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Consulate General of India Vancouver,BC,Canada

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Police Clearance Certificate

  • Home > Consular Services > Police Clearance Certificate/Global Entry Program > Police Clearance Certificate

Applicant must note that, the personal particulars may be filled as per the details provided in his/her Indian passport. If the applicant desires to provide the details in the PCC application (such as name, date of birth, place of birth, parents’ name), that differ from the Indian passport, the applicant should first apply for a reissue of the passport with the changed particulars.

After the reissue of passport with changed particulars, the PCC application may be submitted at the BLS. Please see BLS website for more information https://www.blsindia-canada.com/vancouver-jurisdiction/index.php

However, the applicant requiring addition of spouse name in PCC due to the marriage (post-issuance of passport) may submit the marriage certificate or passport copy of the spouse with the applicant’s name on it. In this case change of particulars in passport is not required for applying PCC.

Processing Time

PCC can be issued only after receipt of a ‘Clear’ report from Police authorities in India which is to be made available in the system by the concerned Passport office. This process may take 6- 8 weeks after receiving application at the Consulate. Please note that there is no guarantee that PCC will be issued within the indicated time frame, as it is purely related to receipt of a ‘Clear’ report from authorities. If it is not cleared within the mentioned time, please contact Police authorities for more information. Once cleared, PCC is issued by the Consulate and dispatched through BLS. If courier charges (optional) are paid, PCC would be dispatched by BLS directly to applicant’s address. In other cases, applicants may contact BLS office for its collection. Please note that once PCC is printed, applicants may check the BLS website to track further status.

In view of this, applicants are requested to assess their requirements for obtaining PCC for India well in advance and submit their applications accordingly at the BLS.

Emergency PCC : Please note that there is no emergency PCC. Hence, Consulate has discontinued acceptance of PCC applications at the Consulate. All PCC applications must be submitted at the BLS, the outsourced agency. Applicant may also note that the requests for collecting the PCC from the Consulate directly is not entertained.

Checklist and Information booklet for PCC application (for Indian Passport holders and foreign Passport holders) – Click here

Where to submit PCC applications :

Printed PCC applications with supporting documents are to be submitted at the BLS. Please note that Postal applications may take longer to process at BLS. Therefore, for faster processing, it is preferable to submit PCC applications at BLS as walk-ins.

Police Clearance Certificate (Indian Passport Holder) – 37 CAD + BLS charges Police Clearance Certificate (Canadian/Foreign Passport holder) – 37 CAD + BLS charges

● Fees once paid are not refundable. ● Fee structure is subject to change without notice ● BLS charges extra ● All the service charges include C$3 for ICWF charge

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How to apply

Additional changes to entry, testing and quarantine requirements in response to the Omicron variant

There are temporary changes for all travellers, including Canadian citizens, regardless of their vaccination status.

Additional restrictions and requirements now apply to these countries:

  • Botswana, Egypt, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe

News release

Changes to border measures

New border measures include

  • rules for re-entering Canada, if leaving for 72 hours or less
  • who is considered fully vaccinated
  • rules for travelling within Canada

Starting January 15, 2022, there will be new rules for who can enter Canada as an unvaccinated or partially vaccinated traveller.

Learn more about the new measures

Venezuelan passport holders

You may need to complete extra steps when you fill out your application .

If the printed expiry date on your Venezuelan passport has passed

If the printed expiry date has passed and you’re applying for a visitor visa, study permit, work permit or to extend your stay as a temporary resident in Canada, follow these steps:

  • Add 5 years to the printed expiry date shown on your passport and enter it in the expiry date field of the application form.
  • Include a letter of explanation with your application stating: “I am a Venezuelan national with a Venezuelan passport, which has been extended for 5 years”.

Warning: If your passport is still expired after adding 5 years to the printed expiry date, your passport is considered expired. You’re not eligible to submit an application with that passport.

Prepare documents and apply

The reason you’re traveling to Canada determines the way you apply and the documents you need to submit with your visa application.

Why are you applying for a visitor visa?

  • To visit as a tourist
  • To visit for business
  • To visit your spouse or partner who has sponsored you for permanent residence

What is your family member’s status in Canada?

  • Canadian citizen
  • Person registered under Canada’s Indian Act
  • Canadian permanent resident
  • Temporary resident in Canada
  • For compassionate reasons
  • None of the above

Do you plan to visit your children or grandchildren for more than 6 months?

