After first looking over this Yelp page, the great reviews seemed fishy, but I checked the reviewers' accounts to see if they were legit, and they were. It actually made me feel a little more at ease to see the couple of 1-star reviews, so thanks to everyone who was honest and detailed when sharing their experience here, whether it was good or bad; it helps people come to their decision, and I don't regret choosing these guys at all! Part of this review is my positive experience with A Briggs, and another part is probably relevant only to those traveling to Brazil. The passport + visa came back 2 days earlier than my "must have visa by" date, which is great! Take advantage of the "require signature for delivery" option to be safe: the overnight shipping tracking is accurate enough that you won't need to wait at home for more than a few hours in the morning to sign for the envelope. The agents on the phone and at the SF office were so nice and helpful, and they care about allaying your worries. They are trustworthy and professional - no service is gonna be flawless, and it may be hard to reach a specific office or person sometimes, but your documents are in good hands, and you can call the main customer support line if the "order status" on the website isn't detailed enough for you. It ended up costing almost $300 extra due to the emergency fee because I procrastinated and should've sent off the papers sooner, as this time of year is so busy. But that was entirely my fault, and it was a small price to pay considering that rescheduling the flight would've been a lot pricier! A Briggs took care of everything beautifully. Still, serial procrastinators out there, please learn from my lack of foresight and mail the stuff in a couple months before your flight. If hearing about my laziness penalty saves other people money then it will have been more than worth it! BRAZIL VISA TIPS: First, do NOT try to use Firefox to submit your visa application form. It will not give you your 'application protocol number' or the receipt to print out that you affix your photo to. Internet Explorer, despite collecting dust over the years, worked fine for this purpose! Fill out the form, print the receipt, then save that protocol # and email it to Briggs after ordering with them, along with your Briggs order # so they can book your appointment before they even receive the documents in the mail. One yelper mentioned that the application form is in Portuguese... there is actually an English version here: https://scedv.serpro.gov.br/frscedv/manterVisto.do?lang=eng#inicio Knowing about Briggs sooner would've saved me so many hours of daunting research, wading through conflicting information about the whole process... it was awful before. But they have detailed instructions on the site as to what you FedEx to them! Here's exactly the plan that worked for me, as an adult traveling with no kids, and it was fairly simple to gather these things: 1) a scan of your photo ID, front and back; black and white ink works just fine, and it's okay if it's on two separate pages or not 2) your SIGNED in ink passport - flip to page 3, at the bottom it'll say "signature of bearer" so make sure you've signed it there 3) your A Briggs order receipt, printed from the email (any notes you type in the order form will be printed at the bottom of this) 4) your 2x2" visa photo - for nice looking results, have a friend or family member take it at home, ~5 feet in front of you in natural lighting (outdoors is best) in front of a solid white or light-colored background. Then crop it with this tool: http://travel.state.gov/content/dam/passports/FIG_cropper.swf A straight face or small smile is safest; google image search "Brazilian visa" to see other people's photos that got approved. Thankfully, they're not so strict about it, so just get it something close to those. Then print it at CVS if you can't at home - they cut them exactly to size and give you two copies, which is great in case you mess up 4) the printed SIGNED in ink visa application receipt that you get from the Brazilian consulate link above (ignore the 30 day expiration date; it's obsolete) 5) finally, your FedEx shipping label that was emailed to you and printed after submitting the Briggs order Bring all these things to FedEx; triple-check that you've signed both your passport AND visa application receipt, and use one of their glue sticks to affix the photo on the application receipt if you haven't already (but don't trim it to fit inside of the rectangle - it's not meant to fit in that, that's too small; it's only intended as a guide!) The FedEx guy will give you an envelope to put these papers in, then you hand him the shipping label and that's it! The hardest part is just getting the passport and a good photo; once you mail the documents off, Briggs handles the rest. I'll definitely use them again for any other visas! read more

