Outsourcing works!

My last post discussed the advantages of having a US passport. I was able to test that further, as I recently applied for an Indian visa. I have a friend getting married in Delhi in April. Since I have never been to India, I thought this was a perfect opportunity. It's no surprise that Pakistani citizens have difficulty in getting Indian visas. However, I had also heard stories first hand about the difficulties of Pakistani-born US citizens as well.

I applied in person at Travisa Outsourcing in San Francisco. I find it amusing that the Indian consulate outsources their visa collection and delivery services to another company. I was told that although I was a US citizen, since I was born in Pakistan, the maximum duration visa I could apply for is 6 months (vs. 5 years for US citizen not born in Pakistan) and that it would take 72 hours to process (vs. same day otherwise). I could live with that. I know of two cases of Ameristani friends that had issues recently: one was given a 30 day visa after multiple exchanges with the consulate, and the second was given a 3 month visa, both of which expired before they were able to go India.

Crossing my fingers, I impatiently waited. Right on schedule, Travisa called my cell phone and left me a voicemail indicating that my 6 month visa was ready to pick up. I was also able to track my application using their fantastic online tracking system, which updated you through each step in the visa processing (similar to FedEx/UPS with package delivery). Overall, it was very pleasant and straightforward experience getting the visa. Travisa provided great customer service and were very efficient...all for a $13 fee.

Now only if the Pakistan consulate would outsource their visa processing. My experience last year getting a Pakistani visa was a pain. If you have ever been to a Pakistan consulate, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about.