You may be eligible to apply for a Super Visa

A super visa lets you visit your children or grandchildren for 5 years at a time. It’s a visa that provides multiple entries for a period up to 10 years.

Find out how to apply for a Super Visa

Step 1 Gather documents

Gather these documents to submit with your visa application and bring when you travel.

About the documents listed

  • Not all documents listed below are required—some are optional.
  • This is not an exhaustive list of acceptable proof to support your visa application.
  • Only submit the recommended documents that prove you’re eligible for a visa.
  • Even if you submit all the documents listed, there is no guarantee that we’ll approve your application.
  • We may request more information from you in addition to what is listed here.

Documents we accept:

  • passports (regular, official or diplomatic)  from most countries (see exceptions below)
  • alien’s passport for stateless persons
  • US Permit to Re-Enter (Form I-327)
  • US Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571)
  • other refugee travel documents for non-citizens

Documents we don’t accept:

  • any passport issued by Somalia
  • non-machine-readable passports issued by the Czech Republic
  • temporary passports issued by the Republic of South Africa
  • provisional passports issued by Venezuela

A clear, colour copy of your valid passport or travel document that you’ll use to travel to Canada

If you have a passport, you must provide a copy of

  • the page that shows your birth date and country of origin
  • any pages with stamps, visas or markings

If you have a travel document, it must be issued by a government and include your

  • date of birth
  • document number
  • citizenship or residency status
  • expiry date (if applicable)

Submit this document with your visa application.

Family members or third parties who apply on behalf of the applicant need to complete this form.

Submit the completed form with your visa application.

Each applicant 18 years or older must complete this form.

Submit the completed form with your visa application

Documents needed depend on whether a child under 18 years of age will travel with only 1 parent, with a relative or friend or alone.

You may need to show

  • a letter that authorizes the minor child to travel to Canada
  • other documents, such as adoption papers or a custody decree, depending on if the minor child travels alone or not

Consult Minor children travelling to Canada .

Submit these with your visa application.

  • Show the border services officer when you arrive in Canada.

If you’ve travelled to Canada or to other countries, this can show that you’ve been able to get a visa in the past.

Proof of this includes copies of previous visas in your passport.

Include a clear copy of 1 or more of the following:

  • your previous passports and/or visas (used within the last 10 years to travel outside your country)
  • entry and exit stamps
  • study and/or work permits that indicate your duration outside of your country
  • expired or valid visas

Submit this document with your visa application

Documents that show how long you plan to stay and what you’ll do in Canada

Include copies of any of the following:

  • flight details
  • hotel reservations
  • registration for an event

This can help us understand if you have enough money to support yourself during your stay in Canada.

Bank name and contact This allows us to contact your bank or financial institution with questions.

Proof it is your account Your name and address on the statement show that the account is yours.

Account details At least 6 months of account details, including balances, helps us understand your financial situation.

Use this form if you want to allow Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to release your personal information to someone you choose.

The person you choose will be able to get information on your case file, such as the status of your application.

Business visitor

A clear, colour copy of your valid passport or travel document that you'll use to travel to Canada

Submit this with your visa application.

A clear copy of 1 or more of the following:

  • study and/or work permits that indicate your duration outside your country

Copies of any of the following:

A letter from your employer can confirm that you have a stable job and will return to it. It can also show that your employer supports your visit to Canada.

The letter should be printed on your employer’s official letterhead.

The letter should include the following:

  • date, no earlier than 3 months before you apply
  • confirmation that you have a job with the employer
  • your full name and date of birth
  • date you started the job
  • brief description of your job
  • current salary
  • contact information of your manager
  • phone number
  • email address
  • employer information
  • company name
  • state or province
  • Your manager or human resources contact should print their name and sign the letter.

A letter from a business or company in Canada

It can confirm that your purpose for visiting Canada is valid.

A copy of the letter from the business or company inviting you to Canada

  • The letter must be written to you from the business or company.

Consult the details to include in the letter .

Visit your spouse or partner who sponsored you for permanent residence

Proof of your relationship with the person or family member inviting you to Canada

This can include a copy of

  • a marriage certificate
  • Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union (IMM5409)
  • a birth certificate
  • an official document naming you as a parent

Each applicant 18 years and older must complete this form.

The documents needed depend on whether a child under 18 years of age will travel with only 1 parent, with a relative or friend, or alone.

