CKGS Application Centres

The visa application software is very poorly designed. The instructions are unclear, and the website regularly terminates the application process with no explanation. Unfortunately, the site appears to be the only way to complete an Indian visa application, so I suppose that it’s tough luck to anyone needing to obtain an Indian visa.

If I could give this place zero stars, I would. I was forced to use CKGS to apply for an Indian Visa and every step of the way was incredibly tedious. I am seriously worried that I won’t be able to get a visa to go to my cousin’s wedding because of how incompetent they are.
First of all, the website is absolute garbage. In addition no instructions for any of the confusing fields you have to fill out, the website crashes frequently. You are given multiple different temporary login IDs, which don’t even work to return the the website when it inevitably fails over and over again and you have to start all over again.
Second, when you try to call «customer service,» you are told that the wait time is over 15 minutes and to stay on the line, you have to press 1 every 15 seconds ad infinitum. Are you f***ing serious?!? I’m sure they do that intentionally to reduce the onslaught of people calling them just to yell about how terrible they are. How could the Indian Embassy outsource visa applications to a company that is so incompetent, that it is virtually impossible to actually apply for a visa? Do they not want anyone in DC to ever visit India again?

I went to CKGS Application Center to submit paperwork for my work. I had filled out my forms in advance and made an appointment online. I arrived a few minutes before the appointment assuming that the process will take just a few minutes, since I already had an appointment. The person at the front desk reviewed my papers and proceeded to give me a ticket and advised I take a seat and wait for my number to be called! It was like the DMV/​MVA kick in the gut for me. Why have the process of making an appointment online only to make folks wait for their number to be called?
After waiting for 85 minutes since the time I checked in, my number was called at one of the windows. I presented my papers and the person behind the counter reviewed them and advised that I go back and take a seat and that someone would call my name.
I waited another 25 minutes for my name to be called. A third person then reviewed my documents and found them to be satisfactory. I made the requisite payment and I was told that my paperwork will be processed in 4 – 5 business days.
It has been over 15 business days and the status of my application still shows up as «In Progress». I tried calling someone but did not get through, so I send an email earlier this week to get an update on the status of my application. The generic sounding response is that the process is going slow due to volume of paperwork! Really??? Is there suddenly so much interest in applications for India that the application process just got delayed over 3 times the suggested timeline at the time of submitting my application?
I don’t know how much longer I will have to wait but this is ridiculous and so totally highlights the bureaucracy and inefficiency of the Indian Government even here in Washington DC!

Online application is very confusing. Why can’t they make it simple. What a great system we are part of.

Very courteous and friendly staff with personal touch. A much welcome change than working directly with the embassy. They call back with updates and issues of any with the application!
They’ve delivered visa back before the alloted hours if you happen to be the early.

This place doesn’t have it together. If you are picking up… show up early because they only have 1 person working the pick up line. They also don’t follow the ‘token numbers’…such an unfortunate new service for picking up your visa.