Ex-VFS Agent Exposes Major Scams Targeting Schengen Visa Applicants

Key Takeaways

1. A former VFS employee has disclosed major scams affecting Schengen visa processing in the UK.
2. The former employee reveals that agents often occupy visa appointments, as notified by the Center.
3. Applicants using courier services for their documents are likely to experience delays in their visa processing.

Applying for a Schengen visa can be a daunting and costly process, involving extensive documentation and securing an appointment. VFS Global, which handles visa applications for numerous governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, plays a significant role in this process. A former customer service agent at VFS has shared details about the company's practices in a Reddit post.

"Visa Appointments Are the Biggest Scams," Claims Former VFS Employee

The former agent, who handled Schengen visa applications from the UK as well as from India to the UK and Ireland, alleges that travel agents often receive advance notice of appointment availability from the call center. Consequently, these agents secure appointments and resell them at inflated prices.

“Appointments are the biggest scams. Call center agents don’t know when slots will be released, but travel agents do. They book these slots as soon as they’re available and sell them at higher rates,” says the former employee. This practice forces applicants to rely on travel agents, incurring additional fees.

Reasons for Document Delays

Addressing concerns about delays, the former VFS employee highlights three primary factors:

1. VFS Centers: Documents processed at these centers may be returned for corrections or additional documents, causing delays of two to ten days.
2. Embassies: Visa processing times at embassies can extend up to 70 days, depending on the nationality and the specific embassy.
3. Courier Services: Using a courier service for document delivery often results in delays. The former employee recommends collecting passports personally if possible, as couriers can take up to a week to dispatch documents from VFS London.

Additional delays can occur if passports need to be sent to foreign ministries, such as the Hague in the Netherlands, affecting processing times further.