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| Obtaining visas from foreign countries: 300 days later when I applied myself, the agent conducted the visa interview in 15 days |
If you want to travel from Pakistan to European countries, it shouldn't be too complicated, but now it seems to be difficult. All you have to do to travel from Pakistan to European countries is to visit the website of the embassy of the country you want to visit and submit a visa application.
You will either get a visa or an interview date. You give an interview, get a visa, buy a plane ticket, and fly, but what if you don't get a visa interview date? Or if found, that too after a year, so how can you travel abroad in such a situation?
These days, many articles or posts are appearing on social media in which people are telling that they are getting an interview time from the concerned embassy for a visa from most European countries after several months.
So many people are buying these appointments from the 'black market' by spending thousands of rupees to get an early interview date or 'appointment'.
It should be remembered that you can travel to all countries with a Schengen visa from one of the European countries that are part of the European Union ie 'Shenzhen'. It mostly benefits people who want to travel to these countries for tourism or business etc. However, for education, treatment, job, or business, you only need a visa for the particular country where you are visiting. has to go
Many such 'groups' are also emerging on social media where interview appointments for visas from different countries are being openly sold and bought.
Among them, there is a regular group on the social media website Facebook regarding obtaining a visa for the European country Germany. Many travel agents and consultants in Pakistan told the BBC that people who want to get a Schengen visa from Pakistan these days mostly go to Germany.
The name of this group on Facebook is 'Germany Visit Visa - Get Early Appointment' which means get an early appointment for Germany Visit Visa. This group has more than 11 thousand members and this group is public which means anyone is free to post in it.
If you look at its recent activity, many users are seeking appointments for a German visa.
Some users in the comments below are telling them that they have interview dates available or asking them to check their inboxes.
Similarly, there are many groups on Facebook for quick appointments for visas for many other countries.
The social media platform Facebook allows the creation of groups where many people can come together in one place to discuss and communicate on a topic of mutual interest.
Speaking to the BBC, a few international travel consultants from Islamabad also confirmed that such a 'black market' exists for appointments.
So the question is, if appointments are being made through the black market, why are these appointments not appearing on the websites of the respective countries or directly to the visa seekers?
How do you get an appointment from the black market?
Muhammad Zubair (pseudonym) belongs to Karachi. Some time ago, he applied for B1 and B2 visas to visit America. Those who want to visit the US for business and tourism purposes have to apply in these categories.
Speaking to the BBC, Mohammad Zubair said that when he applied for a visa through the US embassy website, he was given a '300 day later date for the interview', which equates to about ten months.
"After that, someone told me about an agent that if I contact them, I can get a quick date and that's what happened," he says. The agent took me a date 15 days later and for this work, he took 50 thousand rupees from me.
However, Mohammad Zubair still could not get a visa and his application was rejected.
When contacted by the BBC on this matter, an official of the US Embassy said that he would not be able to comment on the matter 'on the record' at this time because the competent authority for this work is in the US capital, Washington.
However, he says that all such reports are completely baseless and false. The visas are being issued as per the principled procedure and the work is going on as before.
What is the procedure for obtaining visas or appointments?
Usually, this is not a very complicated matter. Each country's embassy website has a policy and procedure for applying for a visa. Information on required documents to be submitted along with the application is also listed.
The applicant has to submit all the documents online from the website of the concerned embassy as per these instructions.
Mubasher Ahmed Athar is an International Travel Consultant in Islamabad. He told the BBC that when submitting a visa application for most countries, "a calendar opens up in front of you where you can make an appointment on any date that is available at that time."
And there is usually no fee. Another method is to submit your visa application through a private facilitation company called VFS Global or Jerez. These companies charge you a service fee.
According to Mubashir Ahmad Athar, this fee varies from country to country and usually, you have to pay in dollars or other currencies.
However, he said that these days appointments for visas in most countries are getting after eight to ten months with this type of procedure. One of the reasons for this could be the large number of applicants for visas due to long queues for appointments.
How are agents getting appointments quickly?
International travel consultant Mubasher Ahmed Athar told BBC that those who want to travel to European countries for sightseeing, mostly go to Portugal, Holland, etc., but there are also appointments at that time. You have to wait.
He said that these reports are also true and that appointments for German visas are not available these days. "People who got appointments some time ago also got them several months later."
Mubashir Ahmad Athar says that in such a situation, people who need a visa quickly turn to agents and pay several thousand rupees for appointments.
According to the country, this money ranges from 20 thousand rupees to 50 thousand rupees.
He said that some agents are always online and checking the visa websites of different countries. They know which country is in high demand for appointments like Germany these days.
The appointments of different countries keep getting vacant. As soon as they come online, these agents book them and later sell them to the needy for money.''This is why there are groups on social media where the needy can be found. is searched for.
International travel consultant Mubasher Ahmed Athar says that sometimes it also happens that some agents have relations in embassies. They also take advantage of these relationships to make exclusive appointments. They charge more money for this work.
Why can't I get German visa appointments?
According to the information received from social media and travel agents regarding Germany, currently, appointments for German visas from Pakistan are not available through the website or online, but through 'agents'.
In this regard, the BBC contacted the German Embassy in Islamabad and sent them questions, in which they were asked to what extent the reports of non-receipt of German visa appointments are true and what are the reasons for this.
He has also been asked whether he has knowledge about the 'black market' running through social media in this regard.
And if appointments are not available, how are agents getting them? We have not yet received any response from the German Embassy to these questions from the BBC.