What is causing Delay in Houston

[cap]

A simple application for Entry Visa for my wife has been awaiting approval for over 3 weeks now. Anyone has any inside knowledge as to what is causing delays in Houston?

Travisa webiste only has a alert about 2-3 week delay for all Houston applicants. Any information would be appreciated as I have applied for Surrender certificate 3 weeks back and need to know if I need to apply for Entry visa before I get the certificate for my upcoming trip.

Thanks

[dunw2010]

A simple application for Entry Visa for my wife has been awaiting approval for over 3 weeks now. Anyone has any inside knowledge as to what is causing delays in Houston?

Travisa webiste only has a alert about 2-3 week delay for all Houston applicants. Any information would be appreciated as I have applied for Surrender certificate 3 weeks back and need to know if I need to apply for Entry visa before I get the certificate for my upcoming trip.

Thanks

If you have a renunciation certificate alreay, you can submit entry visa form attaching the renunciation form. If not, you can submit application for both (entry visa and renunciation form together). If your trip is within a few days, make a visit to the consulate, Houston and explain them the urgency. They will consider it and you will get entry visa by the end of the day. Plan 2 day stay, if necessary. This is based on my personal experience. I have applied for entry visa and renunciation at the same time.

[AtlMan]

Backlog in Travisa Houston Office

Hi Guys,
I have applied Entry Visa along with Passport Renunciation certificates ( Naturalized before May 31st 2010)to Travisa office at Houston. For the past one week the status stays the same "India visa application arrived in the mail at Travisa Outsoucing". This morning I was told by the Travisa customer support that they have the backlog in Travisa office.Is it normal thay they take few weeks at their office before moving the paper works to Indain consulate? It seems we have to go through multi levels of backlog . First Travisa and then with the Consulate office itself.I know they ask us not to purchase the ticket but the tickets get expensive if not bought well in advance. Now I am getting nervous what if I donot get my passport and or visa back before 24th. I am from Atlanta, GA and it's not easy to visit to Travisa or Indian consulate office in Texas. Any advice will be greatly appreciated? Is there any expediated process ?
Thank you so much. All the best.

[cap]

Cant help it

The only thing you can do is go to the consulate and do it yourself. I have been waiting for my Surrender certificate for 46 days now and counting and nothing has arrived back. When time comes I will have to fly down myself.
I was told by consulate it takes 6 weeks for surrender certificate and Travisa said it takes additional 3 weeks for entry visa.

[immi2010]

Houston Embassy needs to outsource renunciation

Houston Indian consulate needs to do something about this.

We applied for renunciation long time back and never heard from them. So we decided to fly there to see whats going on.

There are 100s of mailed packages there lying (yes we saw it) when we flew there personally. They said our renunciation application package was received or may be even lost and no further process was done.
There is terrible chaos there. People are flying just to check their status.
The ladies there are rude and she herself told me there is a lot of renunciation mess and my mailed package is just one of the many sitting to be opened!!!

Please go there personally and see for yourself.

[lutzboy]

Any updates on this thread- we also sent our paperwork in (both the renunciation form) as well as an entry visa application and have not heard anything - the status has remained the same on the travisa website - namely that they have received our documents.

[vrothers]

Horrible!!

I know CGI Houston is doing good stuff but their service, approach all sucks. Website states: call in hour between 4 and 5 pm. For the last 45 mts I tried all the 3-4 phone lines but no one answers.

No one responds to our emails.

Sep 15th: They receive our renunciation application/indian passports

It's 6 weeks now and no response. Emailed them 2ice to get my status, no one responds.

How can you operate a department like this? Something needs to be done. I am seriously considering complaining to the DC Indian Consulate and Delhi with a hope something can be done.

Non one ever known to me had good things to say about CGI Houston.

[AtlMan]

Visiting Houston Consulate for Entry Visa

Thank you Guys.I think, I have no option other than flying to Houston. Can anyone please share his/her experience on visiting Houston consulate for Entry Visa? Will they entertain walk-in to the office? What’s the earliest time of the day to allow visa inquiry? Is there any success to get visa done within a day or two in person? Recommendation on any hotel near to consulate will be greatly appreciated.
Good Luck.

