A software engineer’s account of an alleged experience at a VFS visa application centre has triggered widespread discussion on social media after he claimed that an applicant was pressured into purchasing an optional premium service despite already holding a valid appointment.
Aanshul Sadaria, a software engineer, shared the incident on X, describing it as a “shocking experience” involving his friend Vyas, an Indian-origin South Korean citizen who had applied for an Indian visa through VFS.
According to Sadaria, Vyas completed the visa application process, paid all required fees, and successfully secured an appointment slot. However, upon arriving at the visa centre, he was allegedly advised by a VFS representative to purchase a Premium Lounge service in order to ensure smoother processing of his application.
Sadaria claimed that the alternative presented to his friend included warnings about potential delays, complications, or even the possibility of the appointment slot being cancelled.
Questioning the practice, he wrote, “Since when did a premium service become a mandatory fee disguised as an option?”
He further argued that visa applicants already deal with significant expenses and complex procedures, making any form of pressure to purchase additional services particularly concerning.
“Visa applicants are already paying substantial charges and navigating a complicated process. Pressuring people into buying premium add-ons through fear of delays or cancellations is unacceptable. This isn’t customer service—it feels like exploitation,” Sadaria stated.
Calling for greater transparency, he urged authorities to examine such practices and determine whether other applicants had faced similar situations. He questioned how many people may have paid extra simply because they feared losing their appointment or encountering unnecessary hurdles.
The post quickly gained attention online, with several users sharing comparable experiences.
Among them was Harshit Jain, an engineer at Intuit, who recalled facing a similar situation during a visa appointment last year. According to Jain, a VFS representative informed him that large groups of applicants were expected that day and suggested purchasing a priority service to avoid long waiting times.
However, Jain chose not to opt for the additional service and said he was surprised by the outcome.
“Since I had time on my hands, I decided not to buy the priority service. In the normal queue, my work was completed in about 20 minutes anyway. The claim about huge crowds turned out to be inaccurate, and I ended up saving a few thousand rupees,” he wrote.
The viral discussion has since reignited debates about optional premium services offered at visa application centres, with many users calling for clearer communication regarding what is mandatory and what remains entirely optional for applicants.
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