If you are looking for visa services, I would avoid A Briggs at all costs. They are dishonest with their charging practices and have no transparency. I went to A Briggs for agency services for an L visa to China. They had me input my credit card information up front. Unlike almost every online purchasing process, there was no subtotal displayed before checkout. I was not comfortable with this, but continued because I'd had a relative use their services in the past without issue. They proceeded to charge me $601, when from what was explained on the website, I expected to pay just around $450. They then sent me an invoice via email, which included itemized fees that were not disclosed upfront. The company gave me a full refund after I called in. The service rep was very agreeable and offered to remove the extra fees that had "been selected"--but certainly not by me! I opted to cancel the whole order, because if there are undisclosed fees from the very start of the process, who knows what my grand total might be by the end of it. read more

They helped me crazy well back In the day. Now they cannot be reached and have many phones which lead to dead ends...

I am very please. I had used them before so I decided to use them again. I travel quite a bit and needed my passport back to me in less than three weeks. I used two week expedited service and I had the new passport back in my hands in seven days. They kept me informed of my progress and did an outstanding job. I would use them again definitely. read more

I requested a document verification service from them in November. Very little information about pricing on their website, but it appeared to cost about 50$ to have a document verified, which is what other companies were advertising, so I went with them. TONS of hidden fees. Ended up costing 400$. Also took way longer than expected. I had to keep emailing my point of contact who apparently "didn't see" my previous emails wherein I had sent the necessary documents to be processed. Hey A. Briggs, want to do better? Be up front about your pricing. read more

I tried to use them - but stopped short for applying for a VISA through them. The person on the phone had basic information like X for VISA fee ad Y for Briggs fee. I got the email with attachments The VISA application is one page but Briggs wanted me to fill 15 more pages. I can understand they need authorization to process my VISA. On almost every page or section there is an extra cost like next day shipping, or insurance for passport and many such more. It is automatically yes unless you tick NO. All this is very fine print. My fee would have ballooned 4x! Sorry but its a NO! read more

They are not affiliated with the US Government. This was not made clear on the site. I feel I was duped into paying $58+ for blank forms. I'm just glad I didn't fill out the forms with my private information. Only my credit card. Don't use them. Just go through the authentic US Government passport website. Look up passport fraud on the internet. It's quite prevalent. read more

Passable service. When I got my passport back, there was a giant advertising sticker on the front of it. It was the kind that does not peel off, but comes apart and leaves a sticky mess when you try to take it off. Now I have to look at this crap for the next ten years. I did not get a passport so you could advertise your service. Go some place else. read more

Easily deserving of five stars. I needed an multi-entry six-month tourist Indian visa, and in two weeks. I went down in person to the office, and Bojan literally stopped what he was doing and helped me with my paperwork. He quoted me at 8 business days later, and it came through 5 days later. Hot damn! I was also able to check on the website the status of my visa application. Bojan then called me the minute my visa was in and I was able to pick it up the very next day. The customer service was excellent, and sure beat having to go to the consulate and stand in line. Thanks, Bojan! You guys are great. The good: awesome service, so fast. The bad: tried calling their local office, but got routed to HQ, who tried to give me the local office's number...which was the one I called that connected me to HQ. Weird. Protip: if you're local at all to their office, drop of your materials and pick up. Will s ave you $60 on shipping. Believe it. read more

Needed a Brazilian visa in under a week, and A Briggs made it happen. To quote Bojan, "No problem! Don't even worry." These guys know that in addition to expediting, they sell reassurance, which they delivered on. Visa arrived in 4 days including cross-country shipping both ways. Thanks Bojan! read more