  • other documents, such as adoption papers or a custody decree, depending on whether the minor child travels alone

Consult Minor children travelling to Canada

A letter written by your family member in Canada

A copy of the letter from the family member inviting you to Canada

  • The letter must be written to you from your family member.
  • current Salary

Complete the form that declares you and your partner are in a common-law relationship. Also provide proof that you and your common-law partner have combined your affairs and set up a household together.

What is a common-law partner?

Proof can include

  • joint bank accounts or credit cards
  • joint ownership of a home
  • joint residential leases
  • joint rental receipts
  • joint utilities (electricity, gas, telephone)
  • joint management of household expenses
  • proof of joint purchases, especially for household items
  • mail addressed to either person or both people at the same address

Faster visitor visa processing for spousal applicants

If you’re being sponsored for permanent residence (PR) by your spouse or partner, you could benefit from faster processing for a visitor visa.

You may be eligible if you

  • submitted an application to be sponsored for permanent residence
  • received an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) that confirms the application is in progress

Applications that need more information, for example custody documents for a child, will take longer to process.

When your sponsor receives the AOR for your permanent residence application, you can apply for a visitor visa. If you’re eligible, your visitor visa application will automatically receive faster processing. You don’t need to request it.

You must still meet all of the requirements to be eligible for a visitor visa .

Visit family (Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act, or permanent resident of Canada)

Submit with visa application

Visit children or grandchildren Super visa option

Submit this with your visa or super visa application.

For super visa applicants only

Proof that medical insurance for at least $100,000 coverage has been purchased from a Canadian insurance company.

A copy of the insurance certificate or policy you received for medical insurance coverage for 1 year with a Canadian insurance company.

Submit this with your super visa application.

Documents that show that the super visa applicant’s child or grandchild meets the low income cut-off minimum.

Submit one of the following documents:

  • If the child or grandchild does not have a paper copy of their notice of assessment on file, they can view and print their tax returns as well as other personal tax information using the Canada Revenue Agency My Account online service.
  • a copy of the child’s or grandchild’s most recent T4 or T1
  • an original letter from the child’s or grandchild’s employer stating their job title, job description and salary
  • a letter from an accountant confirming the child’s or grandchild’s annual income, if they are self-employed.
  • proof of other sources of income (pension statement, investments, etc.)

A document confirming that you had an  immigration medical exam (IME)

The exam must conducted by a panel physician authorized by IRCC.

Get complete details about how to get a medical exam with a panel physician.

Submit this with your super visa application, or wait for instructions from the visa office.

Visit family (temporary resident of Canada)

A letter written by your family in Canada

Documents that show how long you plan to stay and what you’ll do once in Canada

Visit for compassionate reasons

A clear, colour copy of your valid passport or travel document that you'll use to travel to Canada.

  • Show the border services officer when you arrive in Canada

A letter written to you from a person or business inviting you to Canada

A copy of the letter from the person or business inviting you to Canada

  • registration for an event.

Step 2 Apply through the IRCC Portal

Step 2 apply.

To apply for a visitor visa to visit Canada on business, you need to qualify as a business visitor.

To qualify, you must show that:

  • you plan to stay for less than 6 months
  • you don’t plan to enter the Canadian labour market
  • your main place of business and source of income and profits is outside Canada

Business visitor activities include business meetings, special events or training for a few days or weeks.

If your meeting, event or conference is registered with us, include the event code in your application. You should get this code from the organizer.

Note: If you plan to stay for more than 6 months, or if you plan to work in Canada, you may be considered a temporary worker and have to  apply for a work permit .

To apply online, you need a scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents, and a valid credit or debit card.

Read the instruction guide before you complete your application. As an online applicant, you can ignore steps 3 and 4 of the guide (paying the fees and submitting your application).

If you’re applying for the first time , you must pay the biometrics fee when you submit your application (unless you’re exempt). Otherwise, you may experience delays.

Apply through the IRCC Secure account

Sign in to your IRCC secure account

Apply through the IRCC Portal

Only for tourists, visiting for business, family visits, compassionate reasons

Sign in to the IRCC portal

Applying on paper for specific situations

If you need a visitor visa to travel to Canada, you must apply online for one. Only online applications will be accepted and processed. However, you can apply on paper if:

  • you can’t apply online because of a disability or
  • you’re travelling with an identity or travel document that was issued to a refugee, a stateless person or a non-citizen

The application package includes an instruction guide and all the forms you need to fill out.

