Indian Visa No No Download Needed Needed: Fill & Download for Free

This happened during the Non Covid period.There were 5 Spots for Programming for a Highly Reputed Global Organization. High Level Coding i mean.The Organization came to India - and invited applicants - over 400 applied for the Job. There were no restrictions in the applications. Anyone could apply. Students from different engineering colleges applied but also other students who had done computer courses also applied.My Job was to do legal background on the kids selected for the Job who would need Visas to Canada and Singapore.The Students were seated on desks - with their resumes in their hands when the interviewer came in. He was wearing a T Shirt and ear phones and looked like a Kid not older than 25 -30.He walked over to the main dais - He pressed some Laptop keys and the Screen got the picture of actress Penelope Cruz.He said embedded in his picture is a file. I want you to access my laptop, download this picture and remove the embedded fileHe then talked about sharing 50% of the keys or something to the encrypted password and that they had 2 hours to do so.And he walked off !!!!!!!!He took a look at the Pile of Resumes and collected them and as he went out - he dunked them in the thrashcan (Seriously ! I thought he was a nutcase. He was having a can of cola in one hand, earphones and wearing T Shirt and jeans and Nike type shoes)There were students from IIT Delhi, IIT Mumbai, IIT Chennai, IIT Kanpur, NIT Suratkal and BITS Pilani among the group and they were all stuttering and stumbling here and there.They could even access Google though they were told - their desktops would be monitored and all their activity would be watched or logged.Two Hours Finished!!!!!The Guy comes back and the Students go off to lunch.ONLY 4 Students managed to get into his Laptop. 4 out of 400. And guess which colleges they were from:Andal Engineering College, TamilNaduAn Obscure Engineering College in Vishakapatnam whose name i forgotDelhi Engineering CollegeAn Engineering College in West BengalNo IIT or NIT or BITSAnd only the Delhi Engineering College Kid had managed to isolate the Embedded Image.All Interviews were cancelled. The Delhi Engineering College Kid got the job at a fat salary. Even though the kid had 2 arrears - the Boss was kind enough to allow the kid 6 months to finish it off - asking him to start from tomorrow as all he needed was a Laptop until he reached Singapore.These interviews had been conducted in 5 CountriesAustralia - 19% students had managed to download the image and 7% had managed to remove the embedded fileChina - 21% students had managed to download the image and 11% had manged to remove the embedded fileSingapore- 9% students had managed to download the image and 3% had managed to remove the embedded fileJapan - 24% students had managed to download the image and 15% had managed to remove the embedded fileIndia - 1% students had managed to download the image and 0.25% had managed to remove the embedded fileThe T Shirt wearing guy was worth almost 30 or so million dollars and he was the big shot in his huge company.The guy told me a few things that shocked me to the core about Indian EducationHe told me Indian System created good programmers who could do what they were told to do - but they could not create stuff or go ahead with programming.He told me that demand for Indian MBAs were high but demands for Indian Techs were next to zero. Most of them failed to deliver at the highest level especially post 2000 graduates.The Stats revealed how he could fill only 1 out of 5 spots in India. It was seriously shameful.Finally after it was all over and young Sethia (His surname was Sethia) was all set to go to Singapore for his well paid job - I got an sms from the HR Girl about how Bangladesh (the last stop on the tour)6% managed to download the image and 2.7% managed to remove the embedded file.She sent a gleeful message which i want to post in this but i dont know how to take a screenshot from my phone and i dont know how to black out her number (Any steps will be welcome).Seriously what are we doing that is so wrong?