I'm 100% satisfied with Salem Eways' passport expediting service at the San Francisco office of A Briggs. But that's not the big news here. You can read the other reviews below to see that this fellow knows how to get a job done right, and quickly. It's the other stuff that puts him over the top. Here's a short list. 1) He didn't give me any grief when, reaching me on my cell while driving (a new phone not yet connected to my car) I told him "Ack, can't talk or read you my credit card number while driving so can you call my husband at his office.. 650.. etc. and have him complete the payment?" He says good naturedly sure, happy to do that. He did, they connected - I continued down the freeway to my big meeting. 2. I'd been unable to call him on a Friday afternoon due to a parent in the hospital (not related to my travel, just life being life). So on Saturday I left him a message apologizing for not getting back to him with a cc: #, figuring we'd talk on Monday. His office is closed on the weekends, but he calls later with a "Not to worry, we'll finish our business on Monday - it's all fine" message. Nice. 3. Piece de la resistance... I'm so busy between business, sick parents and a kiddo out of school and under foot, I totally forgot to ask Salem to give me the 10% new customer discount. So I asked politely, this evening, by email if he would do that. ELEVEN MINUTES LATER he replies "Happy to do that - it's done. You'll see the credit tomorrow." The man is good. I can't promise you he's the lowest cost option. But he's certainly what I'd call "full value" service. He earns it. My life is crazy - I love professionals who make it less so. Salem will make your travel experience un-crazy. :) This is a rare and beautiful skill. I suggest you trust your time, travel and hard earned funds to Salem at A Briggs. read more

Rejection. No matter how emotionally tough you are (or think you are), it still hurts. Really. After not one, but TWO rejections at the Chinese Consulate because of "inadequate" paperwork, I was ready to throw in the towel and swear off ANY and all trips to China in my lifetime. It's not worth the frustration and aggravation of the hours wasted each time waiting at the Chinese Consulate only to be told that the paperwork I have can't prove why my Mom's last name changed from her birth last name to her currently married last name. Enter passport and visa expeditor A. Briggs. Spoke with Katy over the phone first who freely gave me information on dealing with the Chinese Consulate. Stopped by their office the next day and worked with Salem who patiently took the time to answer my remaining questions and to start processing my visa application. Third time's the charm! A Briggs' processing fee covers as many visits to the consulate as necessary to get it processed. You can also check the status (from A. Briggs' side) of your passport or visa application online on their website as well. I highly recommend A. Briggs to handle your passport/visa application process if you have better things to do with your time than waiting in line! read more

If you plan your trip one year in advanced and you have time to waste I recommend A Briggs... otherwise look for other options. I have to use them because of my company corporate requirements and it's very painful every time. It takes longer that other providers, no follow-up, no updates.... you have to call them everyday to figure out where you passport is. In the past 2 years, I had to delay 1 trip because of them and cancel a visa request because they were running behind on submitting my request. For my Indian visa my request as been pending for 4 weeks now! read more

Salem at A Briggs is great. He really knows how to give people outstanding customer service. My bf and I were going to spend our Friday morning in line at the Consulate, but after reading nightmarish reviews on that process and how long it took, we decided to look up a different way to get our tourist visa for a China trip. A Briggs had all 5-star reviews. At first glance, maybe a little odd, yes? Normally, you should always take online reviews (esp. Yelp reviews) with a grain of salt and a pepper of common sense. However, the reviews for Salem at A Briggs are well deserved. We did our own homework beforehand, like finding out that the Chinese tourist visa 2-page form is actually an outdated form, and they give you issues if you come to the Consulate with that one typed out. So, we had our up-to-date 4-page forms completely filled out, double- and triple-checked, with our 2x2 recent photos attached--ready to go. Salem is extremely detail-oriented, friendly and sharp. I've picked up my passports with tourist visa pages the following Friday, and it looks good. Cheers! read more

Briggs came highly recommended, but this process was a bit disappointing (though I did get my visa in time, so all's well...). The first issue was that when I first spoke with them by phone, they gave me a date by which I would need to have my materials in the office in order to have things processed in time (2 week window, non-expedited). But when I got there on day before the cut-off, they told me that they would not have an appointment at the embassy until the following week, which meant that the order had to be rushed for an extra $300 (approx). That would have been very valuable info to have when I first called, as I could have gotten there earlier. It also goes against the timeline listed on their website. The second issue was that I wanted to make sure I could pick up my visa at their office. It's along my commute, and no one would be available to accept the delivery at my home, which is in a not so nice area. There was some ambiguity in the order form so I made this request *in writing* on the order form and also confirmed this in person when I was in the office. The person who helped me said he would call when it was ready for pick-up. Instead I received a message from Brian saying that my passport/visa had been dropped of by Fed Ex and left on the porch of my house, which has been broken into numerous times and is at the end of a dead-end across from Section 8 housing. Fed Ex packages do not last long on people's porches. I was really worried, so I immediately called back and was told that he was on the phone and he would call me back. I never received a response, but fortunately the package was still there when I got home. Happy to have my visa, but that's some pretty lousy service, cost much more than I was led to believe, and it could have ended up much worse. Maybe ask for Salem if yo go here. He was the one who was specifically recommended from a friend's past experience. Eric read more

