CIBTvisas – Visa and Passport Service

Dishonest, Deceitful, Corrupt, Insincere, Untruthful…
Used them for China visa. Sent PP and all docs 15 days before my travel. I rec’d docs and pp back after 1 week. On the form, they do not disclose charges of the line-​item and charge you even though you you check Decline on the form. See ex. Below
* China Rush Surcharge $ 114.00 (had declined still got charged)
* Same Day Submission Fee $ 60.00 (Why? Did not need nor it was submitted that same day but they charged me and refused to reverse it)
* US Embassy Registration $ 15.00 (What?! It was declined and anyone can simply signup at
)
* Digital Photo Service — $ 25.00 (huh? Even though I sent paper photos)
* Passport Replacement Service $ 35.00 (There is a fine print and grayed out instructions reads, ‘Click here to decline’. Which I did. Still got charged and still fighting to have this reversed. So the sleazeballs will charge you b/​c its hidden on the form.)

if there were a no-​star rating CIBT would win it hands down! Dreadful customer service. Long, long phone waits with canned music. I’d never use them again.

Dropped the ball big time. Needed a passport and a Chinese visa within two weeks. They promised they could do it but then left the job up to an incompetent person. They were able to secure the passport but not the visa. Then to add insult to injury, they didn’t mail the passport in time for me to use an alternate service. I had to cancel the trip. Very unprofessional company.

My travel agent recommended that I use this firm for a Chinese Visa application. I am based in NJ and didn’t want the inconvenience of having to go to the embassy/​deal with multiple visits, etc.
They have an efficient online ordering system that makes everything very clear. its up to you to read through things carefully. NOTE THAT THEY HAVE A TON OF HIDDEN CHARGES (which is why i am knocking off a star as they could certainly handle those things differently). However if you think through your timeline/​plan ahead and provide what they clearly ask for, the process is streamlined and works as advertised. For a business person, that’s ultimately what matters to me. If you are super concerned about fees etc (again which are all disclosed), then by all means, go to the embassy and deal with it yourself (particularly if you live in NYC).
I sent my passport via overnight mail to them and receive email confirmation that they received everything. Given that it was chinese new years, the embassy was backed up due to closures, so they called me to figure out when i needed my passport back. The visa showed up in my hands 3 days before my hard deadline, which I really appreciated as it took the stress off.
Furthermore, I received a 10 year visa instead of my one year one (I got to china frequently). So now I don’t have to deal with this time consuming, expensive process anymore. Not sure if the chinese embassy was just being nice or whether CIBT did something, but I am grateful for that outcome.
I will be a returning customer for sure!

I am Co-​Owner of a CruiseOne Travel Service Agency and chose CIBT because I thought they would streamline the process for Visas for some clients who are travelling to China in April. If dealing directly with the Chinese authorities is more difficult then it must be TERRIBLE. Although the instructions were pretty straightforward any time I called with questions I was made to feel as if I was a bother. The customer service is not warm and friendly and even basic explanations are met with more inane questions. Right now I am on hold while someone tries to LOCATE a supervisor. 15 minutes! And the prices are VERY HIGH for what you get!

Avoid this service. I have worked with Washington Passport and Visa service for years, with impeccable service. I started applying for a Vietnam Visa today with CIBT and it has been very frustrating. The prices are very vague and you have to place a credit card order, before getting much information. Their response to my order was hours past when they said they would respond. Their «concierge» service said that an agent would contact me within an hour, but it took over three hours for any response from CIBT and then they still couldn’t give clear answers. After a few fruitless email exchanges, I called and cancelled the order.