I visited in 2015 March. Here is the link to my write up explaining the Visa on Arrival (VOA) process for Indians.Visa(the content of the above link is quoted below)There are two visa options generally every traveler can opt for.Normal tourist visa from Vietnam embassyThis is a tedious option since you have to either go to Vietnam embassy in your country (if you are an Indian, then New Delhi) or get a travel agent do it for you. To add on to that, you might be required to submit proof of employment, bank balance, etc. Moreover it is costly, almost double of the next option. The only advantage of it is that you have the visa ready before leaving your country and you need not do anything apart from immigration clearance at Vietnam airport. But, really it's not worth the effort and money. However this is your only option if you are entering Vietnam via border crossing or via sea ports.Visa on arrival (VOA)A much simpler and cheaper option is VOA. It's applicable only for those who enter Vietnam via airports at Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi or Danang.Typically there are 4 types of visas1 month single entry3 months single entry1 month multiple entry3 months multiple entryYou can opt for one of these visas and follow the below two steps. Each step requires a fee payment based on the type of visa chosen.Step 1. Apply online via an agent in Vietnam and get an approval letter (soft copy) from the Vietnam immigration.This is the most important step and you have to take utmost care.First, you should be careful while selecting an agent. In my research based on reviews from other travelers, I found the following two agents as the most reliable oneshttp://www.hotels-in-vietnam.com (the one I used)http://www.vietnamvisapro.comSecond, the agent will give you a form to fill (via email or web form). Make sure you fill everything exactly as in your passport. Any error in your full name, date of birth, passport ID, etc, can result in denying VOA at step 2. Once you submit the form and make the payment, everything is done. Normally agent will email the approval letter in 2-4 working days. With a higher fee, you can get it in a day or even in 4 hours.We got the approval letter within 48 hours. However I would highly recommend you to apply it at least 2 weeks before your journey.Note 1: Before you start, contact the agent specifying your nationality, your date of travel, type of visa you need and ask them for a price quote.Note 2: India and some other countries are kind of blacklisted by Vietnamese immigration. Due to that, a few agents do not serve Indian citizens. And most agents who do serve, charge extra for Indian citizens. Due to the immense positive response for hotels-in-vietnam.com and their prompt replies to my emails, I chose them. They normally charge $14. Indian citizens have to pay extra $10. So, in total I had to pay $24 per person. So, mail the agent specifying your nationality and ask if you have to pay extra.Note 3: There are agents with domain names ending with ".govt.vn" that gives an impression that it's a government website. But they're not. One such agent quoted extra $60 for Indian citizens and I was a bit surprised. Later I got to know they are not associated with government and I found only negative reviews about them. So, don't get carried away by the "govt" or "gov" in the web address of any agent. There are no government agents.Step 2. Get the visa stamped at the airport.This is much easier compared to step 1. You have to carry the following items with you while you leave your country.A print (color or b/w) of the approval letter obtained at step 1.A filled application form for visa which can be downloaded from agent website or emailed by agent. This is optional. If you do not have it, you can get the form from the airport and fill. But you can save some time if you pre-fill it before reaching visa on arrival counter.1 or 2 photos (4cm x 6cm, color, white background, glossy finish)US dollar 25 per person in cash (credit cards won't be accepted)Submit the above four items along with your passport at the VOA counter at the Vietnam airport and wait for your name to be called. Ideally you should get the visa stamped on your passport within 30 minutes. In rare cases, especially at Ho Chi Minh City, it can go up to 1 or 2 hours when many flights land at the same time. We also landed at HCMC but there were only around 10 people waiting for VOA. We got it within 15 minutes. Once visa is stamped and you get your passport back, proceed to the immigration and you are all set to explore Vietnam.Most agents will provide express service after making a payment of around $20. In such a case they will send their person to receive you at airport and do the entire step 2 for you. Most of the agents guarantee a maximum of 15 minutes if you opt for express service. This is especially useful if you have a connecting flight to catch immediately.Note 4: The fee I have mentioned (USD 25) is for 1 month single entry. A different fee is applicable in other cases. The fee at step 1 will vary based on the agent, nationality and type of visa whereas the fee at step 2 is fixed irrespective of agent or nationality but varies between types of visa.There are also other information for people planning to travel there in the same website. Please have a look.

