Even though travel is becoming increasingly accessible for a growing number of citizens around the world thanks to emerging economies, globalization and the rise of the Internet, many countries have strict rules and regulations in place for visa applications. To address the difficulties of bureaucracy and confusing application processes, many companies offer a visa service to take the headache out of travel.
iVisa is one such visa service that helps people from all nationalities obtain visas for the majority of nations in the world, and it's a service that's becoming increasingly revered by travelers thanks to its sterling reputation. While iVisa isn't officially affiliated with governments, it simplifies the application process, verifies documents and sends applications to the relevant authority to obtain visas on behalf of travelers.
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VFS Global, on the other hand, is a company that has partnered with client governments around the world, such as India, the UK and Australia, to handle their visa and passport processes. In many situations, travelers have no choice but to handle their visa application via VFS Global despite the fact that it suffers from a poor reputation and has even been accused of monopolizing the industry.
In spite of the operational differences between these two companies, they both perform a similar function regarding their visa services. To help you decide which company to trust when it’s possible to choose between the two, this article will review and compare them in terms of customer service, efficiency, user-friendliness, and price.
Customer Service
We expect to receive excellent customer service with every company we deal with regardless of their industry, and it's vital for visa services to answer queries quickly because they're responsible for making a complicated process simpler. iVisa fairs extremely well in this regard, but VFS Global has received negligible positive feedback.
Reporting on Trustpilot, Manohar stated very clearly that he was less than impressed by VFS Global: “One of the most useless agencies – they offer no help at all, the call center is useless, they are ill-informed and they make you wait for weeks to months on simple queries." To add to the disappointment, Carly said: "The staff here (at least the ones we were in contact with) were incredibly rude, had a horrible attitude, and absolutely no customer service skills.”
iVisa, on the other hand, has built its reputation largely on its high level of customer service, with Sally reporting: “Excellent quick service. They answered all my questions by return email. Highly recommended.”
Efficiency of Service
Many travelers who plan their holidays well in advance prefer to save money on their visa by applying through the relevant embassy, which is why visa services should provide an efficient service to travelers who need to obtain a visa at the last second.
VFS Global has a far from good reputation regarding its efficiency, with many travelers reporting they had to cancel their planned trips altogether. Mixed with an insufficient level of customer service according to many travelers, it seems that it might be a good idea to look elsewhere for visas if at all possible, especially if you're in a hurry.
iVisa often goes above and beyond people’s expectations, securing visas quicker than customers expected. Reporting on Trustpilot, Lilly said: “Very efficient service. Visa granted within 24 hours – would use the service again as one less thing to worry about”.
Price
While it’s not always necessarily a good idea to choose the cheapest service available, prices should be reasonable, competitive and reflect the professionalism of the company.
Dee and Bobby Shaw said in a detailed Trustpilot review: “I found this service to be a big massive fraud,” later adding, “It seems that you are untouchable and therefore get to keep the money I have spent on the requirements and visa.” According to the reviews on Trustpilot, it also seems as if mistakes with payments are a common occurrence. Dagney Taggart said: “They double charged the $192 service charge for my priority visa.”
iVisa has previously made mistakes with payments per some reviewers, though issues were fixed by the company promptly along with a sincere apology. Additionally, most of their customers report that their fees are reasonable and transparent with no hidden charges.
Ease of Use
A visa service must make their application process simple because many travelers utilize them to avoid having to deal with the complicated bureaucratic processes offered by embassies and immigration departments. Yet again, iVisa scores very highly in this category, and VFS Global leaves a lot to be desired.
Travelers often need to make a face-to-face appointment with VFS Global for visa processing, and unfortunately, there is almost no evidence to show the company makes this a smooth process. Speaking on Trustpilot, WM said: "They have a reservation system that doesn't work… go there expecting to waste half your day even if given an appointment.” There have also been many complaints regarding the process of mail applications, with more than one customer referring to the service as a ‘bureaucratic nightmare."
iVisa boasts a very simple-to-use system that most travelers love, with a simple application form, fast processing time and an attractive website. Mark Lo reported on Trustpilot: “I find the process simple, efficient and fast. Confirmations are received within the same day if I provide all the relevant material. Good service.”
VFS Global Summary
VFS Global is often the only visa processing choice for travelers, but its bad reputation has led a huge number of travelers to wish this wasn’t the case. It has a very unimpressive rating of 1 star from 100 reviewers on Trustpilot, so it’s recommended to look elsewhere when possible.
iVisa Summary
It’s no wonder iVisa is growing in popularity with a 9.5 rating on Trustpilot from 1,808 reviewers. Its service is fast, efficient, reasonably priced and professional, and in rare situations where it can’t handle your visa application, it can help you prepare the documents to an acceptable standard.
How to Get Your Visa
As the reviews and overall ratings seem to suggest, iVisa is a fantastic visa service that you might want to utilize whenever possible. To obtain a visa, head to iVisa.com, click on the ‘Visa Application’ button on the homepage and fill out the simple application form. You'll receive direction on what to do next if any additional documents are required. You'll also be shown the fee and processing time before you need to provide any personal details.
