FRRO Frustrations

Hello all,

In case you were thinking that my trip to India could not be going this well, you were right. I am not going to be getting on a plane anytime soon, but I will share with you my recent frustration with Indian bureaucracy. Now that my part in the process is substantially complete, I can share my story without too much anxiety.

As many of you already know, I had some issues with my visa when it was originally issued. I sent my visa back to the consulate and when it was still wrong, my dad and I drove to Chicago to have it fixed in person. I have on a similar run-around with my Foreign Registration. For anyone on a visa that allows entry into India for over 180 days, registration with the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office is required. In most cases, that office is located in the city where you will be living. You have to make an appointment with this office and go with a copy of your passport and visa, your joining report with your host institution, four passport photos, and proof of residence. Many times this process can be utterly painless, and registration takes less than an hour. However, it can also be much more complicated and drawn out. Of course, I got the complicated one. 

First, identifying where I should register was a challenge. My affiliations are in Delhi, but my actual fieldwork and language classes are in an entirely different state in India. As a first attempt, I tried to register in Delhi. I visited my host institution last Monday, picked up my joining report, and made my appointment with the FRRO for Tuesday. The FRRO in Delhi is like most of the offices and shops in India. They look run down on the outside and all the technology looks obsolete. However, they somehow manage to make things work and share information over the computer. It’s kind of scary. 

Here is what registering looked like for me. I took a taxi to the FRRO, got out, asked where the entrance was (this never seems clear), and walked up to this line to write my name on a list. Yes, this was hand-written even though I made an appointment online. Then, I proceeded into the office where they browsed through my documents, ripped a couple off (too many copies?), and gave me a number. Once my number came up on the screen, it was my turn to proceed to counter number 3. I handed over my papers, and the government employee scrutinized them while I held my breath. Because I was using the Taj Mahal Hotel as my residence proof and my stay did not match up with the length of time I was proposing to be in India, she approved my registration with the qualification that I would have to return to the FRRO in person to provide proof of my residence within 30 days. Unfortunately for me, I had no plans to return to Delhi within 30 days or have a formal residence.

After many more discussions with my program manager, we decided I should also register in Mussoorie. This is where I am staying for my language studies, and I could register at the FRRO when I arrived. Plus, it would be in the correct state in India. Ok, good plan! The only problem was that when I arrived in Mussoorie on Friday and visited the FRRO, they told me I had to go back to Dehradun to register.  This was frustrating because I had just been in the car for two hours coming from Dehradun. Apparently, Mussoorie’s FRRO does not complete the registration; it must be done in the capital of Uttarakhand.

In preparation for my trip back to Dehradun, I called the contact at the FRRO twice, tracked down the principal of my language school at his house, and made some other frantic phone calls arranging my trip. Then, this morning I woke up early to take a taxi to the FRRO in Dehradun. Despite all my anxiety, the trip went pretty well. I arrived right when the office opened and provided my papers. They needed an additional copy of one of my documents and told me to go to a store outside to get the photocopy. Instead, I sweet talked someone on the floor below into making a copy for me. Of course, when I went back to the office, all the employees were gone to a meeting. (This really is India.) Luckily, I prepared for this and brought my book. They were only gone about fifteen minutes, and when they returned, they helped with my registration. Now all I have to do is fax and email the Delhi FRRO to get my registration transferred. Also, my program manager is going to send someone to their physical office because even he does not trust them to get it done. When dealing with the Indian government, the work never seems to get done.

A quick note on Mussoorie. It’s great to be back in the Himalayas. The weather is much cooler (and wetter) than Delhi. I do know that all my rain gear works. However, I have not gotten soaked yet. I went for a run this morning which was really nice! It’s very cloudy right now, but I will send some pictures of the mountains when they can be seen. So far, I have killed two spiders in my room and am still looking for the biggest one. It ran somewhere, which is freaking me out a little bit. Anyway, all is well. I am meeting another student at the language school tonight for dinner. His name is Remi (I think his accent sounded French). He is finishing his Ph.D. on water management, so we have to talk before he leaves Mussoorie tonight.

That’s it for now! Lots of news over the past few days. I will be in touch!

Margaret