Before you set afoot on US soil, remember not to carry fruits, vegetables, plants, soil, with you. You may carry packed Indian spices but do not carry rice;Not everyone keeps greeting every random person on the street (something which I had thought, was the case). But if eyes of strangers’ meet, its customary to smile or say “how you doing” or just nod with a smile and pass;Its in their nature to start any conversation with, “how are you doing?” They wont wait for an answer and actually they dont expect an answer to come from you. But my father had once taught me, when I was a kid that if someone was interested to know about my well being, I should reciprocate in the same fashion. So everytime I was asked how I was, I always asked the same in return but never got an answer back, save once or twice. I didnt mind though but I ensured I did my part as my dad had taught me;Remember a very important thing. You shall be representing your country. You shall be representing India. So whatever you say or do shall be extrapolated to the whole nation. So be in the best of your nature and behaviour. Any wrong doing or saying would go a long way in spoiling the image of our great nation;This is for others who are above the legal age to drive. If you are travelling to US for an long term (even for say 3 yrs), while still in India, log on to the website of the DMV (RTO in India) of your would-be state and read the procedure to obtain a driving licence. Go a step further and download the driving manual and read it before you reach US. So once you are there, you can straight away take the online test of traffic rules and save on time. Even if you know driving, its better to take a few classes before you take the driving test;While driving or even while leading a daily life in US, an important factor needs to be kept in mind. “To yield”. Be it a train boarding or a bus boarding or entering a restaurant or allowing pedestrians to pass, you need to allow others to pass before you. If, however, the other person insists you go ahead first (despite your yielding first), its fine to go ahead. Most importantly, after you have been given an yield remember to thank the other person. While driving, this is done by a wave of your hand;Continuing with yielding, if you are driving at night and want to yield to another person, what do you do? You use the high beam flash. Yes!! While in India its used to signal, “me first”, there its used to signal “you first”. So if someone flashed at you, it means he is asking you to go ahead. So dont speed up to beat the other guy, just pass and thank him by a wave of you hand. Also, honking is a no-no. People honk there at times and its purpose is to alert you not to egg you to move;While calling out of US the dialling procedure is 011 followed by the country code and the number. Eg: 011–91–33-LANDLINE;Leaving tips for any service is customary, not compulsory. At restaurants, leaving a 15–20% tip is fine;The reviewing system in the US is very robust. You can find a review for anything on websites like tripadvisor, Yelp. Before you plan a holiday or book a hotel room or rent an apartment or buy any appliance, try looking up the reviews. It would help you a lot. As payback, do reviewing of your experiences as well so that others can benefit;If you are having a Dollar income, do not convert your expenses into Rupees and gape at the price difference. As a percentage of income, prices in the US are much less compared to those in India.Like any western society, the American system runs on TRUST. They trust everyone and they will trust you as well. So its the responsibility of everyone living there to honour that trust. Let me exemplify. In multiplexes, which are usually not that crowded and have free seating, you need to show your ticket once and enter the screen premises. No one checks which ticket you hold and which movie you watch. Actually, if someone wants to mess with the system, they can watch n-number of movies with just a single ticket, which they dont do. A friend was once narrating an experience when someone known to him, had movie-hopped with one single ticket. While such perpetrators can have a good laugh at the end of the ploy, they do not realise that at the same time they bring immense shame to themselves and to the country they belong to. I had corrected my friend that moment and made my point clear. So bottomline, return the trust with greater goodness.Shall add other notes if they strike me later.Edit # 1While on an escalator, if you want to stand at your step, stand on the right side, leaving the left flank available for people who want to walk or run the stretch;While at a coffee shop (eg Starbucks) or at a Quick Service Restaurant (eg Dunkin) where you want to buy coffee, if the barista asks you if you want cream in your drink, he intends to know if you would want milk in the drink;After serving you the coffee if the barista says