VFS Global

No point of giving any star for this govt-contracted bureaucratic agency but the incompetent South Asian female who works at EU schengen visa office in Vancouver BC gives false advice and later claims she does not recall her own words. Make sure you check everything with her minimum three times if she says what need to be corrected and record the voice if possible in order not to be turned away for another costly appointment due to staff mistake.

If you go organized, you should have no problem. Do research and take everything you might need to avoid further unnecessary trips. I was on the Britain Visa side of the office. The staff was very polite, and professional. A positive experience.

I can't believe the bad reviews VFS Vancouver has received! I went in on July 27th this year for my biometrics and it was a great experience. Staff were polite, organized and quick. I received my UK visa 3 weeks later, to the day. I had a great experience, but before going I was a nervous wreck because I went through all of the bad reviews. There is no need to be nervous, just be prepared, show up on time and all should go well.

I thought I should share my experience during my UK Visa appointment since there are so many negative reviews that make the process feel very scary and uncertain. Before I left for my appointment, I thoroughly checked and rechecked all my supporting documents and had them in the correct order for the checklist (I also tabbed them out, so it would be easier to organize). I arrived 15 minutes before my scheduled appointment and went through the security process. Make sure to read the guidelines on what you’re allowed in and what you’re not - eg. I didn’t bring a laptop or the Swiss Army knife on my keychain. The security guard that was on shift was very nice and polite. I had no issues with him. When I first enter the room, I was told to fill out the UPS form on the computer. This gives you a shipping label to get all your documents back (eg. Your passport). Next, I talked with the agent who looked through my application online and said it all looked good. He then took my passport and did a few administrative tasks organizing the shipping package while I sat there. We then went into the room where you get your fingerprints scanned and your photo taken. It was a very easy process. Next, we went through the visa application checklist where he gathered up my supporting documents. I paid extra to have them scan the documents as well. This is where having your documents very organized helps them out quite a bit. Also, remember to remove ALL staples from your documents as this prolongs the process and makes the agent a little annoyed (which is not good for you!). After he scanned all my documents, he put everything into a UPS bag ready to send and gave me a couple receipts for different things (photos taken, documents collected, UPS tracking number for the documents being returned). Then we were done. The reason I laid all that out ^there^ is to give you an idea of the process. The agent I had was very kind and efficient. He was happy that I had my documents organized with no staples, etc. I had no issues whatsoever with the entire process, but I highly recommend reading the guidelines thoroughly on what supporting documents you need and what VFS expects from you at the appointment so as to avoid any issues. Obviously I can’t speak about all the agents that work there or their attitudes, but the person I had was fantastic.

I had a great experience with this place. The staff were nice and professional but a bit too formal. If you arrive more than 5 minutes early, they do ask that you wait elsewhere but there's a coffee shop nearby and a seating area in the lobby of the place. It's a high security place, so make sure you don't bring anything that could be considered dangerous or any type of liquid. Your phone has to be turned off throughout the entire process except when you check in. Backpacks, laptops, and tablets cost some money to store but I just brought in my purse and the printed documents. As long as you have all the information you need (I recommend printing everything you submitted online and anything you think they may need), you won't have any issues with the process. They list everything on their website for what to bring in and there's a lot of information, so make sure you're well prepared or they may charge you extra. Make sure you also ask for pricing for everything they offer because it all comes at an additional cost. My appointment took around 30 minutes was about $30 CAD for the service fee so it's not unreasonable. The bad reviews just seem to be coming from people who were unprepared and didn't know what to do before visiting the place. If you have any questions, there's also a contact email that they reply pretty quickly to.