Oh, A Briggs... Whatever would I have done without you?!?! I just got back from my trip to West Africa where I visited Togo and Ghana. Both countries required a visa as well as a myriad of shots before I left. I was referred to A Briggs as a company that a friend in DC worked with. When I found the local office in SF you can imagine my excitement when I realized I could just go in person to handle my beezwax. Everyone there in the office was friendly. I was greeted promptly by the receptionist who quickly let Katy know I was waiting in the lobby. Katy walked me through the timing of the process and I surprised her when I whipped out my pre-filled forms and immunization record as back up (with color photocopies of everything). Seeing as I hadn't found the time to get my passport photos taken to submit, I felt very UNDER-prepared for the process. Katy assured me I was doing GREAT. It was pretty pricey for the passport photos. I needed 6 photos to submit and I believe they were $6 a pop. That made me gasp, but hey... I get it! hehe Everything went very smoothly and I was out of there within 15 minutes. That kept me from paying a million when I reclaimed my car from the One Embarcadero parking garage! haha They emailed me when my visas were submitted and kept me in the loop by tellng me when they expected them back. Once they received them with no issues, Katy called me and I picked them up myself when I had a chance to head to the city. They offer FedEx service. They can overnight it to you if you need it rushed, no problem. I will most certainly be using them again for myself as well as for future when the executives I support need a visa. The quality of service most definitely matches the pricing. I thanked them in my mind as I crossed the border between Togo and Ghana. That was SCARY and I am SO thankful that my Visas were done correctly. Wheew! read more

Had a great experience with these guys. First time using them was for getting my Indian visa, but after Salem Eways checked my departure time he recommended i go to the Indian visa processing center myself instead of paying them to do it in order to save time and better my chances to get it back in time!!!! Who does this in these days? turned down my money in order to make sure i have the best chances for success!! Was blown away with this and sure enough, i got my Indian visa in time after they made an online appointment for me and told me exactly what to bring all for no charges.... Came back a second time for a Visa for China, and this time I had some more time before my trip so hired them for this service and it was outstanding and came back exactly when they said it would. I will definitely keep using this place and i highly recommended it. read more

Longer wait here than at the Chinese embassy! My husband and I went by to get visas for China and were told that we should wait in the lounge until he was free to see us. After 25 mins of waiting, we asked if there was an ETA, and the man said it would be at least another 30 mins before he was free and couldn't we just wait for him to come get us. If he knew that it would be at least one hour before he was free, he should've told us that up front (we were both missing work to be there and wouldn't have stuck around if we'd known how long he expected us to wait). When I went to the Chinese embassy last year, I only waited 30 mins, and they had a number system so I knew where I was in line. A. Briggs wanted us to wait an hour, but didn't tell us up front so we had no idea they were planning to make us wait so long. read more

A briggs was professional and straight forward, they helped my husband and i get a 10 year Multiple entry visa to India in about 10 days time. Now we are free to travel to India anytime we like staying as long as 180 days! thank you A Briggs so much. :) read more

I needed a last-minute tourist visa to Brazil for my vacation this year. Unfortunately, Brazil has one of the most complicated and expensive visa systems for US citizens and had I done it myself through the Brazilian consulate, I wouldn't have even been able to make an appointment to apply for at least two months, well past my departure date. I contacted several visa expediters on the phone and they either didn't really know what was required or they were going to charge over $300 not including the application fee. Interacting with A Briggs was so positively different from the others: -They were CHEERFUL and patiently explained everything I needed to do -Clear about documentation requirements, deadlines, and upfront fees -Perfect amount of communication: didn't bother me unless it was necessary -Reasonable expedite fee that was less than their competitors I forgot to include a copy of my driver's license in my application and they immediately e-mailed me, requesting a scanned or faxed copy. I sent that in but it wasn't very clear; within 10 minutes they e-mailed me again, asking that I send in a clearer copy. Within an hour I had a Fedex tracking number and invoice in my inbox and everything was taken care of. I got my passport with visa a full NINE days earlier than promised. Thanks for taking the stress out of this part of my trip! read more

