VFS headlines.

[sandyf]

How Home Office makes millions a week from outsourcing visas to Dubai-based firm accused of exploitation

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/home-office-vfs-visas-profit-subcontracted-contract-outsourcing-premium-services-exploited-a9056446.html

[sandyf]

VFS: Who is the company subcontracted by the Home Office to process visa applications?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/vfs-global-home-office-outsourcing-visa-applications-a9061476.html

[sandyf]

Home Office outsourcing to ‘exploitative’ contractor must be reviewed, say MPs and lawyers

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/home-office-vfs-visas-profit-contracts-outsourcing-a9064226.html

[Donutz]

Under the new EU Schengen rules (active per 2020) the outsourcing is no longer just optional.  Many embassies already push you towards VFS as is. I worry what this will mean in the future for the EU mainland. Right now VFS, TLS and BLD can be avoided.. but not from 2020 onwards.. what will their fees and 'optional extra services' bring? The UK has shown that it's all a scheme to help visa applicants pay way too much money....

 

Thanks for sharing.

[watcharacters]

 

I wonder why a UK based company isn't handling the visa and passport process.

 

 

 

 

[sandyf]

9 hours ago, watcharacters said:

 

I wonder why a UK based company isn't handling the visa and passport process.

 

Basically the UK government does not want visa applications so they have little interest in how things are done.

This year my wife's visa cost the same as last year, 129USD, but an extra £7 was taken from my bank account.

 

A similar question would be, why are visa payments not made in GBP? 

[St George]

9 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Basically the UK government does not want visa applications so they have little interest in how things are done.

This year my wife's visa cost the same as last year, 129USD, but an extra £7 was taken from my bank account.

 

A similar question would be, why are visa payments not made in GBP? 

 

 

Or Baht  -  if the applicant is Thai, applying from Thailand.

[theoldgit]

10 hours ago, watcharacters said:

I wonder why a UK based company isn't handling the visa and passport process.

As the actual decision making is carried out by directly employed UKVI staff, I'm not too concerned with the fact that VFS are responsible for carrying out the biometric captures and delivering the passport to local UKVI team.

 

But what does concern me is that having let the contract for VFS to operate the application centre, the UKVI seem to have no effective process for monitoring the contract, seemingly giving VFS carte blanch to operate the centre as they deem fit and to charge for unnecessary services at will.

 

I agree that the policy by the UKVI to charge for applications in USD is indefensible, the cost of processesing visa application is set by HMG in GPB, as has been admitted by the company chosen to process the fee, they they collect the payment in the currency dictated by the client, UKVI, so there is no reason why the fee cannot be collected in either Sterling or Baht.

[St George]

9 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

As the actual decision making is carried out by directly employed UKVI staff, I'm not too concerned with the fact that VFS are responsible for carrying out the biometric captures and delivering the passport to local UKVI team.

 

But what does concern me is that having let the contract for VFS to operate the application centre, the UKVI seem to have no effective process for monitoring the contract, seemingly giving VFS carte blanch to operate the centre as they deem fit and to charge for unnecessary services at will.

 

I agree that the policy by the UKVI to charge for applications in USD is indefensible, the cost of processesing visa application is set by HMG in GPB, as has been admitted by the company chosen to process the fee, they they collect the payment in the currency dictated by the client, UKVI, so there is no reason why the fee cannot be collected in either Sterling or Baht.

 

 

The one good development is the uploading of documents (as tortuous as it is) so now there is little that VfS can fork up. 

 

Just taking a checklist and doing biometrics makes the process quicker and less open to inconsistent handling by inexperienced VfS staff..............

[sandyf]

50 minutes ago, St George said:

 

 

The one good development is the uploading of documents (as tortuous as it is) so now there is little that VfS can fork up. 

If you do not notice in the small print that you have to use barcode separators, VFS will charge for doing it, think it is 200 baht.

