Written by the company
CIBTvisas is the global leader in travel visas and US passports. Millions of international travelers have trusted CIBTvisas to secure their business visas or tourist visas.
traveltime
DO NOT USE CIBT!!
DO NOT USE CIBT!!! They are a scam! They charge outrageous prices, and have numerous hidden fees. They have caused me many inconveniences, from hanging up on me during customer service, to faulty phone answering systems, to server errors and miscommunications, to unclear instructions. They also make it difficult to change the requested back date so you are inclined to pay more for faster service. They do not provide any assistance or consulting for visas unless you pay for their $700 premium service. Just use your local visa consultant, trust me, it will be MUCH better.
Joe
Terrible follow up on Brazilian Visa…
Terrible follow up on Brazilian Visa even after being charged 40 expedite fee. I missed my flight with coworkers since Visa was delayed. No real follow through with Brazilian Authorities. My coworker went right to Brazilian website and obtain visa in time for our Business trip. Took 6 weeks to get visa.order number US2668526.
Kara
Not the best at communicating
My company recommends using CIBTVisas for all Visa and Passport stuff. I had a very tight turnaround (just bad timing due to multiple reasons) in order to make my original travel plans work. When I got the confirmation that CIBTVisas had submitted my application I requested any information that I would need when tracking it on the Brazilian authorities’ website and was essentially told that CIBTVisas would not provide that information because they are paid to be the go between. Another customer service rep from CIBTVisas ended up giving me the information I needed to track it because I told them I needed to know by a certain time in order to change travel plans if I didn’t have my visa by then. As other commenters have relayed, communication with CIBTVisas was not the best. I did end up getting my Visa in 5 business days almost to the hour and I went with the eVisa which is good for 10 years so thankfully I won’t need to do this again anytime soon (for Brazil travel anyways).
Linda Randall
Easy to follow instructions and quick turn-around
The instructions were easy to follow and the entire process only took 2-days. I was pleasantly surprised.
Gretchen Swope
This company is all about service
This company is all about service. I filled out the paperwork, got my picture taken and sent everything to them with the overnight label that was provided. The indication on the website was that my passport would get to me around June 9 – it is to be delivered today, May 15. Amazing service. I can recommend this company without reservation.
William holmes
Complete waste of time and money no…
Complete waste of time and money no matter visa and trip coming up Avoid this company.
Andrew Duncan
The response to our enquiries was very…
The response to our enquiries was very prompt. There was a problem with the size of the passport that we tried to send but that problem was quickly resolved.
After our frustrating experience with the Turkish visa website CIBT was a pleasant relief.
Carlos Xavier Morales García
Terrible experience
The fact is that the visa took almost a month with denials without any specific explanation on why it was being declined. I missed my trip even though the visa was requested over 21 days in advance.
Contacting your office, sending new documentation, I had to figure out why was everything being declined. I have had Business and tourists visas for Brazil for over 30 years. I have never had a visa declined way when they were a requirement. I went out and got a new passport to match my pictures. I sent a copy of my new passport to you so that both passport and request pictures matched.
Today I get a message that the visa was approved, to my surprise with the old passport number. Proves that your India based employees don’t read e-mails, requests or updates.
Never using this service again.
Alex Mallah
Excellent service and great experience…
Excellent service and great experience dealing with CIBT personnel. CIBT employee Lisa did a fantastic job, kept me informed, and made the process very easy. It was a quick process, all done on time and great help from experienced people. I will highly recommend CIBT for anyone needs of visas and other travel requirements. Thanks.
Marilyn Jackson
Very expensive over 600$ for 2 Visas
Very expensive over 600$ for 2 Visas. I too 17 days & the other 37 days. Did not come on the date given. Used the website on my own & still a big fee.
Nora
Best to use ivisa.com
Best to use ivisa.com – pay for a quick turnaround, three days and your visa is done and you can easily track the progress.
This lot (recommended by my travel agents … why?) received my application seven days ago, my flight left yesterday and still no visa. More disturbing is the lack of communication.
Communication guys, key to customer service.
Fiia Porter
charges more than amount shown
I submitted my ETA visas through this website and they charged me hundreds of dollars extra for ‘handling’ fees AFTER I had processed the payment of the visa amount. I cannot contact them through the numbers as the phone automatically hangs up and they will not reply to my email. I will be asking for a refund and will take my services elsewhere
Ma
For my expedited passport renewal
For my expedited passport renewal, I completed forms with the date of my international trip in multiple places on the form. When CIBT received my paper form and passport, they shepherded my passport to the government office for me but they gave a “receive back by” date that was a week after my international trip departure. When I called the CIBT office, they said the government office was on track to complete the renewal earlier than the deadline and refused to update the request with an accurate date. At this point I am hoping the government process the passport renewal quicker than requested by CIBT or I will miss a work trip. Whether this turns out well for me or not, the lack of attention to detail on something this important makes me question CIBT professionalism.
