DESI DIARY
IF YOU HAVE TO VISIT INDIA ON A FAMILY EMERGENCY...
Procedures are in place now to facilitate Entry Visa applications for family emergencies, says the Consulate General of India in Toronto. Image credit: ANGSHU PURKAIT on Unsplash.
To facilitate faster processing of applications for Entry Visa on emergency grounds, special counters have been set up at BLS Centres in Toronto and Brampton with effect from Monday, October 17, says a press release from the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Applicants are advised not to approach the Consulate directly for submission of such applications.
In the cases of death of immediate family members (parents, grandparents and siblings only), visa application should be submitted from 8:00 am to 11:00 am during weekdays, and from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on Saturdays at BLS Centres at 1448 Lawrence Avenue E, unit 6A, Toronto, ON M4A 2V6 and 60 Gillingham Drive, unit 403, Brampton, ON L6X 4X7.
Applicants should approach the security personnel at BLS with all the required documents for further directions. Please note, in addition to the requisite documents applicants are required to submit the following:
1. Copy of death certificate/medical document, which confirms that the death has occurred within the last 72 hrs
2. Copy of photo ID of the deceased
3. Copy of proof of relationship of the applicant with the deceased.
Once an application is accepted and the fee paid at BLS, the applicant can bring the application with proof of payment (alongwith air ticket if travelling on the same day) to the Consulate latest by 2:00 pm during weekdays and by 12:00 noon on Saturdays for issuance of visa on the same day. The applicant can choose to leave the application at BLS Centre, in which case the visa will be issued on the next working day.
In the case of serious medical emergency cases involving hospitalization of immediate family members, the applicant must submit a request for emergency appointment to the Consulate at SAMPARK portal on the website of the Consulate and wait for approval of the request from the Consulate.
The applicant can then submit the application along with the copy of SAMPARK approval at special counters of BLS as per details mentioned above.
Entry Visa in all such cases will be granted for a maximum period of 90 days with Single Entry.