travel to india ( using refugee travel document)

[kavi15]

Hi,
I plan to go india using my refugee travel document. i already got my refugee travel document( blue).( my home country srilanka)

please someone guide me how to get visa for india? i checked in evisa platform there is no option for RTD.
please help me .

moreover if i travel overseas.will that impact my pr application timeline? due more background check .
thankyou

 

[Scarbz]

Hi,
Indian embassy not giving tourist visa on RTD. Try some other countries. Only for medical reasons India allows. I tried and they refused to take visa application.

 

[kavi15]

Hi,
Indian embassy not giving tourist visa on RTD. Try some other countries. Only for medical reasons India allows. I tried and they refused to take visa application.

when this was happen . recently??

 

[Scarbz]

It was in May 2025

 

[kavi15]

It was in May 2025

what is ur home country

 

[Scarbz]

what is ur home country

Sri Lanka

 

[kavi15]

Sri Lanka

did you go to any other countries?. afterward

 

[ref19to22]

Hi,
I plan to go india using my refugee travel document. i already got my refugee travel document( blue).( my home country srilanka)

please someone guide me how to get visa for india? i checked in evisa platform there is no option for RTD.
please help me .

moreover if i travel overseas.will that impact my pr application timeline? due more background check .
thankyou

In 2022 I got an indian visa in my RTD for 1 month and traveled there with no issue. there is no option for e-visa for RTD holders, only paper applications.

I tried again in september 2025 and I am still "waiting for pre-approval" from the indian consulate (you need this before BLS will accept the application for processing.

I went to the open house at the Indian Consulate last wednesday and they basically said they will not give me the visa and "it is assessed on a case-by-case basis" and the "tourist visa application has not re-opened for non-canadians yet"

I dont believe your PR timeline will be impacted by your travel overseas.

 

[kavi15]

In 2022 I got an indian visa in my RTD for 1 month and traveled there with no issue. there is no option for e-visa for RTD holders, only paper applications.

I tried again in september 2025 and I am still "waiting for pre-approval" from the indian consulate (you need this before BLS will accept the application for processing.

I went to the open house at the Indian Consulate last wednesday and they basically said they will not give me the visa and "it is assessed on a case-by-case basis" and the "tourist visa application has not re-opened for non-canadians yet"

I dont believe your PR timeline will be impacted by your travel overseas.

In 2022 I got an indian visa in my RTD for 1 month and traveled there with no issue. there is no option for e-visa for RTD holders, only paper applications.

I tried again in september 2025 and I am still "waiting for pre-approval" from the indian consulate (you need this before BLS will accept the application for processing.

I went to the open house at the Indian Consulate last wednesday and they basically said they will not give me the visa and "it is assessed on a case-by-case basis" and the "tourist visa application has not re-opened for non-canadians yet"

I dont believe your PR timeline will be impacted by your travel overseas.

In 2022 I got an indian visa in my RTD for 1 month and traveled there with no issue. there is no option for e-visa for RTD holders, only paper applications.

I tried again in september 2025 and I am still "waiting for pre-approval" from the indian consulate (you need this before BLS will accept the application for processing.

I went to the open house at the Indian Consulate last wednesday and they basically said they will not give me the visa and "it is assessed on a case-by-case basis" and the "tourist visa application has not re-opened for non-canadians yet"

I dont believe your PR timeline will be impacted by your travel overseas.

hi,
did you get your PR now? what do you mean by preapproval by indian consulate any paperwork. then only i can enter BLS. I CALLED TO BLS. They said. contact indian consulate.but there is no contacts for that

 

[ref19to22]

hi,
did you get your PR now? what do you mean by preapproval by indian consulate any paperwork. then only i can enter BLS. I CALLED TO BLS. They said. contact indian consulate.but there is no contacts for that

- Yes I have my PR since 2024
- The process for RTD holder to apply for Indian tourist visa is first to get pre-approval from the Consulate, then submit your application to BLS
- For pre-approval: I emailed my full application to visa.toronto@mea.gov.in. After 1 month of no news I went to the Consulate on Wednesday they have an Open House from 3pm to 4:30pm to ask any questions you have. I took my full printed application with me
- They basically said they will not give me the pre-approval/visa and "it is still under process" and "it is assessed on a case-by-case basis" and the "tourist visa application has not re-opened for non-canadians yet"

This is all the information I have.