Read the guide carefully before you complete your application . We will not refund your application fee, so make sure you need a visitor visa before you apply.

Each individual applicant must submit a completed application form. Applicants under the age of 18 must have this form signed by a parent or a guardian.

Download the application package .

Pay your application fees

In most cases, your fees will include processing fees for you and anyone you include on your application.

If you’re applying for the first time, you must pay the biometrics fee when you submit your application (unless you’re exempt). Otherwise, you may experience delays.

Third-party fees

Depending on your situation, you may need to pay third parties for

  • your medical exam
  • a police certificate

Our instruction guides (opens in a new tab) can help you understand which fees apply to you.

Submit your application

Families should send their individual applications in one package. The principal applicant must send this combined package to the location where their application will be processed.

Select the country/territory you’ll be applying from to find out where to submit your application. You can choose your country of nationality or the country or territory where you have been legally admitted:

  • Afghanistan
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burma (Myanmar)
  • Cayman Islands
  • Central African Republic
  • China (People’s Republic of)
  • Comoros Island
  • Côte d’Ivoire
  • Czech Republic
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Dominican Republic
  • El Salvador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Hong Kong SAR
  • Liechtenstein
  • Marshall Islands
  • Micronesia (Federated States of)
  • Netherlands
  • New Caledonia
  • New Zealand
  • North Korea
  • North Macedonia (Republic of)
  • Palestinian Authority (Gaza)
  • Palestinian Authority (West Bank)
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Philippines
  • Puerto Rico
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Sierra Leone
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Africa
  • South Korea
  • South Sudan
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Switzerland
  • Timor-Leste (Timor oriental)
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Turkmenistan
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • United States of America
  • US Virgin Islands

If you need to give biometrics (fingerprints and photograph), and you’re applying on paper, submit your application in person . VAC staff will check that it is complete and will confirm that you have paid the correct fees before you can give your biometrics.

Credit cards and prepaid cards

We accept the following credit cards and prepaid cards:

  • MasterCard ®
  • American Express ®
  • UnionPay ® (for online applications only; debit cards not accepted)

If you use a prepaid credit card, keep it for at least 18 months after you pay to make refunds easier. Find more on prepaid cards .

We also accept all Visa Debit cards.

The card you use doesn’t have to be in your name. The cardholder’s name will appear on the receipt but it does not need to match your application.

Debit cards

  • be from a Canadian bank using INTERAC ® Online
  • be registered for online banking through your bank’s website

We also accept all Debit MasterCard ® and Visa ® Debit cards. If your card has the Visa Debit logo on it, alone or with the INTERAC ® Online logo, select Visa Debit as your payment method.

Page details

Visa backlogs force Canadians to cancel trips to India

High commissioner-designate says india is working toward restoring electronic visa program.

bls tourist visa application vancouver

Visa backlogs force Canadians to reconsider trips to India

Social sharing.

It's 8:30 a.m. on a chilly Friday morning in Surrey, B.C., and a queue of people snakes around a strip mall in the Metro Vancouver suburb.

They're not here for the mall's sweet shop or the Filipino fusion restaurant. Most of them have been waiting hours for an Indian visa at the BLS International Visa Application Centre.

A lineup of people snaking around the block of a strip mall.

Arminder Bajwa is one of hundreds of Indian visa applicants who say backlogs in the system are leaving people like him in limbo as visa applications have spiked amid a drop in global travel restrictions. He's been here since 5:30 a.m. when temperatures were near zero.

Indian visa applicants are calling for the return of an electronic visa program  that allowed online applications and was in place in Canada before the pandemic, as well as more staffing to address reported processing delays across the country.

"I've spent like $8,000 on tickets," Bajwa says from the queue, surrounded by dozens of others trying to keep warm. "For my sister's marriage … that's my sister, and I have to be there because that's like a tradition.

"That situation, inflation and everything … $8,000," he repeats.

A Sikh man wearing a turban looks at the camera.

But Bajwa's passport has been with authorities inside the BLS office for over 17 days, and he's getting desperate. 

Another person in line said they had been waiting over two months — despite the Indian consulate's stated timeline of 30 days for a visa.

