“We Paid for Support, Not Silence”
Students allege that after paying for priority services, premium helplines, and case escalations, they were left in complete uncertainty. Rachit Sharma, who shared his experience on LinkedIn, said that international students are being pushed to the edge by delays beyond official timelines and unhelpful responses from both agencies.
“Students have paid heavily to ensure smooth processing, but what they’re getting instead is confusion and silence,” he wrote. “This level of inefficiency can derail academic futures overnight.”
Sharma added that one affected student bound for The University of Manchester was days away from losing her enrolment — a situation that could have been avoided with timely communication.
Keara Kingsellers: “My Future Is Hanging by a Thread”
Another student, Keara Kingsellers, shared her ordeal under the post titled “ Student Visa Delay – A Future at Risk.”
Keara applied for her UK student visa on August 9, 2025, through VFS Global’s Mumbai centre, after securing admission to The University of Manchester. She paid additional fees for updates and inquiries, but nearly two months later, she has received no decision.
“I submitted all documents, responded immediately to additional requests, and even paid multiple times to escalate my case,” she said. “Each time, I received contradictory answers — once told my visa was approved, then told it was still under review.”
Her official processing period ended on September 2, yet her case remains unresolved. The course at Manchester has already started, and the final enrolment deadline is October 13.
“I may lose my place and scholarship if my visa doesn’t arrive this week,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking — I did everything right, and still, I’m being punished for a system that doesn’t care.”
“Paid Escalations, Zero Results”
Students claim that even after paying extra for “case escalation” — a premium service marketed by VFS Global for faster resolution — the promised turnaround times are rarely met.
“You pay for every call, every email, every escalation — but it all leads to the same generic response,” one applicant commented under Keara’s post.
For many, the emotional toll has been as severe as the financial one. Several students have cancelled flights, deferred housing deposits, and watched their academic timelines collapse — all while receiving little more than automated updates from the system.
“VFS Global acts solely as an administrative partner in the UK visa application process, assisting applicants with submitting documents and biometrics, but plays no role in decision-making, document verification, or processing timelines. All decisions regarding visa applications, additional document requests, and communications about application status are handled directly by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). For student visas, UKVI transitioned to eVisas from15 July 2025, and VFS Global has no visibility or involvement once an application is submitted. VFS Global does not offer expedited decision services; faster processing options such as Priority and Super Priority Visas are UKVI services. We cannot comment on individual cases,” a VFS Global spokesperson said.