Don't need a visa support service to apply for student visa

Hi All

I just applied for a student visa to study in the UK - because I'm Australian but living in the Caucasus I thought I'd need help so a friend recommended The Visa Company. I think the group must have changed hands since my friend used it, because I'm now posting to warn people of my experience:

They took my money ($150) and then didn't help me with my application or getting an appointment for the biometric scan, in fact stopped answering my calls and then disconnected their phone lines! When I threatened by email to report them to the British Consulate (a random, but finally effective approach) they promised a refund within three days which they then didn't actually send for two weeks until I threatened police action. They look like a really professional outfit based on their website (http://www.thevisacompany.com.au/) but I didn't find them to be so.

So in summary, this is just FYI but you probably won't need a visa support service to apply for student visas and if you do I'd think carefully about which group you use.

Have you informed the Australian authorities?

I agree - you probably don't need a visa support service to apply for a visa to the UK, but you might need patience. Our Border Agency is unbelievably slow, and some decisions can seem arbitrary.