Coercive tactics at VFS visa centre? Software engineer seeks probe into premium service sales
Authorities must investigate these practices immediately. No applicant should be coerced into paying for services they do not need, says a software engineer
- Jun 3, 2026,
- Updated Jun 3, 2026 8:41 PM IST
A software engineer's account of an alleged visa application experience at a VFS centre has sparked discussion online after he claimed an Indian-origin South Korean citizen was pressured to purchase a premium service despite already holding a valid appointment.
Aanshul Sadaria, a software engineer, on Wednesday shared what he described as a "shocking experience" involving his friend Vyas, an Indian-origin citizen of South Korea who had applied for an Indian visa through VFS.
According to Sadaria, Vyas completed the required application process, paid the necessary fees and
secured a valid appointment slot. However, when he arrived at the visa centre, he was allegedly told by a VFS agent that purchasing a Premium Lounge service would help ensure smooth processing of his application.
"But when he arrived, he was allegedly told by a VFS agent that he must purchase a Premium Lounge service if he wanted his application to be processed smoothly. The alternative? A warning that his slot could be cancelled or face unnecessary complications," Sadaria wrote on X.
Questioning the practice, he added: "Since when did a 'premium' service become a mandatory fee disguised as an option?"
Sadaria argued that visa applicants already face high costs and procedural requirements, and alleged that pressuring applicants into paying for optional services through fear of delays or cancellations was unacceptable.
"Visa applicants are already paying substantial charges and navigating a complex process. Forcing or pressuring people into buying premium add-ons through fear and intimidation is unacceptable. This isn't customer service, it feels like exploitation," he said.
He also called for an investigation into the matter and questioned whether other applicants had faced similar experiences. "How many applicants have been subjected to the same treatment? How many have paid extra simply because they feared losing their appointment? Authorities must investigate these practices immediately. No applicant should be coerced into paying for services they do not need."
The post drew responses from other users who claimed to have encountered comparable situations.
Among them was Harshit Jain, an engineer at Intuit, who said he faced a similar experience during a visa appointment last year.
"I also faced a similar issue last year. The VFS agent told me that there are big groups of people who have come for a visa appointment, so it might take a lot of time in the normal queue. By buying priority service, your work would be done in 20 minutes," Jain said.
However, he said he declined the offer and found that the standard queue moved just as quickly. "Since I had time on my hands, I chose not to buy the priority service. Guess what, in the normal line, I was still done in 20 mins. The whole thing about the big group was a lie just to sell priority service. Saved a few thousand bucks that day!"
A software engineer's account of an alleged visa application experience at a VFS centre has sparked discussion online after he claimed an Indian-origin South Korean citizen was pressured to purchase a premium service despite already holding a valid appointment.
Aanshul Sadaria, a software engineer, on Wednesday shared what he described as a "shocking experience" involving his friend Vyas, an Indian-origin citizen of South Korea who had applied for an Indian visa through VFS.
According to Sadaria, Vyas completed the required application process, paid the necessary fees and
secured a valid appointment slot. However, when he arrived at the visa centre, he was allegedly told by a VFS agent that purchasing a Premium Lounge service would help ensure smooth processing of his application.
"But when he arrived, he was allegedly told by a VFS agent that he must purchase a Premium Lounge service if he wanted his application to be processed smoothly. The alternative? A warning that his slot could be cancelled or face unnecessary complications," Sadaria wrote on X.
Questioning the practice, he added: "Since when did a 'premium' service become a mandatory fee disguised as an option?"
Sadaria argued that visa applicants already face high costs and procedural requirements, and alleged that pressuring applicants into paying for optional services through fear of delays or cancellations was unacceptable.
"Visa applicants are already paying substantial charges and navigating a complex process. Forcing or pressuring people into buying premium add-ons through fear and intimidation is unacceptable. This isn't customer service, it feels like exploitation," he said.
He also called for an investigation into the matter and questioned whether other applicants had faced similar experiences. "How many applicants have been subjected to the same treatment? How many have paid extra simply because they feared losing their appointment? Authorities must investigate these practices immediately. No applicant should be coerced into paying for services they do not need."
The post drew responses from other users who claimed to have encountered comparable situations.
Among them was Harshit Jain, an engineer at Intuit, who said he faced a similar experience during a visa appointment last year.
"I also faced a similar issue last year. The VFS agent told me that there are big groups of people who have come for a visa appointment, so it might take a lot of time in the normal queue. By buying priority service, your work would be done in 20 minutes," Jain said.
However, he said he declined the offer and found that the standard queue moved just as quickly. "Since I had time on my hands, I chose not to buy the priority service. Guess what, in the normal line, I was still done in 20 mins. The whole thing about the big group was a lie just to sell priority service. Saved a few thousand bucks that day!"