I have to say i was worried reading the negative reviews. Our experience working with CIBT to get an expedited UK Tier 4 student visa was pretty positive. We actually got the visa a lot sooner than estimated.
I’d only recommend using one of these agencies if you get into a bind and need someone to hand carry your application to the consulate. You’ll still need to pay the consular fee for Priority Service and they can’t do anything to expedite the application processing once the consulate gets it, but they can save you 2 – 3 business days on each end, which is the time it takes for your application to get routed from the mailroom to processing. In our case, those days meant that our daughter was able to depart on her original flight.
What was good:
1. The online ordering form was straightforward and worked well.
2. Status: the online tool makes it easy to get updated status.
3. Extended business hours: you can talk to a human and they can look up your information. People on the phone were knowledgeable.
4. Response: They did charge us an additional fee for passport replacement — which i asked them to credit as we did not order this. They did this quickly.
What could be improved:
1. Disclosure of fees upfront: The form indicated $ 114 as their regular charge and noted that additional charges would apply if we selected expedited processing. So i knew another charge was coming. It roughly doubled the price — but they could have been more explicit or provided an estimate upfront.
2. Updates to order status: We were notified when the application was approved and forwarded the email to them, but the site didn’t get updated until they had the passport back, 48 hours later.
3. communication: others have mentioned this. When I emailed the person handling to our case, I got a prompt response, although not always with the information i was looking for.

I have worked in customer service for almost 20 years and despise when a business chooses not to help their customers. My husband and I are looking to acquire visas for Brazil but since we live in Portland, the nearest consulate is in San Francisco, so I thought I would hire a company to help facilitate this process. Let me preface this with saying I have acquired student visas (which are much more complicated) in Spain and Mexico, but here we are under a bit of a time constraint – 10 weeks, between October 22 and January 5, because we are applying for Global Entry and need our passports on October 22 and have a flight to Brazil on January 5. The first woman I spoke with told me it wouldn’t be a problem since the Brazilian consulate only takes 5 – 7 business days to actually approve the visa. Then I called back the next day (yesterday) to just confirm that I had filled out my online portion through the Brazilian consulate correctly, wherein, Marvette proceeded to tell me that she could not guarantee that we would receive our visas in time since we couldn’t mail our passports until the end of October. Now, I know they offer an expedited service but Marvette did not even bother offering that service. Since I was not happy with her response, I asked to speak with a manager. Marvette came back on the line and said a manager would call me back but when I said I would just hold for one of them, she said «that’s not an option». As anticipated, no one called me back. I then spoke with Monica, a manager, who told me the same thing Marvette said – they would not be able to guarantee I would receive a visa and pretty much offered me no sort of solution. I told them to cancel my order and that I would do it myself. If this is their one job, you would think they would be able to do it much better and be understanding and helpful. I will definitely NEVER use them, and I will be sure to let all my friends (who travel frequently) know of the kind of business they are running.

Absolutely the worst — Do It yourself and save the headache of dealing with this inept company.
*They kept my old passport, to which I had to call and request be returned.
*They obtained the wrong type of visa and tried to talk me into using it anyway.
*They ask for a credit card at the beginning of the process and then charge it whatever they like upon completion.
*They use temp staff or new staff that have no idea what they are doing, call you repeatedly to ask you for information you have already sent them,
This is the only one star review I have ever left on line for a company ever — Honestly, I would like to give them NO stars. They are truly horrible to deal with and have multiple hidden charges.

Their super nice staff member found me this morning sitting on my backpack outside their office before it opened. I was extremely worried about missing my flight at 8:30pm tonight because my passport expired.
Ms. Nero calmly explained to me that things would be fine and told me step-​by-​step what getting my passport renewed would entail. Then she took the extra step of taking down my phone number and checking in with me periodically to check my progress while I was at the passport agency. I couldn’t be more grateful or relieved to speak with someone familiar with the renewal process.
I fully intend to utilize CIBT’s services next time I have to get visas or passports renewed thanks to Ms. Nero’s excellent service.

