Hope someone can help please.

Have completed my application for visas online and got ref numbers. Have printed out copies but a day later,( needed to check my diary) now need to schedule an appointment in London to drop them off ( don't want to send). I can bring up my details but it's only giving me the option to download/print appliaction form/ checklist.
I've tried going in under appointment/make payment but the same screen keeps coming up!

Where on the VFS system can i schedule an appointment????

Thanks

Don't worry- have found it!! Not in the 'appointments' section but in the 'modify' section! Really makes sense!

Thanks

Thanks for your kind words juderamm any time I can help just ask ..I just wish you could pay going into to India that would make it better for us all ....when is it your going to goa colleen

Online application filled in sending off tomorrow. Fingers crossed

Filled in and paid for mine online today as well!!! Will be posting on Monday.
They only took 6 days last year,from bits I have read I think they will take longer this year....Let's wait and see! Paula

Wow
I normally use the online application in it's entirety but I thought I would fill out the forms and fill in by hand at the Jain community centre in Manchester. Arrived at about 11:30 and the room already had quite a few people in. A poster on the wall gave instructions on what to do if you had an appointment or if you have just turned up with forms filled in by hand. The counter was on 00 at this point and our number was 20!

Several people came and went that had appointments and then eventually the counter started and by 15:00 we were sat in the chair being asked to sign the form again to check the signature was OK. To be honest it was touch and go and she was not keen even after my second attempt. I sort of mentioned that it is very difficult to fit my natural signature on the UK passport due to it's small space allowance so it would always be difficult to replicate my signature perfectly. It was not looking good at this point as she explained that the signature was a very vital piece of the security side of things......she reluctantly sadi OK...phew! My wife also had to sign a second time but she seemed more happy with this. I wonder if it was because we had pre signed the form prior to going in to the room?

Anyway everything else was plain sailing. We were given a tracking number and paid our £78.10 fee for the two of us. We took our SDE envelope that we had pre-paid and saved £2 or so rather than using their own courier service that cost £7 ish. The envelope was £5 ish.

We were aware of the place closing at 14:30 and was relieved to hear that anybody that was in the building before close time would be dealt with no matter how long they had to stay open. You could not get a ticket after 14:30.

The other thing that was amazing was watching people behave like children and spoiled brats. It really was quite sad watching grown men and women trying to do anything they could to jump the queue, get the visa sooner than others, or telling people they were disgusted, mortified, incensed with there treatment. Who do people think they are when using all these phrases to try and add gravitas to their obvious stupidity?

The only thing I was unsure of was now that they have accepted the forms at VFS does that mean they will not question anything now or could they still say the signature is not good? Does anybody know this?

All in all once we new that we would be seen no matter what the time we were happy and relaxed even though it was quite a wait.

Lot's had problems as they never accepted cash. People filled in forms wrong or not enough info and one guy turned up with his forms wet through with the ink all smudged!!

hi colleen we travel 28 01 2011 staying at osbourne this time 3 weeks cant wait how about you?

Nice report of your experience, Sleeper.

I bet you were sweating a bit about the signature.
I'm not sure about the checking at the walk-in visa centres, but maybe it's like the Post Office passport checking service.
My gut feeling is that the staff at Jain are doing the checking and once they are satisfied, it's just a case of the HCI 'rubber-stamping' the visa - but I may be wrong. It just seems to make sense to me.

Picked up on your point about the behaviour of some people trying to queue-jump etc.
Some people seem to be so full of their own importance (for whatever reason) that they just don't think normal rules apply to them.

It was nice to hear that they had a dead-line but were going to deal with everybody who was in the building at that time.
I remember the chaos at the Bradford surgury a couple of years ago (pre-VFS outsourcing) when HCI, with very little warning, cancelled postal applications.
Lots of people who'd been queuing since 8am were turned away at 4pm - and were (understandably) very unhappy.

Well your experience was a little better than mine Sleeper, i went along to Jain Community Centre on Monday along with all the relevant documents, took my ticket and waited patiently for two hours.
Unfortunately the would not accept my husbands as they said his signature didnt look like the one on his passport, they also made my sign again. They asked if my husband could get down to the community centre to sign again, this was not possible so a wasted journey for me. They want the signature to be exactely like in your passport, but if you look at your passport your signature is made smaller. I signed again and to me the was still a difference as it is very hard to do it exactely the same as we did 8years ago. So be warned everybody if going to Manchester make sure your signature is exactely like your passport.

they,re back. thank you,thank you, thank you, 14days,altogether,but then they did get LOST for 7 of those.

hi all,
just been on vfs tracking and they have been processed and handed back to royal mail so should have them tomorrow. no one in at home to collect them but at least the furthest away will be in town and i can collect them from there. deep joy

andy and pat

Great news Valleylady. I wish they would get a move on with mine it still says an application was made on 5 Oct and here we are on the 18th. will check again tomorrow.

Well, I have to say that it took us ages to work out how to and what to put onto the visa forms, we did ours at the end of August and we travel to Goa this coming Wednesday! We did it all by post and it took only a week! Was a little pricier than we had expected but saved a lot of hassle and was a very quick and efficient service!
So, all done and ready to go, 2 more sleeps very, very excited! First timers too!!

Jules xx

Have a great time Jules, I am envious. don't forget to do a report when you come back to keep us going until our time comes.

Visas back today :clap. Can relax now :hols.

Can someone please remind me what 'place' you put in the 'place & date' section of the visa form declaration? I know it sounds a daft question!

Hoping to get forms sent off this weekend - we fly out on the 3rd December.

Many thanks.

Hi, you put in where you are at the time of signing..ie your city or town name,

I just put the date and UK. Got the visa back this morning.

Many thanks for your help - much appreciated!