[tom_n_jerry]

immi2010,

Did you get your renunciation certficate after flying in to Houston? How long did you wait before flying there? It is 8 weeks since I sent the application. There is no response to the emails.

Let us know.

Thanks,

[cap]

Money Order from 2 months back still not cashed

Since I was not able to find the status of my Surrender certificate, I did a inquiry on the Postal Money Order I had sent for it. It is still not been cashed even after 2 months. The Postal Service will automatically re issue me a check back after 60 days of its issue. I didnt want the check back but they say it is automatic and whoever cashes it first will get it now. These guys are not even opening up the mail not realizing there is time sensitive stuff in it.

[vpssn]

Did you get the entry visa?

Were u able to get the entry visa when you visited the Houston consulate?
I have trip coming up in Nov24 and I applied for an entry visa in October. The status is that it is at Consulate. Will I be able to go to the consulate and get my visa and passport if I dont hear from them within next week ?

[cap]

Attention all Entry Visa seekers at Houston

After 2 months of wait I atlast made my pilgrimage to Houston to get my Surrender certificate for my entry visa. Well I was told that there are 15 boxes full of applications regarding it and they cant help with it. It will take its time. So they suggested that if there is a immediate need to go to India, apply for a 6 month max Tourist visa. I had a Entry visa application for submission, so I went to Travisa without appointment and after waiting for a while got them to change my application to Tourist visa. I paid 40 dollars less and got my visa in the evening. Those who have already applied for Entry visa may be out of luck as I saw several people daily making rounds of the consulate. Also starting today they had a new hire at the consulate to speed up processing.

[abhi989]

applicatoin is not moving

Hello everyone,

I applied for 6 months entry visa on sept 15th, 2010. I had to apply for renunciation with the visa application since I didn't have the surrender certificate. Travisa contacted me on Oct 28, 2010 stating Indian consulate had asked for additional $250.00 since I didn't surrender my Indian passport within 3 years after I became a U.S. citizen. Even though I thought it was B.S to pay these guys more, I sent them the money order very next day, which was received by Houston consulate on November 3rd, 2010.

As many of us, I have bought my tickets well in advance since they were expensive. I am scheduled to go to India on Dec 10th, 2010. At this point I am not sure what to do, since Indian consulate don't pick up your call. Travisa status tracker says the money order was received by the Indian consulate. When I check status on my money order, it is not cashed by the consulate yet, so clearly they haven't opened the packet since then.

Can anyone suggest what I should do? I live in Dallas and I am willing to go to houson if that what it takes to get the visa. What can I ask them or expedite the service after I go there? Any help would be appreciated...

Thanks and good luck to everyone!!

[In_Atlanta_GA]

Same here! Flying out on the 24th. No status on visa except consulate received docs

Calling them, emailing them, or faxing them does not generate any response. I had thought about flying to Houston in next couple of days but when looked at tickets from ATL to HOU..its around $700. My tickets are non-refundable. In a limbo here.
Any suggestions guys?

Were u able to get the entry visa when you visited the Houston consulate?
I have trip coming up in Nov24 and I applied for an entry visa in October. The status is that it is at Consulate. Will I be able to go to the consulate and get my visa and passport if I dont hear from them within next week ?

[In_Atlanta_GA]

Would you receommend going to Houston at the consulate?

or to Travisa folks. If you call TRAVISA they answer as Russian embassy. Quite weird.

After 2 months of wait I atlast made my pilgrimage to Houston to get my Surrender certificate for my entry visa. Well I was told that there are 15 boxes full of applications regarding it and they cant help with it. It will take its time. So they suggested that if there is a immediate need to go to India, apply for a 6 month max Tourist visa. I had a Entry visa application for submission, so I went to Travisa without appointment and after waiting for a while got them to change my application to Tourist visa. I paid 40 dollars less and got my visa in the evening. Those who have already applied for Entry visa may be out of luck as I saw several people daily making rounds of the consulate. Also starting today they had a new hire at the consulate to speed up processing.