An Ontario couple had been saving for 3 years to go to India for 2 months to attend a marriage, a household reunion and spend time with household and associates.

However the journey got here to an abrupt finish after they had been about to board their connecting flight in Paris, as a result of regardless that that they had the proper visa paperwork, they had been copies and never the originals, which was not allowed.

“I used to be so excited I used to be wanting ahead to it I could not wait to get there. To be turned again it was such unhealthy information and we had been exhausted,” stated Pamela Nazareth of Scarborough.

Nazareth and her husband Ed are each of their 80s and had been travelling to Mumbai by Paris on Feb. 19 and whereas they knew they wanted their visa paperwork, they took copies, not the originals.

Ed stated they couldn’t discover their unique Particular person of India Visa paperwork however that they had notarized copies which they felt would suffice.

“We could not discover the originals, however we discovered the duplicates so we took the duplicates that had been notarized,” Ed informed CTV Information Toronto.

Their son Albert additionally felt the paperwork could be accepted for his or her journey.

“What that they had taken was a notarized copy. It was a duplicate of this doc notarized by the federal government of India,” Albert defined.

After they arrived at Pearson airport in Toronto, they had been allowed to board an Air France flight to Paris, however after they drained to board their connecting flight to Mumbai, they had been informed they wanted the unique visa paperwork not copies and had been denied boarding.

They had been informed to fly again to Toronto. The 2 tickets that they had bought for the journey had value them $4,900.

“They informed us the tickets have been cancelled it’s a must to return,” Ed stated.

When CTV Information Toronto contacted Air France the airline stated, “Passengers are accountable to make sure they’ve the proper paperwork for his or her journey.”

The Consulate of India additionally informed CTV Information Toronto, “Any traveler to India will likely be allowed entry if he/she carries legitimate journey doc i.e. Passport together with a legitimate Visa or PIO/OCI card in unique.”

Air France stated it couldn’t touch upon particular person recordsdata however the airline did apologize to the Nazareths.

“I’m sorry to study that you simply had been unable to journey to journey to India as deliberate on the nineteenth February. Our information reveals that as a result of you weren’t within the possession of the right documentation on your complete journey you had been stopped by the French Authorities in Paris- Charles de Gaulle,” correspondence between the couple and Air France learn.

“Though your journey paperwork had been verified earlier than departure in Toronto, it’s the passenger’s accountability always to satisfy the prerequisite situations for entry into any nation as said in our Normal Situations of Carriage.”

“It has been determined to supply the total refund on your tickets as a industrial gesture. Additionally, as an indication of remorse for this unlucky state of affairs a compensation of 500 CAD as a non-refundable voucher will likely be issued for you as quickly because the financial institution particulars are acquired.”

The Nazareths had been relieved to get their $4,900 refunded and used the funds to purchase new tickets to India and at the moment are there visiting with family and friends.

“That is such a reduction for us,” stated Nazareth.

It is a good reminder for anybody touring exterior of Canada to examine not solely what sort of paperwork you want for a visit, but when copies are allowed or they have to be the originals because it might prevent being turned again. 

Adblock check (Why?)