your bill is two-sixty-nine-dollars. Dont panic. He would mean $2.69 (2 dollars and 69 cents). $269 would be Two Hundred and Sixty Nine Dollars;In case you fall sick after having the coffee, you can sue the outlet for serving you a bad drink for a million dollars maybe. Chill. Just kidding. If you need medicines head to medical stores like CVS and Rite-Aid. Other than these twins, all american grocery stores like Giant, Safeway, Harris Teeter, have a medicine dispensing section and also a few aisle for OTC drugs;“To-go” in US is what “parcel” is to India. Also, if at a restaurant you want your unused food to be packed to-go, dont be surprised if your server comes and hands over the to-go boxes to you. In several restaurants you would need to do the packing yourself. Its hygienic plus you are sure that you are packing whatever you had left;Edit # 2Inside an elevator (lift), if any of the floor numbers in the panel, has a star mark by its side, it conveys that the floor is at the lobby level;US addresses are mapped pretty well in google maps. Hence, if you hail a Uber, you neednt call the driver and give him directions. He would arrive at your doorstep unaided;Every apartment (i am not sure of garden apartments) has a service elevator and a service door at the backside of the building. For moving heavy stuff the service elevator is used and the handlers on their own get the truck and move the goods from the back gate. Its very standardised, seamless and hasslefree.Edit # 3While making payment by card after your purchase at any store, the card reader would ask you if you want a cashback and the amount of the cashback. Now, here cashback stands for a withdrawal and not a rebate. So if you have done a $5 shopping and opted for a $20 cash back, your card would be charged $25 and you would get $20 back, in cash. Btw, the USD is also known as "greenback".Edit # 4While dining out in a group, if the bill needs to be split equally between the diners, just drop all your cards together. The waiter would split the bill and charge the cards equally.In a restaurant, especially in a non-Indian restaurant, if you want water to drink, remember to mention "water at room temperature", else you would get chilled water with ice cubes, even if its winter. No worries if you forget though. They'll change it for you with a smiling face.Buffalo wings are not made of Buffalo meat. Those are chicken wings. The dish was first prepared in the city of Buffalo in New York State, hence the name. Similarly, "Boar's Head" is a brand name.Edit # 5Dont touch/cuddle babies (for showing love/affection) of people you arent known to. Showing unsolicited affection isnt quite appreciated. Also its unhygienic. You may be unaware of the germs you may carry with you which you run the risk of transferring to the infant.Pets are like babies to Americans. Same principle, as above, goes with pets.If you are driving on the interstate or for that matter in a 35 mph region, going 10 mph above the limit is still fine. But if you are in a residential area with a speed limit of 15/25 mph, try maintaining that speed or max 2–3 mphs above the range.We have the habit of hiding our sneeze with our palm. Well dont do that if you are in public, for the simple reason that you never know with who all you can shake yor hand or which handrail you are going to grab. Actually, whereever you are its always better to sneeze into your folded elbow.Edit # 6People are raised to treat everyone with the same respect. I have seen people tipping street performers & then shaking hands with them. Thats why I say, in the US, a senator and a janitor, both get the same respect.Edit # 7Feel like grabbing a beer? You can head to the local supermarket and search for the aisle for alchohol. Supermarkets stock beer, wine and champagne. But ensure you are having an ID card on yourself, which you would need to show the billing clerk to prove that you are above the legal age to drink. Doesn’t matter if you have grey hair or a salt & pepper stubble to speak your age out, you still need to show them a govt. issued ID card like DL, passport or identity card, else they wont be able to complete the sale.Ok, so you’ve got your beer home but realise you dont have a bottle opener. Never mind, caps of beer bottles in US can be opened with your bare hands. Just grab them with your thumb and index finger and give an anti-clock (counter-clock) twist and the cap would come out. You dont need a bottle opener. Don’t try the wine bottles. You would need a cockscrew.This may be common knowledge but still let me mention. Dates in US are in mm/dd/yyyy format. Well you may know it but not all Americans do. I was once at a DMV for my DL test and the guy behind the counter was about to issue me a DL expiring beyond the my visa period. I pointed out his mistake only to be told in return, “why do you guys write it differently”. I replied mentally, “you are welcome”.