Shawny Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 We got word this morning that our visas have been approved. I can't say how happy I am Anyway, they told us to go to our nearest High Commission, so we phoned the Pretoria High Commission and they pointed is to this VFS place, who then told us it would take 3 working days and R75 per passport to get the visa label inserted into them. After a while we decided to phone the high commission again, then they gave us a second phone number which we have to contact tomorrow because they were closed (this was at 4pm). That number supposedly handles Visas.Anyone have experience with this, we are really lost at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Hi There, I got our visas done through the VFS place in Durban which took about four working days. Very impressed and no hassels. Just keep all receipts etc and you can track it online as they are a courrier company as well. good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawny Posted August 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Thanks Megan, but according to the info I read on their site (I might not have read enough) you can only track visas that were lodged with them. Our visa was lodged in Australia through an agent who did it all online, so we tracked our visa application through the DIMA website.I will let you know what happens tomorrow when we phone the high commission again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamcatcher Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Hi Shawny,Congratulations! I can imagine how relieved you are. I think Megan means tracking the actual parcel in the postal system, as you would do with any postal item that has a tracking number. We also went through VFS, as our company told us we should. We kept all our receipts and were reimbursed for it by our sponsoring company, as it is visa-related costs.Personally I think they are a bunch of rip-offs. The charge you X amount per passport, as well as R110 courier fees per item as the passports can supposedly not be couriered together. When we got ours back, it was all in one sealed packet together with another family's passports. Both sealed packets were in one courier bag. There was also a problem with my daughter's passport, the high commision would not accept it, and I had to get an emergency passport and send that in. I sent it directly to the high commision, and they phoned me to tell me it was done. When I enquired from VFS, a very unfriendly man told me that it was not finished, and how dare I phone the high commission myself. He had a lot of long stories, so needless to say, I don't like them. Well, Shawny, even though I don't like them, it seems to be the way that things are done around there. Relax, the big wait is over. Now for the excitement Greetings,Dreamy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawny Posted August 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Hi Dreamy,Thanks for clearing things up regarding the tracking. We are going to be phoning the High Commission when they open today on the extension they gave us that deals with visas. Hopefully they can insert the labels. At least we have the visas, that is what we have been waiting for, now we must book a flight and pack our bags and we will be gone, Pickfords has already taken our boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawny Posted August 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Sorry for the double post.We just got an email from our agent telling us that we don't have to go through VFS at all. All we need is the approval letter from the internet and our passports and all should be fine. She also gave us an approval number that we can give the High Commission though the approval should already be on their systems.ThanksShawny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJV Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 We just got an email from our agent telling us that we don't have to go through VFS at all.Hi ShawnyI would be interesting to see if that is the case. As far as I know all their visa issuing (including evidencing) has been contracted out to VFS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawny Posted August 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 (edited) Ok people story time We phoned reception at the High Commission at 8:30 this morning, they then told us that there is a slight problem with the issuing dept. We were headed to Johannesburg/Pretoria on other business aswell so we asked if it would be possible to pop by at the High Commission, the reception lady then answered that she doesn't see a problem.We get to the High Commission and the guards at the guard house try to very rudely send us off to VFS, which was not going to happen! We then phoned reception from the gate and then the lady arranged for us to enter.We gave in our passports along with a grant number, 2 hours later we were phoned to fetch our passports, which was great! And it costed us nothing, no R75 fee for anything.JJV, we saw there at the High Commission that they were handling envelopes with VFS stamped on them, which contained passports. I also know that only the High Commission can issue visas, no other 3rd party may ever do that.So like I have seen before, you can go to the High Commission (be sure to make an appointment so that the guard house knows you are coming) and get the labels inserted into your passports, and it will most likely be the same day too. But you cannot apply for a visa there, that has to be done through VFS or an agent in Australia. If you have done them through VFS though, they will insert the label into your passport for you, the next time you see your passports they will have a visa in them. If you have applied for a visa by any other means you can get the label inserted at the High Commission. (As I understand it)CheersShawny Edited August 24, 2006 by Shawny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawny Posted August 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 Ok guys, we have got our tickets and are leaving on Tuesday! Will be flying at 4:55pm to arrive in Perth at 8:30am, only to leave again at 1pm and arrive in Brisbane at 7pm. We will then be staying over at some place that my dads work is going to organise, and then leave a day or two later for Mackay, which is a leasurely one and a half hour flight.See you all in Australia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamcatcher Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 Hi Shawny!All the excitement! I bet you'll be sick of flying for a while. Don't forget to pack the sunnies Perth skies are a bit brighter than us SA's are used to. (More clean air ya know.....)Have a lot of fun, stack the suitcases with your favourite SA music, books and DVD's, and enjoy the ride! 'See' you in Aus. Greetings,Dreamy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawny Posted August 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 Yeah I could imagine being sick and tired of flying for a while, but flying is my passion, so about a month down the line I will probably be itching to get back onto an airplane. Maybe I can go with my dad on some of his business trips to Brisbane and he can load me off at a bus station and then I can explore I can dream though But thanks for all the advice and help you and and the people on this forum have given the family and me, I truly appreciate it.I will definately be back on this forum as soon as I have an internet connection and a PC that side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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