This year, after a byzantine, year-long application process, the Chinese government awarded me a full-ride scholarship to get a master's in Ancient Chinese Literature. I've been incredibly excited this summer, as the term comes closer and closer to beginning in the fall. It's been a dream of mine for years to study in China.
I had less than a month to compile the necessary forms, which frontloaded an enormous amount of stress, and VisaHQ was super helpful getting everything finished in time. They were communicative and transparent in what was needed for my documents to be received and processed efficiently. When my passport photo needed to be retaken, they immediately contacted me and ended up submitting the new one on the very next day! This kind of turnaround really helps smooth over the stress of traveling.
There was one critical moment during this process when Trevin at the SF office went above and beyond the call of duty. My student visa was denied because my university didn't fill in a box on my visa application form. When I heard it was denied, I was full of despair. This tiny mistake threatened to completely derail years of hard, stressful work, and I'd already emptied my savings on a plane ticket/travel arrangements/preparation. It felt like I was watching the next few years of my life slip away.
Trevin was THE perfect person to help me during this time. He promised to advocate for me, and the next day, met with half the consulate to try and find a solution. When I was panicked, he stayed calm, and communicated clearly the things I needed to do to salvage the situation. He pulled me out of what felt like the beginning of a depressive spiral. In a situation where I felt helpless before the whims of bureaucrats, he was the man on the ground fighting for me to make it and pursue other alternatives.
Needless to say, after a very tense couple of days and lots of research, things worked out! I honestly think the service Trevin provided was as good as it gets, and if anyone else had handled things, there would've been a much better chance of disaster. He is the perfect man for this kind of job, because he's knowledgable, patient, calm, and communicative. He's willing to go the extra mile, because he genuinely cares about the wellbeing of the people who need his travel services. Through our many phone conversations, I definitely got a sense that not only was he an immensely competent travel agent, but also just a great human being. I cannot recommend Trevin or VisaHQ enough. (on
Yelp)