I’ve lightly alluded to a pre-occupation with changing over my visa which has impacted the entire way I’ve approached continuing to keep India my base.

Back to Bombay / Mumbai…

Short answer – I am now the proud holder of an Indian work visa! (and there was much rejoicing!!!)

Even better, I am very fortunate to partner with a company that enabled the best of both worlds – primarily support their growth while not closing the door on relevant consulting assignments in India that can be routed via their firm.

Even more remarkable, the actual submission and obtaining was relatively painless. (more on that later!)

It was all the angst and preparation (may I admit over preparation) that was nerve wracking.

What I realized is that I’ve clearly become too ‘desi‘ as I anticipated the most bizarre arbitrary and absurd possible documentation requests. My luggage was  bursting with papers providing certifications, notarizations and more of practically anything and everything that could evidence my 13+ year life journey from Canada to India.

The ground reality in Canada? Easy peasy.

THANK YOU!!!!

I was gobsmacked to get it in one day when heard horror stories of friends getting stuck for weeks… nay months… with the shortest visa successfully obtained in 5 business days. It was all those stories that gave me sleepless nights as I kept hearing of challenges after challenges… and prompted my paranoid over preparation!

Now that I’m back, I have a date with the FRRO (aka Foreigners Regional Registration Office) which will likely utilize all of my earlier efforts.

Just figuring out how to upload the properly sized photo was an indication that I’m well and truly back in India – same requirement that worked fine for the Indian visa is completely rejected with multiple permutations and combinations and manipulations yet to be accepted by the FRRO website?? (insert merciless laughter!)

Back to the FRRO (Photo: Carissa Hickling)

Wish me luck for the next step in the continuing saga and hope any others out there who were required to change their status in India (or elsewhere in the world), have a smooth go of it!!

Related posts:

• When love goes global, do governments agree?
• Dreaded address change – Foreigner’s registration in India
• “Madame, you must put your permanent address!” aka a logic defying day in Delhi