Work permits and IT jobs in India

Hi David

To answer your questions on work permits

Are work permits easy to get
Well a 'work permit" is equivalent to apply for an Indian Employment Visa in your home country. If all your documenation is in order, it is relatively easy to get an employment visa for India. This is also dependant on the job you are applying for but generally it is not very difficult to secure an employment visa.

Do I get a work permit first or do I need to find a job first?

Well, you would need to get a job first! In order to apply for a work permit (employment visa), you need to submit copies of your contract, letter of offer and an invitation letter from the Indian company hiring you. In some cases, the Indian embassy also requests for a copy of the Memorandum of Association of the Indian company. This, of course, is in addition to the standard visa documents you need to provide. The Employment Visa permits you to work in India. Once you arrive in India, you need to apply for a residence permit within 14 days of your arrival in the country. 

You are quite right, information on work permits especially, is not easy to find, and even when you do find some information, it is usually not up-to-date.

For more information on this you can read the section on India - Visas. You can also email me on [email protected] for more detailed information.