Alright I was not expecting this. I work as a radio producer for the US government, and I am planning on going next week to Bombay as a tourist with no alterior motives. I talked to the Indian embassy and they said over the phone that it would take one day to get my visa, but when I went to apply for a visa they told me because I work for a news organization (Voice of America) that I am a journalist, even when I explained that I am in fact a producer and not a journalist and that I work for the Indonesian service, not the Hindi service. So they said it would maybe take them 5 days or more to prove that I am not a journalist, which I don't really understand how they are going to prove that I am not a journalist, and which could possibly take too long and then I'll miss my already purchased flight to Bombay.
Anyone have any insight into this matter? Know anyone I can talk to? I've been to India before, on a student visa, three years ago.
Yep, it's a big no-no, right up there with "terrorist" and "interested in the status of untouchables". You're not supposed to tell the truth, just just something like "clerk". They can't verify it, but once you write it down, they do know what VOA is and I am sure all the red flags went up.
My guess is you will get a visa after five to ten days. They need the time to clear it with New Delhi; that's what they mean by "prove you're not a journalist", if New Delhi says it's OK, then you are not a journalist.
Of course the above is not a guarantee. They could decide to sit on it for 6 months. The fact is, journalists do need special clearance, and the distinction between journalist and producer is meaningless since many producers do research and advance legwork for stories. They don't like people doing that with a tourist visa.
It is their country, after all, not yours, although employees of Bush's govt have been known to ignore such niceties.
I would go back to the embassy and try to contact a higher official or even the ambassador himself. In India hierarchy is very strict and lower levels are following bureaucratic procedures in details so there is no way they can be responsible for any mistake in procedures. Higher officials have more autonomy and possibility to speed up your case. Try to convince them that your job is purely technical like an engeener in a sound studio and there is no chance you would do a journalist work in India. It is pure pleasure&holiday in this amazing fascinating country (flattering!). Ask for their help not to miss your flight. Some compassion might work.
I had a huge problem with embassy official who wanted to follow the procedure in details giving me hard times as much as he could. But I had a chance to talk to the ambassador and suddenly all my problems disappeared in an instant.
And while in India change your occupation for a while and stick to it. I was working as a journalist but in India my occupation was a teacher. I made a mistake to write my true occuation only once in a guest book on a houseboat in Kashmir. I had no idea that the police is checking guestbooks. It gave my hosts huge amount of trouble.
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