Before the pandemic, applicants like Bajwa had access to an electronic visa application that was entirely virtual, a program that was brought to a halt amid travel shutdowns.

And though the program has been restored to over 156 countries, it hasn't been restored yet to Canada, despite India's  status as the largest source of new Asian immigrants to Canada since 2016.

  • Ongoing immigration-processing delays leave many in limbo in Canada and overseas
  • International students waiting months for Canadian visa approvals amid immigration backlog

The Indian high commissioner-designate, Sanjay Kumar Verma, said that visa applications have spiked to dramatic levels but denied widespread delays.

But a voicemail from BLS International, to which the Indian High Commission has outsourced its visa applications, says that "processing times have been increased."

The company did not return a request for comment. But an acknowledgement of delays is little consolation for Bajwa and others in his situation.

"The population in Surrey, Metro Vancouver, is ballooning. It's, like, increasing day by day," he said. "They need more offices. They need more people."

Travel agent says e-visa should be restored

Manpreet Grewal, the manager of the My Dream Traveler agency in Mississauga, Ont., says that BLS should consider opening more offices across Canada and Ontario. 

She says she's been hearing of delays in the system for months and has even published multiple TikToks for visa applicants seeking advice.

"These days, there's only one location in Brampton for the whole GTA," she told CBC News in an interview.

Currently, there are nine BLS International offices across the country — the only centre that processes applications for Indian visas in Canada. They're concentrated in the largest urban centres, even as more immigrants make their way to smaller communities . This means those who live away from urban centres either have to mail the BLS centres their documents, or make their way there in person.

Grewal, and the Indian Association of Tour Operators , have called for the e-visa program to return. The program allows those in qualifying countries to fill out the application and get an electronic travel authorization (ETA), before having their e-visa stamped on their passport at their destination.

A brown woman types on a computer.

If applicants have Canadian citizenship, even if they're born in India, they have to get a visa to return, as India doesn't allow dual citizenship.

"The main reason [for] the delay for the visas is because they are not opening e-visas," she said.

High commissioner cites strained resources

The high commissioner-designate denied there were significant delays happening across the system, though he conceded there were massive increases in application volumes that had tightened resources.

"If I look at Ottawa … October 2022 [visa] submissions as compared to October 2021, submissions have increased by 605 per cent," Verma told CBC News in an interview.

He said the comparisons were similar for Vancouver and Toronto, with respective increases of 203 and 188 per cent since last October.

A Zoom screenshot of an Indian man in a suit framed by an Indian and two Canadian flags.

Verma encouraged applicants to look at visa application timelines on the commission's website and said that those waiting in queues at BLS offices were walk-ins without appointments.

"As far as we are concerned, we are processing the visa applications and granting the eligible applicants' visa much, much faster than people otherwise realize," he said.

As for the e-visa program, Verma said the program was being restored "country by country, looking at the constraints on resources."

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"There are discussions. There are considerations. There are movements in that direction. When it is finally decided by the two governments, then, of course, we'll hear the outcome," he said.

A request for comment from Foreign Affairs Canada was not returned by deadline.

With files from Lyndsay Duncombe, Renee Filippone, and Simon Dingley

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Welcome to India Visa Application Center Canada

  • Certificate of Date of Birth
  • New Booklet or Renewal
  • Police Clearance Certificate
  • Global Entry
  • Surrender of Indian Citizenship
  • General Information
  • How to Apply
  • FAQs on OCI
  • Reissue of OCI / Misc. Service
  • Conversion of PIO to OCI
  • OCI Information
  • OCI Miscellaneous Services
  • Business Visa
  • Tourist Visa
  • Employment Visa
  • Medical Visa
  • Student Visa
  • Conference Visa
  • Attestation Services
  • Biometric Data Collection
  • Book an Appointment
  • Reprint Appointment Letter
  • Cancel Appointment
  • Service Level Agreement
  • Public Holidays / Closures
  • Useful Links
  • Escalation Matrix
  • Application Withdrawal
  • Download Purolator Label
  • Track Application

How To Apply

How to apply - in person.

Gather all the documents as provided in the checklist

Visit the nearest BLS Centre by appointment only. ; Click here to see locations . Click here to see locations .

All the documents would be verified as per Consulate guidelines at the centre

For PASSPORT/VISA Applications

Pay the Consulate fee and BLS service fee in cash/debit at the Centre.

