What is a
student visa?
India offers various kinds of visas, depending on
the purpose of visit. Student visa is a visa specifically for the students
wanting to come to India for education purpose. Student Visas are issued for the
duration of the academic course of study or for a period of five years whichever
is less, on the basis of letters of admission from Universities/recognized
colleges or educational institutions in India.
What are the
pre-requisites for procuring a student visa?
To apply/ be eligible for a student visa, you
need to conform to the following conditions.
If you are on Government of India scholarships,
the respective Indian missions would be advised by ICCR to issue a regular
student visa after your admission in an Indian university is confirmed. On the
other hand, if you are coming as a self-financing student, you need to produce
letters of admission from universities or recognized colleges and institutions
in India for obtaining the regular student visa.
If you are coming as a research student, synopsis
of the research project countersigned by the sponsoring institution in India
along with letter of approval are no objection certificate from the concerned
Ministries in India should be submitted for necessary visa.
Note: Processing of applications for
research may take about three months.
Can I get the
visa even if I don't have a confirmed admission letter?
Don't worry if your admission is still not
confirmed. Students not having firm letters of admission from universities or
institutions are issued Provisional Student Visa by the Indian missions abroad,
on the basis of provisional letters of admissions. However Provisional Student
Visa is valid for 3 months. Within these 3 months, your admission needs to be
confirmed otherwise you will have to leave India.
No extension of Provisional Student Visa is permitted.
Can I change my
University/ College after coming to India?
You need to mention the name of the Institute
while applying for the visa, which is then mentioned on the visa. A request for
change of university or institution subsequently made cannot be considered. In
this case you would be required to go back to your home country and apply for a
new visa.
Can I get my
tourist visa converted to a student visa?
"Change of purpose" of visit of international
students to India is not allowed once they arrive in India. Therefore, if you
come to India on tourist or any other type of visa, you cannot get this visa
changed to student visa.
According to government regulations, if an
international student coming to India on a tourist or any other type of visa
(except a student visa ), obtains admission into a university or any institution
in India, the student will be required to return to his country and obtain a new
visa (i.e. a student visa) from the Indian mission there.
To avoid this situation, all self- financing international students are advised
to obtain regular or provisional student visa from Indian missions abroad by
producing confirmed or provisional letters of admission from a university or an
institution.
Where can I
apply for the visa?
The visa can be applied for from any of the
Indian Embassies / High Commission. Click
here to
view the list of Indian Embassies / High Commission.(www.mea.gov.in/onmouse/mission.htm)
You can also view the sample visa form, by
clicking here.
Are there any
rules & regulations that I need to conform to?
Yes, while applying for the visa you need to keep
in mind the following regulations:
Passport valid for a minimum of six months beyond
the date of intended departure from India should accompany your visa
application.
Students holding other nationalities (other than
the country where applying for visa), should submit proof of long-term (at least
three years)/ permanent residence in the country (where applying). For citizen
of other countries, a reference has to be made to their country of residence for
which an additional fee is applicable and will involve extra processing time.
Please refrain from making inquiries about the status of application during this
time.
InfoValley Educational & Research (P) Ltd. services
for Student VISA
InfoValley Educational & Research (P) Ltd. organize the admission of international
students and sends them admission offer letter along with the provisional
admission letter received from the institute. The students have to submit these
letters at the Indian embassy in their respective countries to get the visa.
Incase of need, InfoValley Educational & Research (P) Ltd. will follow up for issuance of visas. In addition, InfoValley Educational & Research (P) Ltd.
also helps in extension of visa of the students who have already been studying
in India, by following up with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO)/
respective ministries etc.
How much is the
student visa fees?
The fee structure depends on the nationality of the
passport holder and type/duration of visa applied. These fees are payable in the
local currency as well. Please check with the
Indian
embassy in your country for exact visa fees.