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, theoldgit said:

 

I agree that the policy by the UKVI to charge for applications in USD is indefensible, the cost of processesing visa application is set by HMG in GPB, as has been admitted by the company chosen to process the fee, they they collect the payment in the currency dictated by the client, UKVI, so there is no reason why the fee cannot be collected in either Sterling or Baht.

I think there is a problem with the payment processor and THB. If you apply in China you pay in Yuan and if applying from Gibralter you pay in GBP.

The government should insist that all applications have the option of local currency or GBP.

[theoldgit]

Just now, sandyf said:

I think there is a problem with the payment processor and THB. If you apply in China you pay in Yuan and if applying from Gibralter you pay in GBP.

The government should insist that all applications have the option of local currency or GBP.

7by7 challenged the UKVI on this policy, I can't rememberthe exact wording of their response but, as I recall, it was something along the lines that it's in the hands of the payment processor, then World Pay.
He also wrote to World Pay who confirmed that they can use the prefferred currency of the client, though I can't remember if THB was mentioned, they can certinly process in GBP.
Of course they collect Sterling for passport applications, though those payment are processed in the UK.  

[St George]

16 minutes ago, sandyf said:

If you do not notice in the small print that you have to use barcode separators, VFS will charge for doing it, think it is 200 baht.

 

 

No.

 

Uploading the documents does not require barcodes...... barcodes were associated with scanning at VfS..... no we have direct uploading - siumilar to the Australian visa application system.

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, St George said:

 

 

No.

 

Uploading the documents does not require barcodes...... barcodes were associated with scanning at VfS..... no we have direct uploading - siumilar to the Australian visa application system.

I think you are confused with something else, it is only a few weeks since I went. You must separate your documents into different categories and have them approved before the applicant can go through and have them scanned to India. There must be a barcode separator between each category and VFS have a desk to one side where you can have it done if you have not downloaded the separators and done it yourself.

 

Instructions to applicants :
✓ It is your responsibility to separate out your documents and place the relevant barcode separator on top of each pile of documents.
✓ This has to be done before you reach the application submission counter.
✓ Photocopies can be submitted, but they must be clear and legible.
✓ All documents must be A4 size.
✓ Any documents which are smaller or larger than A4 must be photocopied onto A4 sized paper. This includes previous passports and photographs.
✓ All documents must be free from any clips, pins or staples before they are submitted.
✓ Torn, crumpled or heavily creased documents cannot be accepted. Therefore they must be photocopied onto A4 sized paper before they are submitted.
✓ Documents should not be laminated.
==================================================================================

[puchooay]

8 minutes ago, sandyf said:

I think you are confused with something else, it is only a few weeks since I went. You must separate your documents into different categories and have them approved before the applicant can go through and have them scanned to India. There must be a barcode separator between each category and VFS have a desk to one side where you can have it done if you have not downloaded the separators and done it yourself.

 

Instructions to applicants :
✓ It is your responsibility to separate out your documents and place the relevant barcode separator on top of each pile of documents.
✓ This has to be done before you reach the application submission counter.
✓ Photocopies can be submitted, but they must be clear and legible.
✓ All documents must be A4 size.
✓ Any documents which are smaller or larger than A4 must be photocopied onto A4 sized paper. This includes previous passports and photographs.
✓ All documents must be free from any clips, pins or staples before they are submitted.
✓ Torn, crumpled or heavily creased documents cannot be accepted. Therefore they must be photocopied onto A4 sized paper before they are submitted.
✓ Documents should not be laminated.
==================================================================================

I think it is you that is confused. There is now a process, as explained by St George, whereby you can upload the documents at the same time as completing the online application. That negates the need for scanning at VFS and thus no need for barcode separators.

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, theoldgit said:

7by7 challenged the UKVI on this policy, I can't rememberthe exact wording of their response but, as I recall, it was something along the lines that it's in the hands of the payment processor, then World Pay.
He also wrote to World Pay who confirmed that they can use the prefferred currency of the client, though I can't remember if THB was mentioned, they can certinly process in GBP.
Of course they collect Sterling for passport applications, though those payment are processed in the UK.  

