Brazil Visa for Indian Citizens - Ruthlessly Efficient Process

Target Country: Brazil
Passport: Indian Passport
Visa Type: Tourist Visa
Processing Consulate/Embassy: Consulate of Brazil, New York, USA
I went to the embassy over-prepared with loads of documents including hotel bookings, insurance, marriage certificate, cover letter, bank statements, employment letter etc etc. But the lady at the visa counter was ruthless and only took the exact documents listed on their website (http://novayork.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/tourism_visa.xml) Note: She didn't ask for a proof of residence, eventhough that is listed on the website

Documents they actually took:

• Tickets to and from Brazil (in our case, we are flying into Argentina and out of Brazil. They refused to accept any domestic flight tickets or hotel bookings)
• $20 fee per head, in a US Post Money Order
• Online application confirmation page
• Valid passport, with US Visa

Experience:
Very smooth. I didn't need an appointment. There was a wait of about 20 mins before our turn came. Took me 25 mins total to submit the application. The officer was ruthlessly efficient and quickly took the exact documents she needed, and sent us away. The visa was processed in 5 days and it was easy enough to pick my passport up, with the receipt they had given upon submission.

Argentina Visa - Straightforward to apply but long wait at the consulate

Target Country: Argentina
Passport: Indian Passport
Visa Type: Tourist Visa
Processing Consulate/Embassy: Consulate of Argentina, New York, USA
Visa Received: 90 Day Multiple Entry Tourist Visa
Documents submitted:


Tickets to and from Argentina (in our case, we are flying into Argentina and out of Brazil, so I included all our domestic flight booking as well).
Hotel bookings for every night spent in Argentina (I also included Brazil, for completeness, as Brazil is part of my trip).

No fee required for Indian Citizens
Filled application form
Valid passport
Notarized letter of employment (also translated into Spanish)
Bank statements for the last 6 months.
1 Photo (4cm x 4cm -- US Visa style)
Proof of Travel Insurance (Certificate stating my name and details of policy) - this wasn't asked for, but I included it anyway.
Also, I included 6 months worth of payslips and my marriage certificate - but these were not asked for

Experience:
Very smooth. I didn't need an appointment. There was literally no queue here either. Took me 1 hour to submit the application - the officer took her own sweet time to call us in and then to review our documents. The visa was processed in 7 days and it was easy enough to pick my passport up.

The staff were nice, polite and competent, but don't go in expecting a fully professional process.

Need Inspiration to go? See these photos from Argentinian Patagonia...

Canada Visa - Rude staff at the Canadian Consulate, but quick processing

Visa Type: Temporary Residence (tourist visa)
Issuing Country: Canada
Application Centre: Consulate General of Canada, New York City

Duration of Visa Granted: 7 Years
Time taken for processing:Next business day

Requirements:
Standard documents -- hotel bookings, flight bookings (provisional will do), 2 photos, passport, application form (beware - there are 3 different application forms to fill out), letter from employer, covering letter, marriage certificate, payslips, bank statements. Get details off their website here

Experience:
No appointment needed. Turn up in the morning between 8 and 10.30 AM, go through a security queue, and wait for your ticket number to be called. The officers who collect the documents are not helpful and don't answer any questions. They just say "submit everything you want to submit".

They simply told us to come the next day between 1pm and 2.30 pm to collect our passports.

Now, the collection experience was weird to say the least. They made us queue outside the building by the roadside for 10 mins first. Then the guard led us into the consulate in a line (as if we were school children). After security we were given another ticket and then our number was called after about 30 mins wait.

It was OK for me, but another person had a bad experience in front of me. This lady had lost her ticket (which you are given when submitting the application). The guards refused her entry saying that "if you went to a baseball game without a ticket, would they let you in?" ... my argument (which I voiced right there - to deaf ears!) "This is not a bloody baseball game". The lady was basically denied her passport because she had lost this ticket. She was offered no alternative way to get her passports back. I can only hope she figured some way out. If you try calling the embassy for help, their automated voice system only says "we don't handle visa related enquiries"!! Why bother with publishing a phone number at all! Crazy!

Key points to keep in mind:
1. No appointment needed.
2. Need 30 mins to submit application.
3. Need 1 hour to collect passports
4. Be prepared to stand in line (in the open-air) for 15-20 minutes at collection.
5. Don't loose your application ticket (issued when applying) else you will not get your passport back!