Once upon a time me and my wife went on vacation to Chennai. We were going to have extended stay for more than 6 months. In those days if you want to stay for more than 6 months, you have to register with FRRO (Foreigner’s Regional Registration Office). We were planning to register ourselves with FRRO.
We went for a dinner at the residence of my brother-in-law. In that dinner party, there was a guy who was a local political leader belonging to the ruling party. Nice guy. My brother-in-law told him me and my wife are going to the police station to register ourselves for staying in India. He was half drunk. He said you don’t have to go to the police station. I will ask the SP (Superintendent of Police) to come to your home to register. Tell me which police station you are going. I told him the name of the police station in Chennai.
I also told him not to ask the SP to come to the place where we were staying. We will go to the police station ourselves and register ourselves.
The next morning, I and my wife went to the police station. The inspector in charge said that the SP is waiting for us. (That local political guy had called the SP and told him we were coming that morning.)
We told him that we want to register for FRRO. He was a nice gentleman. IPS. Young guy. He said I will register you but lot of people do not know the problem involved. If you register with FRRO to stay in India for more than 6 months, when you want to leave you have to get the FRRO permission to leave the country. As bad luck would have it, you may have to go to USA on an urgent matter on a Friday evening. The FRRO is closed on Saturdays and Sundays and God forbid there will be a religious holiday in India on Monday and Tuesday, and you will not be able to get that permission until Wednesday to leave the country.
He said he will suggest the following. You guys live in USA and must have money. At the end of 6 month why don’t you both leave for Sri Lanka in the morning and come back the same evening, It is only a 50-minute flight. A new 6-month duration stay will then start.
We thanked that IPS Officer and came home. That is how we went to Sri Lanka and stayed there for a week.
A wise and practical step!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Mr. KP. He was a knowledgeable and a nice young IPS Officer.
DeleteIf you went on a visa or PIO (person of Indian Origin), you must register within 14 days of first arrival to India. (If you plan to stay more than 180 days in a calendar year - only once registration). But if you have a OCI oversea citizen of India) you don't need to register with FRRO.
ReplyDeleteRegistration (visa holders and pio holders need to register only once ) irrespective of leaving from India several time(any time if you exceed 180 days in a calendar year returning back to India is fine.
Continuous 180 days is not the criteria. Actual criteria is 180 days in a calendar year.
Thanks for your comments seema. Looks like you dont know our age. In those days there was no OCI.
DeleteYes I remember your Ceylon (Srilanka) trip. I remember it is St. Thomas station SP. but I forgot the politician's name. Is it Navalur Muthu or somebody else?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Gowri. Wish you had not given the specific details. Yes, it was Navalur Muthu.
DeleteVery creative solution to a probable scenario. Helpful and thoughtful SP!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Swarna. That IPS Officer was very helpful.
DeleteThere are people to advice on how to evade taxes, how to cheat the government and how to buy/sell properties etc. The rules are framed with some purpose. The terrorist who hit the world trade centre 9/11 received his green card after 10 days to his given home address.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Anonymous. I do not understand this comment.
DeleteThe way such rules can be circumvented only shows how meaningless they are! Anyway, you could make an unplanned trip to Sri Lanka!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Pradeep.
Delete