VFS Global Joint Visa Application Centre - Auckland — Local services in Waitematā

They booked appointments during their office lunch hour, locked the only door so no one could get in or get service, with no notice. While their own opening hours poster stuck on the door says they were supposed to be open. Was not warned about this, their booking confirmation even asked people to turn up 15min early during this time slot. We waited outside for 15min past our appointment, and we turned up 15min early as requested.

Once inside the staff did not care about appointments and took people sitting in front of the counter first. The people who had appointments before us got served after us, and the first person that got service first after the staff lunch break was someone who just walked in and sat in the front and their appointment was not for another 30min.

Once the staff called us they were inexperienced and kept asking another staff member to help check if they filled out the correct parts of their own forms. Staff spoke poor English, and could not explain nor answer common questions about their own documents and procedures.

The biometric device for taking finger prints kept having issues and not working property. Multiple staff had to get involved and many attempts made to get it to finally register fingerprints.

The only positive thing is the rooms are nicely air conditioned and waiting chairs are comfy. If VFS Global had to compete for business instead of being the assigned one and only service provider they would be in...

Word of warning. They will not send your passport back to you within 3 weeks, not 5, not 7. I had to travel to Auckland in person and get my passport back because I had to leave New Zealand and because there is NO WAY to contact them. I had to cancel my flights out of New Zealand and lost thousands of dollars and I never got my visa (and I was lucky enough that my employer suspended my resignation so at least I could pay my friend to stay in their spare room since my lease ended in the meantime. The visa was for August, I applied in June. I never received the visa to the UK and had to massively change my plans. They now messaged me in September saying that they are done processing my application and that I should resubmit my passport. If you are in a similar situation (and cannot apply half a year in advance) my advice is to abandone all hope and change your plans now. If I had done that I would have saved myself a LOT of trouble and money. Maybe go to another European country instead, Slovenia is lovely this time of year. The VFS delivers a kafkaesque lack of customer service that really screams "we hate visitors don't come here". That said the people I dealt with at the centre were lovely, it's not their fault it's just how the...

I recently visited the UK Premium Lounge for my biometrics appointment. I was tended to with care and patience by Ishika -- I believe her name was. She was in the Australian lounge but still tended to my inquiries, and even managed to push my appointment forward! Lovely spirit and solid employee who knew her stuff, without whom my experience would not have been the same.

My only qualm is why on earth in 2022 they are so hard to contact?! No local phone number, emails bouncing back. Would have appreciated not having to drive in from West Auckland just to ask someone a question. Had I not just shown up, I would still be scratching my head at the online portal!

I paid for the SILVER PACKAGE service Will post an updated review once my visa has arrived to see if it is worth the $280!

Advice to applicants: arrive early with your passport and all required documents printed out. The biometrics scanning itself takes 5 minutes, but the current international visa processing time is between 4-6 weeks so be patient before booking flights or anything! Also wouldn't hurt to get a name of whoever tends to you for...