DON’T USE THEM! I wish I could apply 0 stars.
Specific to a Brazil Visa: do not waste your time. Go direct and you’ll get your Visa quicker because regardless of the expedited options CIBTvisas might provide, there is no option to expedite a Visa request/​application when it comes to the consulate. Meaning, the process is exactly the same as if you went yourself.
I promise you, the process seems so daunting but when you break down what you need to apply, and what steps you need to take, it’s very easy. Don’t waste your money, especially because you cannot guarantee or trust that they’re going to have your application done in time!
You cannot trust this agency. Period. This is because their employees are not all on the same page, and some are either misinformed or just downright deceitful because they want business. I’m not sure which it is.
I applied through the CIBTvisas website and an employee called me back 2 hours later saying she didn’t have the proper time to process my Visa. I was confused, since I was starting the process a month in advance (which I now realize wasn’t enough time) so I called back the CIBT office and asked what my options were. The woman I spoke to told me that the last person I spoke with was wrong, and that they could process my Visa in time, if I was able to submit my forms in person by 5:30pm.
I get my forms together, go in person, and the front-​desk told me I had been misinformed and that they could not process my Visa. Why had the other woman given me such specific instructions on what I needed to do in order to get it done in time?
Beyond this, my friend also had a major mishap. She sent her application to CIBT and after 3 weeks, they got back to her telling her they couldn’t process it because she had submitted a Connecticut address. Yes, she should have known better — but isn’t it CIBT’s job to ensure each applicant has everything they need, and to inform them in a timely matter if that isn’t the case? As a result, she had 3 less weeks to go and apply herself and now may not get her visa.
Just terrible customer service. No sense of people’s urgency either. I was highly dissapointed.

No, the most shocking part was the Invoice. I was not aware of the hidden charges that CIBT does not even mention once. I was charged same day submission fees when my application was not even submitted the same day. Since my application was complete, it was easier to submit it the next day which it was but then why was I charges $ 55 for same day submission.
Another charge for Foreign National fees for $ 50. I am a US resident then why do I need to pay foreign national fees when the whole point of getting a visa is because I am a Foreign National. If I was US National then I would not even need a visa.
Now, I take the trouble of filing the form and on top of it I need to pay $ 20 for offline order. This is ridiculous way of making money. It takes a minute to scan the document.
Overall, I believe I was charged $ 125 extra without any strong reasons. It seemed more of money making strategy and not customer service.
I am highly unsatisfied with the invoice as I paid for Priority Service so CIBT could pick-​up/​drop-​off my application. I pay CIBT 114 $ for just carrying my application and on top of everything these ridiculous hidden charges. I should make people aware of such charges.

Very specific, friendly, helpful and prompt. I had to expedite my VISA and they stepped up and delivered on time with everything. They took A TON of stress away from me in order to rush this process. Thank You! Highly recommend!

I seldom right reviews on Unilocal so CIBT has the honor of receiving one. Horrible customer service — my agent was completely unresponsive after numerous emails and calls trying to find out the status of my visas as I needed my passports back for international travel the following week. I was completely overcharged for services I did not use (I.e., passport replacement services, inbound shipping, etc.) and was not charged the proper rates I was promised. They are just a large company that does not care about individuals as a customer. I would strongly advise one look elsewhere when deciding on a visa service.

Horrible, Horrible, HORRIBLE!
CIBT gave the Brasilian consulate inaccurate information, causing my Visa to be denied. And after a month of back and forth, they have not been able to get me my passport back! They told me I needed to contact the consulate myself, and gave me a phone number that was only a pre-​recorded message, with no option to speak with a human being. I called CIBT back and they said they’d get back to me within a few hours. It’s now over 24 hours later and they can’t find the person who spoke with me. I will never attempt to do business with these people again.

Be careful using this company. I have used several companies for purchasing Chinese Visas over the years. This company uses hidden fees everywhere. Their packet they send you to fill out has the unofficial visa application first and only after filling it out are you told that using it, you agree to 80 $ processing fee. You must scroll down farther for the Chinese application that has another 8 $ fee for using. The shipping costs were unclear and only after using this company (against my better judgement) I learned my shipping fee was 66 $ because I used a UPS label they provided! Silly me I thought that was included in their already high service fee! I believed that I was only going to have to pay $ 30+ for shipping which I think is reasonable, but not for each way! Also, without my awareness I was charged for insurance of $ 18. I declined the service on the form and then they sent me an email asking if I wanted it, I declined again, but yet was charged for it regardless. All in all by my calculations I was charged $ 58 more than I should have been.
I will say though, when I complained to the company, their customer service department were really quick in response and refunded my money within hours of complaining. But I don’t want to complain, I don’t want to deal with mistakes. I want simple, and clear. I don’t live near a consulate, so I need to use a company that can do what I cannot; get my visa to the consulate. I didn’t need fast, I could have used standard USPS if I had know that using the label of UPS was $ 30+. If the directions were clearer I wouldn’t have made the mistake of using the label.
If you need fast processing, and good customer service, go with these guys, but if you have time, and are budget conscious, seek alternatives.