Nicholas Comninellis
CIBT Visa fees are astronomical and…
CIBT Visa fees are astronomical and customer service is bad. I paid $920 for a simple visitors visa to China – almost as much as my airfare! I will NEVER use this company again and I recommend you stay away from CIBT Visas!
David Jones
Do Not make the mistake of using CIBT…
Don’t make the mistake of using CIBT visas. Unfortunately, I used them for my visa application and did not use due diligence and make any checks.
My experience was awful and traumatic.
As soon as you have paid, that’s it, total silence.
They will ignore your emails repeatedly so you will have no idea whats happening with your visa application as your travel date approaches.
Call them instead? Don’t be silly !!! They do not answer the phone. You will get a recorded message advising to email them!! So you send a further email, no reply, call them again, same recoded message, and so it goes on without any care for their customers and ZERO response.
I sent them an email 1 week ago seeking their thoughts and response to my concerns about the awful, poor service I received and held off on my review to allow them a fair chance to respond and comment, again ZERO response.
I never did get my visa issued in time.
They are truly shocking!! Never again!!
Yongxin Chen
Dishonest Company-BE CAUTIOUS
I used the passport/visa pick-up service from the Washington office. According to the order form, the service fee is “$79 per shipping address.” However, I was charged $85 per person. After calling the office, they adjusted the fee, but it’s still higher than what I originally agreed to based on the order form. This feels deceptive and dishonest. I would not recommend this service—be cautious.
Lori Brands
Ismael Gonzalez was wonderful to work…
Ismael Gonzalez was wonderful to work with. My supervisor and I needed to meet a critical deadline with obtaining a new CHINA Visa; therefore time was critical to get the documents submitted, etc. If I had a question for Mr. Gonzalez his response time to my email was fast and direct. Thank you again for all your help Ismael. Kind regards Lori Brands
Tracy Vaughan
I recently sold a mulberry Alexa bag…
I recently sold a mulberry Alexa bag and a serrer dress to malteasers1982 on Vinted who ‘claimed’ they didn’t receive two of the highest priced items of a 5 item bundle DO NOT SALE to this buyer!!!!!! Vinted or inpost have not compensated me and have let someone get away with this!!!! Such a shame as we loved to sell my items in here
Chris R
My experience was very good
My experience was very good. They sent a package outlining all the information required. It was easy to follow and they obtained my visa very quickly.
I have no concerns and would recommend them based on this very positive experience.
ranjitha ganesh
Absolutely pathetic and terrible…
Absolutely pathetic and terrible service. They only work for the sake of it, they have no genuine concern over the applicants. They are by default my company’s visa provider so I had the misfortune of going to multiple VISAs with them and in each they provide a checklist and are so robotic. They purposefully withhold information such as ETAs deadlines and just simply don’t care.
Below are the analyze and conclusion of us about above reviews
The company introduction, written by CIBTvisas themselves, naturally presents a positive image, highlighting their global leadership and trustworthiness. This is expected from self-promotional content and offers little in the way of objective assessment. It’s designed to instill confidence but lacks the balance of real user experiences.
The review from “traveltime” is strongly negative, rating CIBTvisas with 1 star. The reviewer claims the service is a scam due to outrageous prices, hidden fees, poor customer service (including hang-ups and faulty phone systems), server errors, miscommunications, and unclear instructions. They also suggest difficulty in changing back dates to force faster (more expensive) service and a lack of assistance without paying for premium services. The user strongly recommends using a local visa consultant instead. This review points to potential issues with transparency, pricing, and customer support.
“Joe’s” review also gives a 1-star rating and details a negative experience with a Brazilian visa application. Despite paying an expedite fee, the visa was delayed, causing the reviewer to miss their flight. The reviewer criticizes the lack of follow-through with Brazilian authorities and contrasts this with their coworker’s success in obtaining a visa directly through the Brazilian website. The review highlights potential issues with the effectiveness of CIBTvisas’ expedited service and their handling of visa applications.
