Also known as intermediaries, these canvassers maintain contact with applicants who come to the visa center at the Consulate of Portugal in Luanda, under the responsibility of VFS Global, to assist those who have been waiting for months for an appointment.
In addition to surrounding the building, located in Largo da Maianga, the center of the capital, some also circulate inside, especially on the 2nd floor of those facilities, which receive dozens of applicants daily.
During a visit carried out by Lusa to that building, one of the canvassers addressed a group of users, who were impatiently waiting their turn to be served by a single agent who works at VFS Global's "Information Desk: Digital Kiosk".
On average, a user seeking information about the visa issuance process at that counter waits around an hour and a half to be served.
The aforementioned canvasser and/or intermediary informed those present, just a few meters from the "Digital Kiosk", where a VFS Global employee was located, that the online scheduling process "was free", but, given the difficulty of accessing the page, it promised "easy scheduling" in exchange for money.
His intervention, in speakerphone, does not go unnoticed by users sitting in the room, waiting for their turn to enter their password.
Interested parties speak right there with this canvassing agent who, without any identification, still provided his contact details, assuring Lusa that, given the "limitation of vacancies and the slowness" of the scheduling system, this could be done in exchange for 70,000 kwanzas.
For payment, the fundraiser provides the IBAN and asks for proof of payment to be sent via WhatsApp, as well as a copy of the passport.
Several citizens interviewed by Lusa, on site, said that the intermediaries promise to quickly resolve the scheduling of visa applications.
"VFS Global has no involvement in the decision to issue or refuse a visa application and cannot influence the visa application processing time," reads a notice posted at the center.
At the entrance to the 2nd floor of the building, some members of the private security team express impatience in providing information to users, contradicting one of the notices also posted there: "We are committed to serving you with courtesy and respect. We ask you to treat our people in the same way."
Speaking to Lusa, one of the agents from the "Information Desk: Digital Kiosk" explained the free nature of scheduling, noting that it can be done by any citizen who has access to the Internet, and provided a paper with 12 "mandatory" requirements for the request of the visa.
A fee worth 180,000 kwanzas is how much is paid to start the travel visa application process, as soon as the user gets the appointment, said the VFS Global employee, noting that the process takes between 15 and 45 days.
"Each type of visa has a type of documents to be processed in order to initiate processes", he explained.
Asked about CPLP (Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries) visas, within the scope of the Mobility Agreement ratified by the Member States, this official indicated that they are "national visas".
CPLP visas "are national visas", he stated, arguing that "when there is a call letter made by a Portuguese citizen there is an exemption from some documents, such as for students and work, if they already have an employment contract".
For the national visa, he added, the fees vary between 115,000 kwanzas and 117,000 kwanzas.
