Need a passport in a hurry? Visa papers? Don't know if you need a Visa? Then let Travisa deal with all of your travel issues. Travisa is a global agency that works with passport offices and embassies around the world to expedite passport and visa applications. When you need to move quickly- Travisa cuts through all the red tape and gets you what you need well before you need it. I have used them in the past to help with getting Visas for China and they have always come through. This time- the request was a little easier- but it was a request that I didn't even know I needed until Travisa got involved. I am planning a European vacation at the end of this month. I thought I had all the necessary documents however it turns out with the new rules- my passport needed to have 6 months remaining on it from the time of my return date. It only had 5. One email to Travisa put things into action. Within a few hours they were back to me telling me what they needed, where to find the right forms and giving me the contact's name here in Chicago. I ran out at lunch, had a couple of pics taken and the packet was off to them in overnight mail. I also got an email when they received my packet and when my new passport was being shipped. The whole process to get a new passport took about 2 weeks. They aren't cheap (you are paying for their services on top of the passport fee- I think all in it ran about $240) but you are paying for piece of mind knowing that your trip that you've been planning will still go on as planned. Travisa prides itself on customer service. They do a great job no matter what the request. And if there are any delays from the countries that they are dealing with, they are up front and tell you where the delay is. Nothing better when you want to take the hassle out of international travel which is why so many companies use them around the world. If you have problems with your papers for international travel- try Travisa. I'm betting they can figure it out. read more

If you're getting an India visa, odds are good you will get duped by the name confusion between "Travisa" and "Travisa Outsourcing". Travisa Outsourcing is the official processor of the visas, and they charge $50 less than just plain old Travisa. I wish I'd seen Paul B's earlier review. I was duped. I left work early to pick up my passport from them, and made a special trip this afternoon between the hours of 4:30-6:00pm to Travisa Outsourcing, and the rude dude there (a different review is needed for him!) looked through their records and said my visa was processed by a third party, and that he didn't have it. He kept asking me who my third party was, and I kept saying, "It's Travisa!" and he eventually understood that I had used their "sister office down the street". After he expressed a few choice derogatory remarks about "you people" (what does that even mean??) a few times, and said I was "playing Russian Roulette" (??) he gave me the "sister office's" number and sent me there. Of course, their office hours are different than the other office, and they were already closed. Awesome. I'm not happy that they don't have clear language on either website explaining the difference between the two companies. I paid an extra $50 for what? Nothing! I agree with Paul B and Vipul V that this is a cynical business model, and has undoubtedly cost a lot of money and headaches for people going to get an Indian visa. Hopefully other Yelpers will find our reviews and be saved a big headache and the $50. 7/5/11 Now that I have adequately vented my frustrations about getting duped by the lack of clarity on the websites, and in their communications, I should say that they did a good job. So at least my 50 bucks paid for something. I made another special trip that necessitated taking off time of work to go there, and it was surprisingly a very painless process of actually picking up my passport. It took all of 30 seconds for them to find it, and I had to sign a sheet of paper that I'd picked it up. The staff were really friendly, which is what made me feel guilty enough to come back to yelp to correct my star rating. They did everything they promised to do: notified me via email when they received my passport, notified me when it was ready. There is definitely room for improvement in their communication, but otherwise, they got the job done. Here is a tip: their office on State St is VERY hard to find. It's just south of Monroe on the West side of the street. It's a little doorway just to the right of Subway restaurant. You have to be buzzed in and take the elevator to the third floor. read more

I used Travisa for a student visa to Spain. It was totally worth the money, I was able to mail them my documents to submit on my behalf, meaning I only had to make one trip to Chicago when my visa was ready to pick up. (I was living in Cleveland). Also, despite my meticulous preparation of the paperwork, the Spanish consulate apparently managed to lose track of one document from my application. I emailed another copy to Travisa and they appended it to my application (saving me yet another trip to Chicago.) My visa was processed in two weeks, while others I know applying at the same time without an agency had to wait a month or more. read more

I use Travisa often for my company outside of Peoria, IL located about 3 hours from Chicago. I often acquire business visas to Brazil, Australia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, China, Oman, and soon Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Today I will speak strictly of my experience obtaining a rush visa to Australia. Australia visas are normally obtained electronically. The process does not usually take long; you fill out a form on-line, provide payment information, and in a day or two you have your visa. Unfortunately, due an error, we needed our visa very very quickly. Actually, I had one hour to secure the visa or my traveler's $10,000 ticket was going down the drain. I called Travisa and explained the situation. I spoke with George and Josh who were both very helpful. They spoke with their manager, Kim, and 45 minutes later, I had the visa and my traveler was on his plane. It's as close as you can cut it, but all of the employees at Travisa made it happen. Say what you will about prices or difficult location, what I needed was a human being to speak to and action to be taken. That's exactly what I got. My company will continue to use Travisa for its traveling needs. read more

