via the regular application form.

How the Visa on Arrival Works?

By simply filling the online form, you can apply for the ETA.
All you need to give is your full-face picture on a white background along with the scanning of your passport photo page. Then you need to pay the required fee, after which you will receive an application ID via email.
Within around 4 days, you should receive your ETA via email.
After following all the above criteria, get the hard copy of this document and present it at immigration of India’s visa-on-arrival airports within 30 days of approval. There you will get the visa-on-arrival stamp and can travel to India for 30 days.
Visitors who already have the ETAs on arriving in India won’t have to get in the lengthy queues at the visa-on-arrival counters in airports. They are allowed to proceed directly to the immigration counters to be fingerprinted and stamped into India.
Some other countries also use this ETA system which includes Sri Lanka and Australia.
Travelers are only allowed to receive two E-Tourist Visas per year.

Who Can Take The Advantage of the Visa on Arrival?

Before this new scheme, more than 100 countries were included for E-Tourist Visa eligibility and chances are there to increase this number to 150 countries. This Visa will prove helpful for a number of people but the following type has concluded the one who can really enjoy the advantages and who don’t.

Tourists who are planning to visit India for less than 30 days should look into getting an E-Tourist Visa.
The citizens of approved countries with Pakistani origins are not eligible for an Indian E-Tourist Visa on arrival. Hence they need to follow the old process only.
For those who want to visit controlled territories such as Arunachal Pradesh will also require a special permit to visit India. They are not eligible for a visa on arrival.
If your country is not the part of the visa on arrival countries list of 150 countries yet, in such a case additional nationalities will be included in future phases.

What does the India E-Tourist Visa mean for Backpackers?

For backpackers and long-term travelers, who don’t want this visa-on-arrival for such a short duration of only 30 days, it would be preferable that they should use the old Indian visa application form. This Visa on arrival neither be extended after you enter India nor it can be converted into another type of visa.

By filling the old Indian visa application form, the backpackers get more time on the ground and can stay for longer duration.

For tourists who only want to travel few popular spots of India, the new visa on arrival scheme is perfect. Undoubtedly, most of the visitors come to India for the Taj Mahal or for a brief foray into Rajasthan.

Requirements to Get the ETA:

To apply for your ETA online, you need to have the following stuff for you:

A planned arrival date for India
A credit card or debit card to pay the required fee
A scanned PDF image of the first page of your passport whose maximum size should be of 300 KB.
A full-face JPEG photo of yourself on a white background with a max size of 1 MB.

What You’ll Need for the E-Tourist Visa Once You Arrive?

After arriving in India, to get the benefits of Visa on arrival, make sure that you have the following stuff for you:

A passport with the validity of at least six months
A printed copy of your approved ETA
Proof of a return flight out of India
Proof of funds

Details of the Indian Visa on Arrival:

Best time to apply: Between four to 30 days before your arrival date
ETA application fee: The e tourist visa India fees is US $60 which can be payable through your credit or debit card
Processing time: The e tourist visa India processing time is of 3 to 4 working days
Validity: The ETA is valid for 30 days after approval date
Visa-on-arrival duration: 30 days on the ground in India
Number of ETAs allowed per year: 2 (two times)

Airports In India Supporting Visa on Arrival:

These are the airports which totally support the Visa on arrival scheme: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Goa, Chennai, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Cochin, Gaya, Thiruvananthapuram, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, and others.

Completing the Indian Visa on Arrival Application:

This new scheme of Indian Visa on arrival is very easy to manage and you can simply avail one by going through the self-explanatory drop-down lists and instructions. The only reasons, any applicant would be rejected if he/she doesn’t disclose its Pakistani origins or upload unclear/low-quality files.