Sarabeth B.

First, the website is terrible and unintuitive and takes forever to do anything. Then, I submitted the application for my Global Talent Visa for the UK to the New York City office on August 23rd, my biometrics appointment (this was actually at ACS, which was a great, efficient experience, so I strongly recommend doing that) was on Thursday Sept 3rd and we paid an extra $200 to have 5 workday priority service. I'll first point out that the UK website says priority counts from when you submit the application, which would have been by Aug 28th, but VFS website says it's from when you have the biometrics appointment, which would have been by Sept 9th or 10th. There are many inconsistencies like this and they should be fixed. Even going by the later date, however, I did not receive my response and passport until Sept 23rd. VFS lost my UPS shipping return label with my GWF reference number on it and never told me and made me wait while trying to contact them, which is nearly impossible. VFS doesn't have a direct email or phone number for visas to the UK and the recommendations for tracking applications are a UK phone number, which can't be called from the US without an international plan, and an email. I contacted the email, but they do not have access to the status of the application. I even got an international plan and called the UK number and they refused the call saying they now are directing all calls to an email address, which responded saying they don't have information about individual applications. Through the original email I was able to find out is that the UK committee had made a decision on my application at least a week before VFS sent it to me and most likely much earlier, so it was fully VFS's fault for holding up my application. When I finally got through to VFS (I think they saw a tweet I sent to them through their customer service handle? Though they never actually responded there. Very strange), VFS said I had never sent them the label, I responded with clear proof and pictures that I had, and they then sort of admitted they had the label by using it to send my passport back to me... This delay made me miss my flight and now I'm starting work a week and a half late... I'm asking for the money I paid for priority service back, which I really hope they honor.