Travisa delivered what I needed, on time, with no fuss. My husband and I needed non-business visas for China and Travisa was on of the few services that listed this visa type on their website. I followed the instructions, submitted the payment online and filled up with our paperwork and passports. Travisa notified me by email that my documents were received and provided me with the date they would collect the passports with visas. Everything progressed as expected and I was notified via email that our passports were on their way back via FedEx. China visas weren't cheap, but Travisa's services saved us two trips to Chicago (4 hour drive-each way) which was well worth it. I posted my review yesterday and today received a courtesy call checking to make sure we had received our documents- great customer service! read more

Avoid, avoid, avoid. There are much better services to use for Visa assistance. This place help me stranded with 24-48 hour turnaround for simple questions - ultimately leading to weeks without resolution. Their fees are ridiculous to boot. DO NOT TRUST THIS PLACE WITH YOUR PASSPORT. read more

Please do not use this service. I waited a weekend just for them to tell me no and then give me an attitude about it. Worst service ever...It seems more like a call center than anything...rudest employees. NEVER AGAIN read more

I needed a Chinese visa quickly and was completely satisfied with Travisa's service. I'm in Kansas City and I sent my passport on Saturday afternoon via Fed Ex's standard service to Travisa in Chicago. I had my passport with Visa back in my hands on Tuesday. Our local AAA office uses their service and gave me the recommendation. I couldn't have been happier. Bill in K.C. read more

My son used Travisa. He paid $700 for their services to get to Brazil. The organization lost his paperwork after sitting on it for 1 1/2 weeks. When he asked for a supervisor's help, they told him that Travisa has no management team. There has been little effort on the part of this agency to help with his situation. Thus, he will miss his brother's wedding. He's the best man. read more

I had a similar experience to Vipul V in San Francisco with the Chicago Travisa office. We got charged more due to name confusion with another Travisa. My friends paid $55 less each. For the extra $110 we paid, we got the "benefit" of shuffling our documents 1 1/2 blocks up State street to their sister office (a 3-minute walk). Why create this type of misdirection just to line your pockets? When I called to inquire about this, I just got a technical defense - basically: we didn't twist your arm, we got away with it, and better luck next time. Not the best attitude. Yes, the question above provides its own answer. Vipul V wrote: "If you want an Indian Visa, DO NOT go [to the one on Sutter Street]. Go, instead, to Travisa on 965 Mission St. Only the Mission St. Travisa ... has a contract from Indian consulate. The Sutter St Travisa just sends over your passport to Mission St Travisa, takes longer and charges you more, while taking advantage of the name collision." This is a very cynical business model. Why not determine income for both locations and charge the same average unit price instead? read more

Every year I have to get a Chinese visa for multi-entry... but now they finally have a 10-year. Highly recommend Travisa... Great, fast, easy service! read more

The Chicago Office and the New York Office do not work together to satisfy a smooth transaction. The two just blame each other for inconsistencies and lack of knowledge of how a visa is obtained from an Embassy they are not familiar with. After asking MULTIPLE times if all items needed to secure the requested Visa were assembled properly and assured they were, had Travisa ask two more times for other documents needed. Not a smooth transaction and has completely shaken our trust in the knowledge, experience and abilities of the company. Oh! AND then to top it all off, as if to add insult to injury, received an invoice with rush charges of $269.00 when the rushing was because of Travisa's incompetence! Thanks for the experience, many lessons learned. read more

Travisa is a professional team . We got our passports with visa on time as promised . They answered each and every question we asked and also helped with Schengen visa health insurance . And a special shout out to Andre ,the receptionist who helped us by making urgent copies of documents we needed . Thank you travisa . read more

Lately, I have used Travisa Outsourcing Services for OCI Processing of my family. Priro to th to the filing, I had no clue of the process. I went through their web site and learned A to Z about the process and started the application on my own. Starting from the Online Application to the OCI card was received (30 Calendar Days), the process had been so prompt. The real time tracking of the application & Email/SMS notification are the best part of the whole proocess. I still remember the old days in waiting in the long queues at the consulate and getting frustrated with the phone calls made to consulate staff. Life has become so much easier with Travisa Outsourcing. read more

Using Travisa was easy and quick to get a China Visa for a trip just a coupe weeks away. No need to worry - I got notices along the way and got the Visa in the mail in something like 3-4 days, without having to ask fro expedited service read more

My passport was lost en route from Travisa to my office. They filed a claim with UPS but I still have yet to receive any information or refund for the passport and visa that had to be re-issued. Its now been four months and no response despite repeated emails. read more

I am a grad student with a family and planning on travel to Europe for six months. Because of where I live, I have to use the consulate in Chicago for an extended-stay visa. I first clicked on the live chat link, which told me I was first in line. After 5 minutes I called. I spoke to Diane, Lucy, George and Marta, neither of whom could answer my questions. George, the most dickish of them all. My questions pertained to something we had heard about the apostille of the Hague stamp on the birth certificates, what visa do the dependents apply for (there's a dependent area of the application on the student visa, but George seemed to feel that if my 3-year old wasn't studying then dependents shouldn't be listed on the student visa). There's a place to post 'research questions' for $20. We posted 5 questions, many of them pertinent to the questions that the phone calls or website couldn't procure. We got back the equivalent of a screen shot of one of their web pages. I don't know about other visa companies, but I will make sure everyone on earth (which, for me right now, is one of the largest land-grant universities in the nation) knows not to waste their money with this company. TERRIBLE SERVICE! read more