 

[kavi15]

- Yes I have my PR since 2024
- The process for RTD holder to apply for Indian tourist visa is first to get pre-approval from the Consulate, then submit your application to BLS
- For pre-approval: I emailed my full application to visa.toronto@mea.gov.in. After 1 month of no news I went to the Consulate on Wednesday they have an Open House from 3pm to 4:30pm to ask any questions you have. I took my full printed application with me
- They basically said they will not give me the pre-approval/visa and "it is still under process" and "it is assessed on a case-by-case basis" and the "tourist visa application has not re-opened for non-canadians yet"

This is all the information I have.

just to mention. some one i know. he is citizen of italy .but stay in canada for last 5 yrs. he applied from here and got visa 2 days before. E-VISA.

i think they pause to RTD holders only .

 

[kavi15]

- Yes I have my PR since 2024
- The process for RTD holder to apply for Indian tourist visa is first to get pre-approval from the Consulate, then submit your application to BLS
- For pre-approval: I emailed my full application to visa.toronto@mea.gov.in. After 1 month of no news I went to the Consulate on Wednesday they have an Open House from 3pm to 4:30pm to ask any questions you have. I took my full printed application with me
- They basically said they will not give me the pre-approval/visa and "it is still under process" and "it is assessed on a case-by-case basis" and the "tourist visa application has not re-opened for non-canadians yet"

This is all the information I have.

can your check your inbox please. thank you

 

[kavi15]

can your check your inbox please. thank you

- Yes I have my PR since 2024
- The process for RTD holder to apply for Indian tourist visa is first to get pre-approval from the Consulate, then submit your application to BLS
- For pre-approval: I emailed my full application to visa.toronto@mea.gov.in. After 1 month of no news I went to the Consulate on Wednesday they have an Open House from 3pm to 4:30pm to ask any questions you have. I took my full printed application with me
- They basically said they will not give me the pre-approval/visa and "it is still under process" and "it is assessed on a case-by-case basis" and the "tourist visa application has not re-opened for non-canadians yet"

This is all the information I have.

Hi . if you get any indian visa update please let me know. thx

 

[abff08f4813c]

- Yes I have my PR since 2024
- The process for RTD holder to apply for Indian tourist visa is first to get pre-approval from the Consulate, then submit your application to BLS
- For pre-approval: I emailed my full application to visa.toronto@mea.gov.in. After 1 month of no news I went to the Consulate on Wednesday they have an Open House from 3pm to 4:30pm to ask any questions you have. I took my full printed application with me
- They basically said they will not give me the pre-approval/visa and "it is still under process" and "it is assessed on a case-by-case basis" and the "tourist visa application has not re-opened for non-canadians yet"

This is all the information I have.

Hmm. I saw that in 2022 you also went to the Open House and at that time, they did your application right then and there.

Of course, a lot has happened since then, e.g. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-india-canada-visa-suspensions/ and https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/ins...ellation-plan-that-may-target-indians-9571683 - I wonder if the delay is part of the political fallout.

I'm curious, how often does the Consulate have an open house? Is it once a week every week?

 

[ref19to22]

Hmm. I saw that in 2022 you also went to the Open House and at that time, they did your application right then and there.

Of course, a lot has happened since then, e.g. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-india-canada-visa-suspensions/ and https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/ins...ellation-plan-that-may-target-indians-9571683 - I wonder if the delay is part of the political fallout.

I'm curious, how often does the Consulate have an open house? Is it once a week every week?

I believe it is a direct result of the political fallout which is extremely frustrating.

Re Open House (https://www.cgitoronto.gov.in/news_letter_detail/?id=148):

"This Consulate holds Open House session every Wednesday between 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM for consular applicants to meet officials for queries related to passport, Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), OCI, Visa, Attestation, etc."