Hey everyone! I’m really struggling here and hoping someone can point me in the right direction. I’ve been trying to get a long-stay visa appointment at the VFS office in DC for what feels like forever now. Every single day I check their website multiple times but there’s never any slots open.
I heard that some people use Telegram bots that can automatically check for available appointments and send notifications when something opens up. I actually tried to make my own bot but honestly I’m not that good with coding and got stuck pretty fast.
Has anyone here used one of these bots before? I’m really desperate at this point and would appreciate any help or recommendations. This whole process is driving me crazy and I’m starting to think I’ll be stuck waiting forever just to book a simple appointment!
yeah, same thing happened to me last year! i set alarms every 2 hours and checked manually. took 3 weeks but got lucky at 6am. try checking super early or really late when fewer ppl are looking. good luck!
I understand your frustration with VFS booking; it’s really challenging. While I haven’t personally used Telegram bots, I’ve had success using a browser extension that automatically refreshes the page and alerts me to any changes. This strategy worked well for securing my Schengen visa last year. I also suggest checking during off-peak hours, like early mornings or late evenings when there are fewer people vying for appointments. Sometimes weekends are beneficial as well, as new slots might be released then. Just be cautious; automated bots can violate terms of service, so browser notifications are usually the safer choice.
Been through this exact nightmare with VFS DC about eight months ago. What worked for me was hitting up Facebook groups for visa applications - there’s usually someone who’s coded a working notification system and will share it. Found a group called something like “US Visa Appointments Help” with tons of members dealing with VFS issues. One person there had a Python script that checks every few minutes and sends email alerts. Way more reliable than the Telegram bots I tried first, which kept getting blocked by VFS. Worth checking those groups before you waste more time coding yourself.