Pre-Departure Orientation in Washington, D.C.

Up until last week, I hadn't really grasped the fact that I am soon leaving for India.  I started a facebook group a while ago for the ETA's in India, which has been really helpful for communicating and getting to know each other, at least to the extent that the virtual world allows.  However, Fulbright still seemed somewhat like an illusion.

The Pre-Departure Orientation in Washington, D.C., was just the thing I needed to jump-start my enthusiasm about making last-minute purchases and packing.  It was also great to meet my fellow ETA's--and a relief to know that they are good-hearted, down-to-earth people who are excited to learn from and share with a culture and people very different from our own.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that several of the ETA's are also in committed relationships.  On that note, Prospective ETA's, if your significant other plans to visit you in India and stay for a significant period of time, I would highly recommend attending the Spouses and Dependents Panel at the D.C. Orientation--even if your significant other does not fall under this category.

One of this year's panel members, who studied in Nepal, semi-humorously told about how she and her then-boyfriend told everyone they met in Nepal that they were married because it is not socially acceptable for a woman and man to live together if they are unmarried.  That was one point that I gleaned from the session: Honesty is not always the best policy in India.

The second important point was that, if your significant other (or sibling, or parent, or anyone really) is visiting you in India for an extended period of time, make sure they have something meaningful to do with their time.  There are plenty of things to do in India, and especially in Delhi.  You could study at a local public library, take yoga classes, visit museums or temples, or volunteer with an NGO.  Regardless of what it is, make sure your significant other has something to do whenever you are not there to entertain.

Obtaining the Proper India Visa

The process of applying for and obtaining an entry visa to India was more time-consuming than I had anticipated.  I submitted my application to the Indian Consulate through Travisa Outsourcing, a third-party company who handles most India visa applications.

I had used Travisa's services twice before and had very positive experiences.  However, this time - while not miserable - was a little more disorganized.  Apparently there is confusion every year over the fact that Fulbright ETA's require an entry visa and not a working visa.  This resulted in my application being put on hold for 10 working days.  Now, I should have contacted Fulbright as soon as my application was put on hold (they had advised us to contact them immediately if we encountered any problems).  Instead I waited for four or five days before notifying them.

Even after contacting Fulbright, I still ended up calling Travisa and being put on hold with a representative for nearly one hour.  But, with polite persistence my application was finally processed and sent to the Indian Consulate.  Still, despite all this, I received my passport with the proper India visa about 2 1/2 weeks after Travisa received my paper application in the mail.

I know that other ETA's had similar issues, but there were also some who had no problems at all.  I know of one fellow ETA who submitted his application approximately one week later than me and still received his visa before I did - I'm convinced that those of us who applied right away helped to uncover all of the problems and that Travisa had everything sorted out by then!