VFS Johannesburg

[mulderpf]

There is not a lot of information on this forum with regards to applications in countries where you can apply online, so I thought I'd share my experience, specific to VFS Johannesburg. My experience is generic and not specific to a Tier 1 application (other applicants had the exact same process) and I believe could be the same in many countries with online applications (it's also VERY detailed).

I applied online at night (about 20:00) on 20 December. In terms of the application form online, it didn't exactly match the questions in the paper application (personal details and details of your family had the same question, but the travel questions were a bit different). At the end of the application process, you then get asked if you want to pay online, or by other means. I paid online and immediately received confirmation of payment and this was also printed on the application form (for safety's sake, I also took the proof of payment email).

Once payment is complete, you are then taken to an appointment booking screen, which allows you to select the date and then the time that you want an appointment for (they started from 8am for my office and they are in hourly intervals). Given that I was applying so late in the day, I was surprised to find that I could book an appointment so soon (I booked it for the next morning at 8am).

You need to take a print-out of your application form (signed as well), a print-out of the appointment confirmation and a print-out of your payment confirmation. (You can go back and print the application form and appointment confirmation using your reference number that gets emailed to you and your password.) I found it a bit of a mission to actually get the forms to print with the barcodes on!!! Eventually I got it done.

Then, when I went for the appointment, I got to Sandton City very early (about 7am) and the place is dead at that time of the morning. I was considering find a place to print documents, but it's just too early for anything to be open other than a few coffee shops (don't book early and expect to find an open internet cafe to print off your documents if you can't print them elsewhere!!!).

Anyways, I decided to go up at 07:40 and was surprised that there was a queue already. They give "groups" only one ticket and I was number 7 in the queue. The check for two things: your appointment form and more importantly it would seem to them, your photos! (The queue was to get inside and they opened the doors a minute or two before 8am).

As I read about issues with photos, I decided to do mine at VFS to ensure they comply. Only two people decided to do that and I didn't see anyone else have any issues. In fact, taking the photos there, caused me a little bit of stress as the original person that put all the document in a file, couldn't attach the photo and I had to run back to get the guy to give me my photos! I would personally suggest, given the price, to rather take them somewhere else. I now sit with 5 extra photos and two of them are really bad quality!

And then, don't go to VFS expecting to ask any questions - especially in the case of Tier 1 applications, they don't receive many, they mostly deal with visitor visas, so they might have some knowledge on that. The people dealing with the applications do not seem to have any knowledge about the rules etc - they only know which documents are required and fill in a checklist to ensure that everything is there. Anything more than that, I doubt they will be able to answer. Have all your questions answered before you go! Once they have "packaged" your application - they kind of scan through it but didn't really look closely at everything (they took out a page or two), you then have to go and give your biometrics (fingerprints and retinal scans).

And that's it. The entire process was done by 08:20 (possibly even earlier!!). I was number 7 in a queue of about 18 applications (which according to another person I was talking to, was quite busy compared to other times he's been).

[mulderpf]

I want to add another thing:

I printed off and completed the SMS application from the VFS website and the lady who processed my application found it in my pack of documents and the she seemed quite surprised and asked me if I really wanted SMSs. It's only R20, so I paid it, but I realise how useless it is to me now. They sent me an SMS, but at the same time also sent me an email containing more info than the SMS (just saying my app is at the HC). You can also track the application online, so the SMSs really don't add much value IMHO, unless of course you don't have access to your email address all the time.