Katy helped me, and it was a great experience. I needed two visas and extra pages in my passport within a short time-frame, and everything went without a hitch. She even told me that I had a discount through my employer, even though I had no idea. My be-visa-ed passport arrived a few days ago, and I'm procrastinating packing for Beijing by writing this review. A Briggs is awesome! read more

I had to get pages added to my passport, I needed a duplicate passport and Visa from Brazil. They handled everything and did it with amazing speed! Thanks Salem!! Go here. GREAT service! read more

Other reviewers are right. Salem is a really nice guy. He said our visas would be ready on Oct 3rd and on Oct 3rd we got a phone call and e-mail informing us the visas were done. Smooth like butta... My only very slight gripe is that hours are on the short side. But in general - I was extremely happy. Thanks! read more

This company is as good as it gets. Our small company accidentally paid them twice. Salem caught the error, and voided the check and sent it back to us. Are you freaking kidding me!?! During this economy, these guys could have cashed it twice and no one would have noticed. And the 24 hour passport renewal went flawlessly. They even helped us keep our visa whose lifespan extended beyond the passport termination date. I highly recommend them. read more

Salem is great. I called yesterday inquiring about a very complex passport situation for a friend. Salem walked me through what to do step-by-step, and even told me how to go about it on my own! The other services I called were rude and if I want paying then could have cared less. I have a feeling said friend will end up actually using Salems's services after a nice long day of waiting at the Passport Office. Thanks again Salem! read more

Salem was really helpful from day one when I realised that I needed 5 visas in less than 20 days! Me and my husband had to come up with a creative plan on how to go about aquiring these visas since I was going to be travelling somewhere else in between the same time. We came up with a plan and discussed it with Salem and he translated my plan into a timeline with a comprehensive list of documents that will go with every visa. He answered all the other questions that came my way as well. In the end when I found out I did not need his services, I told him so and advised me anyway to make sure I have the right information. Very classy. read more

As mentioned in other posts, Salem at A Briggs is as good as it gets in customer service and helping serve the needs of his clients. I applied for a Russian visa less than one week before my trip (very late) and was informed by most that there was ZERO chance it would come before my flight. Without a passport in hand, I know I could not board the flight so I had my entire office looking up ways to change my flight, book a later one, and was minutes from spending an additional $1300 when I decided to give Salem a call directly. He and the A Briggs crew were as kind as could be and although he wasn't sure if it would work, Salem dropped everything he was doing, took a cab to the Consulate after hours and looked into my situation personally. Wouldn't you know it, he worked his way in got my visa process expedited and it came on time for my trip to Russia. He single handedly saved me $1300 and a lot o f stress, I would HIGHLY recommend his services to anyone looking to have a seamless and stress free process. Thanks A Briggs! read more

What an outstanding outfit. Not only are they pros at what they do, but the customer service I experienced was exceptional. I'm a raving fan. Salem and his staff are professional, courteous, prompt and effective. I had a few important, time-sensitive tasks, including a duplicate passport and a Chinese visa, and they took care of it without blinking. They even offered to help me find information on future visas, and when I sent a follow-up email they responded promptly with all the information I needed. You can run around town and sit in the consulate all day, make multiple trips, stand in line etc., or pay a reasonable service fee and not worry about it again. For me it was more than worth it. I wish there were more businesses out there like A Briggs. I couldn't recommend them more highly. If you need passport or visa services, call them. read more

Great communication which was very important since I needed my visa returned for a business trip within a week. They sent the receipt email, update email, and shipment email. Bill Richardson from Dallas was very easy to work with, and an excellent business man. I will use them again, and I recommend them for anyone. read more