For OCI Applications

Pay the Consulate fee via Demand draft/Money order. Please note personal cheques are not acceptable

Pay the BLS service fee in cash/debit at the Centre.

You need to produce the appointment confirmation printout at the door to enter.

One appointment for one applicant.

https://www.blsindia-canada.com/toronto-jurisdiction/how-to-apply.php

THROUGH POSTAL

Arrange for Courier pick-up and drop-off. Please Click here to pay for pick-up/Drop-off at your comfort or you may contact BLS Customer support.

All the documents would be verified as per Consulate guidelines at the centre.

Pay the Consulate fee and BLS service fee in Demand draft/Money order

2 different demand drafts are required:

Pay the Consulate fee via Demand draft/Money order.

Pay the BLS service fee in Demand draft/Money order

Addition Details:

Please note personal cheques are not acceptable.

Important Note for Visa & Tatkal Postal Applications:

( Only BLS Brampton, Toronto & Winnipeg accepts Tatkal Passport applications) While handing over your Visa or Tatkal application documents to Purolator Courier, please mention with marker pen on the Purolator

If you see your document status as "Ready for Collection" but you have not taken the Drop-off service, you may click the link https://www.blsindia-canada.com/postalbls/ , select and pay for Drop off Service for the Document delivery through Purolator courier.

  • Types of OCI

General Links

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  • Track your Application

Contact Info

Phone number:

  • Ottawa : 6134169877
  • Montreal : 5144478499
  • Toronto : 6478464077
  • Brampton : 2894981320
  • Winnipeg : 2048001550
  • Surrey : 7785087411
  • Edmonton : 5874040311
  • Calgary : 5873300622
  • Vancouver : 7786524855
  • Mississauga : 2898043637
  • Halifax : 9027006980
  • Regina : 3069935509

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IMAGES

  1. Fillable Online Tourist Visa Checklist (Vancouver Only)

    bls tourist visa application vancouver

  2. EAP-II Application Miscellaneous Services

    bls tourist visa application vancouver

  3. AUSTRALIAN TOURIST VISA: Requirements and Online Application Process

    bls tourist visa application vancouver

  4. How to do Tracking of BLS Passport Service?

    bls tourist visa application vancouver

  5. Bls Application Form

    bls tourist visa application vancouver

  6. No.1 SOP for Canada Visitor Visa

    bls tourist visa application vancouver

VIDEO

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  5. Gangotri Dham Uttarakhand 2024#shorts #gangotri #uttarakhand #facts @1minutesguider24

  6. Canada Visit Visa

COMMENTS

  1. Tourist Visa

    The Tourist visa is issued to people who wish to visit India for tourist purposes i.e. Recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends and relatives etc. The visa is non - extendable and non-convertible. No other activity is permissible on Tourist visa. Govt. of India has started issuing 5-10 years duration for Tourist and Entry visas for ...

  2. How to Apply

    How To Apply - In Person. Step 1 : Gather all the documents as provided in the checklist. Step 2 : Visit the nearest BLS Centre between 8AM to 2PM. Click here to see locations. Step 3 : All the documents would be verified as per Consulate guidelines at the centre. Step 4 :

  3. Consulate General of India Vancouver,BC,Canada

    Step 1- Submission of application online. Please register & submit the Visa application online following the guidelines at the below link. Please read carefully the details and various provisions provided on the Visa website and follow while submitting application for Visa. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/.

  4. BLS International Canada

    1. Please book the Specific BLS Center basis your Jurisdiction & Residential Postal code. 2. Appointment needs to be for the Specific Service ( Visa/ Passport/ OCI/ Attestation/ Premium Lounge). E.g. Appointment for Visa can Not be used for Passport service . 3.PCC/Surrender goes under Passport service. 4.

  5. General Information

    India Visa Application Center in Canada (Vancouver Jurisdiction) 7786524855 For Information. Home; ... It is advisable NOT to purchase outbound travel tickets until your passports are actually in your possession. The Department of Foreign Affairs and BLS Passport Renewal Centre will not be responsible for any rebooking charges, loss of income ...

  6. PDF Tourist Visa Checklist

    Signature Checklist for Vancouver jurisdiction on ly Rev4.0 Use black ink only whilst completing your Application Form and Checklist. Check mark all requirements below that are complied with. Sign at the end of each page of the Checklist. Entry to BLS International Services Canada Inc., Indian Visa Application Centers (VAC): 1.