Yes the payment processor can process in any currency they choose, subject to IMF Article VIII, if they choose to do so. Article XIV currencies would be a different matter but there are not many of them.

A while back I checked up on quite a few different countries, somewhere around 25, and all the countries using what would be regarded as a major were in their own currency and all the countries that could be perceived as third world were in USD.

The UK government, as the client, could step up to the plate on this but choose not to so.

[sandyf]

5 minutes ago, puchooay said:

I think it is you that is confused. There is now a process, as explained by St George, whereby you can upload the documents at the same time as completing the online application. That negates the need for scanning at VFS and thus no need for barcode separators.

If there has been a change in recent weeks then I am more than happy to stand corrected. It is only about a year since the change to India so a bit surprised it has changed so quickly. Are you saying that scanning has stopped altogether or has it become an option?

Certainly sounds like a move in the right direction and one less VFS scam. When I went, there were more queuing up at the VFS desk than there was for document checking.

[puchooay]

5 minutes ago, sandyf said:

If there has been a change in recent weeks then I am more than happy to stand corrected. It is only about a year since the change to India so a bit surprised it has changed so quickly. Are you saying that scanning has stopped altogether or has it become an option?

Certainly sounds like a move in the right direction and one less VFS scam. When I went, there were more queuing up at the VFS desk than there was for document checking.

You wrote "it was only a few weeks ago" that you went. If it was that recently you would have had the option to upload your own documents. It has been an option for some time. It is just that, an option, and the scanning at VFS is also still an option.

[OJAS]

5 hours ago, theoldgit said:

I agree that the policy by the UKVI to charge for applications in USD is indefensible, the cost of processesing visa application is set by HMG in GPB, as has been admitted by the company chosen to process the fee, they they collect the payment in the currency dictated by the client, UKVI, so there is no reason why the fee cannot be collected in either Sterling or Baht.

And this, of course, means that the operation of the UK visa system is not just a nice little earner for the Home Office (as per the OP) but also for the banking sector through GBP/THB conversion charges to USD!

[sandyf]

6 minutes ago, puchooay said:

You wrote "it was only a few weeks ago" that you went. If it was that recently you would have had the option to upload your own documents. It has been an option for some time. It is just that, an option, and the scanning at VFS is also still an option.

Would have been March we went, seems like a few weeks ago. Was out of the country for nearly 2 months so made the change came then.

If scanning is still in use, then barcode separators will still be in use and VFS still making money on it.

[sandyf]

6 minutes ago, OJAS said:

And this, of course, means that the operation of the UK visa system is not just a nice little earner for the Home Office (as per the OP) but also for the banking sector through GBP/THB conversion charges to USD!

You pay in USD and it is then converted to GBP when it hits your account.

It is a double hit with my bank, bad rate of exchange and a non sterling transaction fee.

[St George]

20 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Would have been March we went, seems like a few weeks ago. Was out of the country for nearly 2 months so made the change came then.

If scanning is still in use, then barcode separators will still be in use and VFS still making money on it.

 

 

They will seek to make money out of any of their Premium Services.... they are a business after all and many Thais take advantage of those services. These include scanning/uploading documents for you at a cost of 460 Baht.

 

No bar code separators though on the new application system.

 

 

https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/th/en/premium-services

[7by7]

On 8/23/2019 at 4:29 AM, theoldgit said:

7by7 challenged the UKVI on this policy, I can't rememberthe exact wording of their response but, as I recall, it was something along the lines that it's in the hands of the payment processor, then World Pay.

 Their response is attached for those who may be interested.

 

Lot's of waffle, no substance and a pathetic attempt to shift the blame onto WorldPay.

 

As others have said, WorldPay will process payments in most currencies, definitely in Sterling, and it's up to the client, in this case UKVI, to chose.

Visa fees in USD.doc