DO NOT use Travisa for India Business Visa applications. Travisa is no longer the official outsourcing agency for the India Consulate. These are now being processed by CKGS. My application sent to Travisa was then sent to CKGS. This results in unnecessary delays. Additionally, CKGS is cheaper... go figure. read more

We have been using Travisa for years! The website is easy to use, I found everyone I talk to at Travisa is very helpful. We always get wonderful service and quick turn around on our employees passports and visas. There have been changes since CBIT purchased Travisa some I like, some I don't like but the bottom line is they get the job done! read more

I had used Travisa happily for both visa and passport service for 30 years. Today I wanted to initiate passport renewal and found that their web site had "migrated" to a new site and has been evidently purchased by another company. I found that the website didn't indicate this and didn't guide me through the forms/application process well at all. When I went to the office which is within walking distance of my condo in Chicago I eventually found an unmarked door on the fifth floor of a major building, and the only way I knew it was the place is that I asked someone who works in the building. I found that the web page had not guided me to all the necessary forms, and the computer in the office wasn't working. I was then told that my application and passport would be transferred to an "agent" who would contact me. (Who was I speaking with if not an "agent"? The whole atmosphere seemed so shady that I figured I'd rather mail in my passport application by first-class mail than trust these folks. Steer clear at all costs. read more

Their consultant, Debra George, gets a AAA rating from me. She was VERY helpful and answered my E-mails immediately. She is GREAT!!! The service was fast. The forms on their web site were easy to fill out AND they were about $60 less expensive than the other company that was recommended to me. read more

I have used Travisa for years professionally and they have always given me excellent service. It is easy and I am never concerned about my documents. I highly recommend them and appreciate the personalization that they provide when needed. read more

Thank God Travisa is an alternative to Cox and Kings for the India Visa. I had a complicated Visa case, and Andre thoroughly helped us answer and correct all of the questions, and gather all of the necessary documents to support our case. I'm not sure if it's common, but we got our visas in 4 business days! Which is crazy, because we were expecting to receive it on the 26th or something! What a relief! read more

I needed a Chinese Visa fast and found Travisa on the AAA website. I highly recommend the Fast Track service! It made my visa process easier and is a great value with the free FedEx shipping! I mailed my paperwork on Monday and had my Visa in Kansas by Friday of the same week! The Fast Track service is definitely the service I will use in the future! read more

Super fast service. I was told 7+ business days for my visa to India. I needed it sooner than that as I was leaving on a trip. It was processed in 4 business days. read more

Travisa was great! I was able to quickly and easily get my Chinese work visa processed through them. The website is convenient and you can check the status of your order. I was kept up to date by automated emails, and when unsure about something I was able to call and wait no more than 30 seconds to speak with someone. Thanks! read more

Extremely bad service. I requested 4 online appilcations for Saudi family visit visa. 2 came back with mistakes. One with the name and one with the application type. The worst part is that they do not admit their mistakes and their incapability of doing the job correctly to say the least. DO NOT GO THERE, take your busyness anywhere else. A kid can do a better job. read more

This was my first time applying for a visa to India. Online their pricing was roughly $175 in total with no mention of other fees except maybe shipping so I figured $300 as an overestimate (though I'm sure there's likely some fine print in the eons long "terms and conditions" no one ever reads and HAS to accept). I was given no estimated bill at all, in fact, no invoice at all! The only reason I was given an invoice was because I used a credit card with a low limit (like one does with internet purchases) and it got denied because my bill was OVER $500! Come to find out they SCREW YOU OVER with shipping (almost $100 just for that) and their NEVER MENTIONED FEES! Do not get sucked in by them--find another company and request that they give you shipping OPTIONS so you don't get MASSIVELY OVERCHARGED. Their customer service passes you around and won't ever return your emails or calls, but they are nice enough when they pick up. The only reason they get 2 stars from me is because I did get my visa in a prompt manner and that is it. read more

I used the service to get a tourist visa to russia. I went to the office to submit the paper work and find out I was missing some documents. As guided filled out the online form to acquire the invitation letter from the tourist agency. Then I went the next day to submit the paper work and find out I was missing the Global registration form which was not mention to me at my first visit. Since I was close to my travel date I expedite the visa application to 3-5 business days. When I called to checked the status they told me I was not going to get my passport till next monday even though i submitted the paper work on Friday the week before and submitted the registration form on the following Monday. They charged me the fee for 3-5 business day processing but giving me the passport on the 7th business day. Very disappointed! Will never ever use the service again!!!! what a rip off.... Better off submitting the application to the consulate. read more