Save your money and do it yourself. All the paperwork is still the exact same, the only benefit CIBT provides is that you don’t have to pick up your documents in person when ready. I’m not sure that’s worth the hundreds of dollars that they’ll rip from you in later costs.
When beginning their process they make clear that the cost will be Visa Cost ‘X’ + CIBT fees ‘Y’ = Total cost ‘Z.’ Go ahead and add on about $ 150 to ‘Z’ to get a better idea of what they’ll charge you.
For example, the CHEAPEST option to deliver your documents (both to and fro) is Next Day Air Delivery. LOL, why? So stupid. I’m applying 8 weeks in advance, I don’t need my documents urgently flown in the next day. That’s appx. $ 100 right there. On their form, there’s a tiny, tiny little checkbox hidden at the bottom that if you don’t check, means you’re opting in for a stupid $ 25 service that nobody needs. The only thing they «serviced» here is my wallet. It’s practically fine print at the bottom of the page. They even had the audacity to turn that $ 25 fee magically into $ 28 on my invoice. Why? because F You! That’s why.
It’s shady, non-​ethical practices like these which sum up my experience with CIBT Visas.
Just do the Visa process yourself with the consulate. You’ll learn a thing or two and come out a richer person.

I needed a simple tourist visa to India.
I contacted CIBT in plenty of time to get one.
The comedy began:
— They sent me a business visa package not tourist and I wasted days filling it out
— They sent me a west coast mailing label vice east coast, which is not the same thing for India travel apparently. This was because they apparently don’t realize that «Washington, DC» is not north of Oregon.
— They didn’t send me all of the forms that needed signatures
— They again didn’t send me all of the forms that needed signatures
— They didn’t tell me (although they knew) that if you put ‘writer’ as a profession, the processing agent freaks out and tries to make you sign a non-​disclosure. I’m not even a journalist.
— They said that they’d refund my money since I almost didn’t get my visa on time and they billed my credit card anyway.
I did get my visa. I had to pull every string I had with my travel agent and their account rep to get it right before the flight. I wasted countless hours on the phone and writing emails to straighten it out. I had to go to Fedex and UPS 3 or 4 times to panic ship a package because they’d hosed up a signature requirement. Each time they waited until the end of the business day at the end of the week to tell me that there was another problem.
Take this as a cautionary warning if you’re thinking of using them. I talked to quite a few employees in three different offices and they were consistently non-​responsive and when they actually pretended to care, they didn’t follow up anything that they said that they would do.
Passports are scaringly important documents. Do you really want this kind of company holding on to yours?

their web site says they offer concierge services and this is what is required «One Contact Initiation. Call 866−247−7599 or email
to initiate your service request. One of our dedicated specialists will contact you within 30 minutes.»
Sent them an email two hours latter called (since did not get the promised call within 30 minuets) the associate said I have to fill up an online form and this is why no one got back to me — I referred her to what their web site says she said she is not going to argue but that I need to fill up their form online so I asked if they offer the concierge services for which they charge an extra 250 $ or not she said she is not going to argue with me
Ok I get the pic … luckily was also doing a search online and saw my experience is not unique … guess will have to do it the old hard way … myself — not recommended

So it’s my first time and my last time to use this service.
I applied Chinese Visa by using this service, I sent them everything but I just made a mistake on my form. I requested them fill it for me but they told me they are going to Charge 75 $ extra. So I cancel it, and they charged 99 $ instead of $ 60…Very costly and unconvinced Service~
Hope we learn the lesson.