60. Get Exit Visa in India

Q: Dear Sir, I applied for OCI on 5th March,2009 but till date I have not received it. I need to go to U.S.A on an emergency. My police permit expired on 7th May, 2009. Kindly help me. Thanking you, Sincerely, Dr. Surya Rao Saripalli A. You have not mentioned in your email what type of visa you held and your citizenship. Since you indicate the need to go to the United States on an emergency, I assume that you may be a US citizen. I am not aware of what type of 'police permit' you hold that has expired and hence cannot answer your query explicitly. However if your current visa expired on May 7, 2009 then you will require an exit visa to leave India. You may have two choices that I can think of: Get a exit visa to leave India. Exit Visas are normally issued when people loose their passports and hence have no record of entry into India. At the time of leaving India the immigration officers will want to ensure that the passenger leaving India did in fact enter India legally. Extend your visa, which will then not require applying for an exit visa and you can leave in the normal manner. Both the routes are not very simple when the current visa has already expired. The main authority for such matters is Ministry of Home Affairs, Foreigner's Division, Jaisalmer House, 26, Man Singh Road New Delhi. Under some conditions the FRRO can extend visas. "FRRO/FRO/CHIO can regularize overstay up to three months beyond the validity of original visa (excluding tourist visa) in case of reasonable grounds of delay. However, an overstay fee of US$ 30 (equivalent amount Rs.1395/-) is charged. Apart from this, visa extension fee of US$ 40 (equivalent amount Rs.1860/-) is also charged." However a lot would depend on a persons circumstances and the type of visa they held. If you are an US citizen you may want to seek advice from the US Embassy. A U.S. citizen who wishes to request emergency assistance can call the American Citizen Services Unit during normal business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) at 2419-8000, ext. 4249 or 8562 or 4040. Outside of normal business hours, the person should call the Embassy switchboard at 2419-8000, and request to speak with the "Duty Officer." (Source: US Embassy Delhi)