I worked with Bojan on a couple, not so easy applications for a duplicate passport and a work permit in a foreign country. Plenty of paperwork, plenty of discussions, plenty of back and forth. In the end, it all worked out and both were granted. Bojan was patient. I never felt rushed. He asked a lot of questions and at times requested a few more things than I had not initially provided - frustrating for me at times. But, in the absence of thee items, I recognize my applications may have been turned down by the government. He was always accessible - during normal business hours, Does he ever take lunch? But Brian (owner?) was also around a lot, and he was familiar with my applications as well. So I felt like I was in good hands. Overall, good experience. I'll return. read more

My two experiences with A Briggs has been easy, precise, and well worth my business. My colleagues use them too, and have noted their great experience with them as well. Bojan is awesome, and always available to answer any questions you may have. My company will continue to do business with them in the future. read more

A great job! My colleagues did the visa application themselves and it worked ok, but everything had to be just so. One had to return with more information. AB took my completed form and emailed me when the visa was issued. Easy and painless and very good value. read more

I was in a crunch to get my Brazilian Visa (I was leaving in less than a month and during the height of their travel season) and A Briggs provided the fastest turnaround through their expedited service. I even received my visa faster than expected and had no issues with the visa when I arrived in Brazil. It's pricey but worth it for the peace of mind!!! read more

After doing a lot of research on the best visa expeditors, we choose A Briggs for our India visas. It was only marginally more expensive than the other hellish services, and the experience was 1000% better. We were contacted right away when we had to submit additional information, and the visa came back 3 weeks later. No other complications. For the India visa, this is a near miracle. Save yourself a lot of headaches and go for A Briggs, especially for the notoriously difficult India visa. read more

I've worked with A Briggs twice on China visas. This second time, I was quite unhappy. While they are very organized, and I appreciate that, they also sneak a lot of fees in that they do not tell you about upfront. I originally authorized around $260 for the visa; in the end, after they did everything and charged my card, I got a receipt for $347--almost 50% more than I was told upfront. I had to haggle with them to get them to remove a couple charges, and they wouldn't remove one of them (a fee for uploading them my passport photo, which in the instructions they emailed me sounded as if it was included in the agency fee I was already paying). So, I would look for someone else that was more upfront about costs next time I got a visa. Not happy. read more

Katie was super helpful and nice. I needed a China visa within 2 weeks and it only cost me $50 on top of the normal visa fees to have them submit my passport and collect it. If you're super busy during the work day like me, this fee was well worth the money to not have to wait in line at the consulate for a few hours to drop off and pick up my passport. read more

San Francisco A Briggs is prompt and precise. Will use them again.

I have used this company before -- and everything was fine, Reasonable price for reasonable service. But that was a couple of years ago. Now I find deceptive, hidden fees. You select services, and don't get a chance to back out until they show the price -- and then it's too late. They may yet be timely, but I'm not using them again. read more

I did not experience such service for the longest time!!! I was turned down at the San Francisco brunch today for an attempt to schedule an appointment as a walk-in potential customer by two non-busy employees who told me that they are close for lunch until 1:30pm (there is lunch mentioned on web-site and door was open). Well, it would take you only about 5 mins to set up an appointment - but you lost a lot of business as I work as executive assistant for a huge company with offices in 100 counties - and I will make sure never use you and I will make sure tell everyone I know on this planet that you are rude and you suck!!!!!!!!!! read more

I needed a quick(ish) Visa to India and the knowledge that it won't come back to me if i myself had to send it. So searching for a place that can put my worries at rest (I'm a green card holder - which means a longer wait for a visa), and also after hearing about the new Visa company creating a lot of stress on the process I turned to yelp to find a solution. A Briggs came highly recommended by yelpers. So I called them twice to see what I need to bring - they were very nice on the phone - and answered all my questions, remarking that I shouldn't hesitate to call them any time. I collected all my needed documents and just headed down to their office without an appointment. Brian who helped me was extremely helpful, courteous and really saw that I dotted all the I's and crossed the T's. Literally 2 weeks to the day - he called me back to let me know I can pick up my passport (I work close to their office). Really highly recommended - especially with complicated visa requirements. read more