  7. Consulate General of India Vancouver,BC,Canada

    E-visa Application ; Types of Visas . Tourist Visa ; Business Visa ; Conference Visa ; Employment Visa ; Entry Visa ; Journalist Visa ; ... Vancouver as follows: On working days - C$ 108.00 + C $ 5.00 ... BLS charges ; Consulate General of India Vancouver,BC,Canada #201-325 Howe Street. Vancouver, BC, V6C 1Z7 ...

  8. India Visa Online

    Authorized Portal for Visa Application to India Indianvisaonline.gov.in. All foreign nationals entering India are required to possess a valid international travel document in the form of a national passport with a valid visa from an Indian Mission/Post or eVisa (Limited Categories) from Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs.

  9. Value Added Services

    CAD 100.00. 17. Indian CPV services @ your doorstep for 1-4 CAD 1.00 applicants within radius of 20 miles around CACs. Additional applicants at the same booking CAD 150.00/applicant. CAD 1.00. 18. Indian CPV services @ your doorstep Beyond a radius of 20 miles around ICACS (regardless of number of applicants) to cover costs related to travel ...

  10. Passport Services

    India Visa Application Center in Canada (Vancouver Jurisdiction) 7786524855 For Information. Home; Passport Services. Certificate of Date of Birth; ... Tourist Visa; Employment Visa; Medical Visa; Film Visa; Student Visa; Conference Visa; General Information. Book Your Appointment;

  11. Consulate General of India Vancouver,BC,Canada

    E-visa Application ; Types of Visas . Tourist Visa ; Business Visa ; Conference Visa ; Employment Visa ; Entry Visa ; ... the PCC application may be submitted at the BLS. Please see BLS website for more information https: ... Vancouver, BC, Canada 2021.

  12. Consulate General of India, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Requests for visa for emergency situations involving death of a close relative may be made to [email protected]. All other visa applications are to be submitted to BLS. Please ensure to complete the application for the requisite service along with supporting documents & applicable fee before you visit the Consulate on the appointed date.

  13. How to apply for a visitor visa

    To apply for a visitor visa to visit Canada on business, you need to qualify as a business visitor. To qualify, you must show that: you plan to stay for less than 6 months. you don't plan to enter the Canadian labour market. your main place of business and source of income and profits is outside Canada.

  14. Visa backlogs force Canadians to cancel trips to India

    Most of them have been waiting hours for an Indian visa at the BLS International Visa Application Centre. Dozens of people lined up outside the BLS International Office in Surrey, B.C., on Friday ...

  15. OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) Indian passport at Canada

    India Visa Application Center in Canada (Vancouver Jurisdiction) 7786524855 For Information. Home; ... Tourist Visa; Employment Visa; Medical Visa; Film Visa; Student Visa; Conference Visa; ... multi-purpose lifelong visa for visiting India.

  16. Consulate General of India Vancouver,BC,Canada

    Application for reissue of passport can be submitted from one year before expiry of passport. The applicant should have a Canadian address proof within the Consular jurisdiction of Consulate General of India, Vancouver i.e. Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories. If passport expired more than one year ...

  17. OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP OF INDIA (OCI) Miscellaneous services at Canada center

    The applicant has to upload his/her Photo and Passport (upto the age of 20 years) online under OCI Miscellaneous services each time a new Passport is issued to him/her. OCI card needs to be re-issued only once when a new Passport is issued after completing 20 years of age, soas to capture the applicant'sfacial features on attaining adulthood.

  18. How To Apply

    Gather all the documents as provided in the checklist. Step 2 : Arrange for Courier pick-up and drop-off. Please Click here to pay for pick-up/Drop-off at your comfort or you may contact BLS Customer support. Step 3 : All the documents would be verified as per Consulate guidelines at the centre. Step 4 : For PASSPORT/VISA Applications.

  19. Welcome to the BLS Spain Visa Application Centres

    Vietnam. Welcome to the BLS Spain Visa Application Centres - Please Select the Regions and countries you wish to apply Spain Visa from Asia, Middle East Africa, Europe&Americas.

  20. Consulate General of India Vancouver,BC,Canada

    The consular jurisdiction of Consulate General of India: Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories. All the personal particulars / data entries of the OCI application should match with the current Passport. The name of parents & spouse should match as mentioned in their Indian Passport.