Kara’s review is less harsh, giving a 2-star rating. While their company recommends CIBTVisas, Kara experienced communication issues. They needed specific information for tracking their Brazilian visa application but were initially refused this information. They did receive their visa in a timely manner but highlighted that communication was not the best. This suggests that while the service can be effective, communication and customer service responsiveness may be inconsistent.
Linda Randall’s review is a positive one, giving CIBTvisas a 5-star rating. They praise the easy-to-follow instructions and the quick 2-day turnaround. This positive review contrasts sharply with the negative ones, suggesting that experiences can vary.
Gretchen Swope also provides a 5-star review, emphasizing the company’s service. They highlight the ease of paperwork, quick delivery, and unexpectedly fast passport delivery. They recommend the company without reservation. This adds another data point suggesting positive experiences are possible.
William Holmes’ review is a simple, negative one, giving a 1-star rating and stating it was a complete waste of time and money and advising to avoid the company. This aligns with many of the other negative reviews about poor service.
Andrew Duncan provides a positive 5-star review, focusing on the prompt response to inquiries and quick resolution of a passport issue. They contrast their experience with a frustrating one on the Turkish visa website. This review speaks to good customer service and problem-solving capabilities.
Carlos Xavier Morales García’s review details a “terrible experience” with a 1-star rating. The visa took almost a month with unexplained denials, causing the reviewer to miss their trip. They criticize the lack of specific explanations for the denials and the apparent lack of attention to detail from the company’s employees. The reviewer expresses frustration with the company not using the updated passport information. This highlights significant issues with visa processing and communication.
Alex Mallah gives a 5-star review, praising the excellent service and helpfulness of the CIBT personnel, specifically mentioning Lisa. They highlight the quick process and recommend CIBT for visa and travel requirements. This contrasts sharply with many of the other reviews, highlighting inconsistent experiences.
Marilyn Jackson’s review is negative, giving a 1-star rating and complaining about the high cost for two visas and delays beyond the given dates. They also note that even using the website independently did not reduce the fee. This reinforces concerns about pricing and timely service.
Nora’s 1-star review suggests using ivisa.com instead, praising their quick turnaround and easy tracking. They criticize CIBT’s lack of communication and failure to deliver the visa before their flight, despite receiving the application seven days prior. This underscores the issues with communication and reliability.
Fiia Porter’s review describes unexpected “handling” fees added after payment, resulting in hundreds of dollars extra being charged. They mention the inability to contact the company by phone or email. This raises serious concerns about transparency and billing practices.
“Ma” shares a negative experience regarding an expedited passport renewal with a 1-star review. Despite providing the correct travel date, CIBT requested a “receive back by” date a week after the trip. The reviewer criticizes the lack of attention to detail and the refusal to update the request with the accurate date, questioning the professionalism of CIBT. This showcases potential problems with accuracy and customer-centric service.
Nicholas Comninellis gives a 1-star review and describes CIBT Visa fees as “astronomical” and the customer service as bad. They paid $920 for a simple visitor visa to China, which they consider almost as much as their airfare. This strongly reinforces concerns regarding high pricing and poor value.
David Jones gives a very negative 1-star review, describing their experience as “awful and traumatic.” They complain about total silence after payment, ignored emails, and unanswered phone calls. They never received their visa in time and describe the service as “truly shocking.” This emphasizes the issues with communication, reliability, and customer support.
Yongxin Chen’s review describes a situation where they were charged a higher service fee than originally agreed upon, despite the order form stating a lower price. After calling the office, the fee was adjusted, but it was still higher than the original agreement. The reviewer felt this was deceptive and dishonest. This again highlights the billing practice problems.
Lori Brands gives a positive 5-star review and said Ismael Gonzalez was wonderful to work with and said his response time to their emails was fast and direct. This shows that some customers do have positive experiences.
Tracy Vaughan’s review with a 1-star is off-topic. It discusses a negative experience selling items on Vinted and doesn’t relate to CIBT Visas at all. This should be disregarded as irrelevant to the assessment of CIBT.
Chris R shares a positive experience, giving a 5-star rating. They found the information provided clear and easy to follow, and their visa was obtained quickly. They recommend the service based on their positive experience. This reinforces the possibility of satisfactory outcomes.
Ranjitha Ganesh gives a negative 1-star review and says their service is absolutely pathetic and terrible. They say CIBT doesn’t have any concern over the applicants and purposefully withholds information and simply doesn’t care. This contributes to the overall picture of potentially poor customer service and lack of transparency.
cibt.com likely a mixed bag with potential for issues
Note: The above statement is just my personal opinion, you should check carefully at the sources and make the right decision for yourself.