VisaPod FAQ

Effective date: June 22, 2026

What is VisaPod?

VisaPod is a software assistant for visa application preparation. The beta version focuses on the U.S. DS-160 workflow.

Who operates VisaPod?

VisaPod is operated by THINKHARD LIMITED, a New Zealand limited company incorporated under company number 9439281 and NZBN 9429053763662.

Why not just use ChatGPT?

VisaPod is not just a chat interface. It is an agent runtime environment for visa tasks. It extracts key information from PDFs, images, and text, combines that information with visa-domain knowledge, and performs a broader application review than a general chatbot can provide.

VisaPod can also start a cloud computer to work through complex government forms, handle website errors, and recover when the process is interrupted. The product is built to provide an end-to-end workflow from documents to form filling, which a standalone chatbot cannot do.

Why not use a general agentic platform?

General agent platforms such as Codex, Claude Code, or Manus are strong at code and broad AI tasks. VisaPod is not a general agent platform. It is a visa-task execution engine with visa-domain knowledge, government-form workflow logic, and website-specific handling that general agents do not have out of the box.

VisaPod is optimized for the quirks of government websites. The goal is that when you pay for a VisaPod task, you are paying for the completion of a tedious form-filling workflow rather than worrying about how many credits a general platform will consume. VisaPod also includes recovery paths for fragile government websites, including retry behavior when a government site crashes or becomes temporarily unavailable.

Is my privacy safe?

Privacy and security are VisaPod's highest priorities. Uploaded files are encrypted before storage, and each uploaded file carries its own encryption metadata so the file can only be read through VisaPod's controlled document path.

You can delete uploaded files from the product interface at any time. When you delete a document, VisaPod removes the stored file and its document record. After all tasks under a profile are completed, uploaded documents are scheduled for deletion according to VisaPod's retention policy unless limited retention is required for security, payment disputes, legal compliance, or abuse prevention.

VisaPod uses trusted AI and infrastructure providers directly, including providers such as Google and Anthropic, instead of sending sensitive task data through unrelated middle-layer API services. Task data is sent only as needed to perform the requested visa workflow and is not sold.

VisaPod is also designed to minimize long-term data exposure. Task data, uploaded files, conversation history, and operational records are retained only as needed to provide the service, support recovery, handle payment or security issues, and meet legal or compliance obligations.

Is VisaPod a government website?

No. VisaPod is not a government website and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State, USCIS, CEAC, or any other government agency.

Does VisaPod provide legal advice?

No. VisaPod is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, immigration advice, representation, or attorney-client services. If you need legal advice, consult a qualified attorney or authorized immigration professional.

Does VisaPod submit my DS-160?

The intended workflow is to help prepare and fill the form until the review stage. You remain responsible for reviewing the information and deciding whether to submit.

Do I still need to review the form?

Yes. Always review every answer before submitting any government form. AI and browser automation can make mistakes.

What documents can I upload?

You may upload documents relevant to the visa task, such as passports, photos, travel records, employment records, education records, prior visa information, and other supporting materials. Upload only documents you have the right to provide.

How long are uploaded documents kept?

You can delete uploaded documents at any time. After all tasks under a profile are completed, documents for that profile are scheduled for deletion after 7 days unless you delete them earlier or limited retention is required for security, payment disputes, legal compliance, or abuse prevention.

What happens if I close the browser?

Closing your browser should not automatically stop an active task. The agent may continue running on the server side unless you stop it or the system pauses it.

Why might a task pause?

A task may pause when user intervention is needed, such as captcha, missing information, invalid user data, photo issues, ambiguous answers, sandbox problems, or government website changes.

How long does form filling take?

DS-160 form filling can take around 45 to 60 minutes depending on the case, document quality, website conditions, and required user intervention.

Does payment guarantee visa approval?

No. Payment only covers access to VisaPod's software-assisted workflow. It does not guarantee visa approval, appointment availability, government acceptance, or any immigration result.

What if something breaks?

Contact [email protected] with your account email, task ID, payment ID if relevant, and a short description of the issue.

What visa types are supported?

The MVP focuses on U.S. DS-160. Other visa workflows may be shown as unavailable or experimental until officially supported.