VFS Visa Appointment Automation System

Project: Automated VFS Global Visa Appointment Tracking & Booking System
We are looking for an experienced developer to build a scalable, secure, and fully automated web application that can track visa appointment availability for VFS Global–supported countries and automatically book the earliest available slot when it becomes available.
This system will be used by multiple agencies and applicants, and must operate reliably under anti-bot and rate-limit constraints.

Project Goals
The system should be able to:
Automatically monitor VFS Global appointment calendars
Detect newly opened slots in real time or near real time
Automatically book the earliest available appointment
Simulate human-like behavior to avoid detection
Support multiple agencies, users, and applicant profiles
Be modular, maintainable, and well-documented

General Technical Requirements
Web-based application (preferably Python-based)
Fully containerized using Docker
Headless-first architecture
Optional access via VNC / Docker VNC for debugging or monitoring
Clean, modular, well-commented codebase
Strong technical documentation

User & Authorization Structure
Admin Panel
Admin users with role-based access control
Ability to create and manage agency (company) accounts
System-wide configuration and monitoring
Agency Users
Ability to manage multiple applicants
Support for different visa types and profiles
Ability to trigger automated booking jobs using saved data

Automation & Intelligent Behavior
Periodic and automated checking of VFS appointment availability
Ability to stay logged in during high-demand periods
Immediate booking when a slot becomes available
Human-like interaction techniques:
Mouse movement simulation
Typing delays and patterns
Randomized wait times
Optional virtual keyboard usage
Secure browser context isolation
Robust session management

Security, Stability & Error Handling
Strong exception handling and auto-recovery mechanisms
Detailed logging on failures and retries
Proxy rotation and fallback strategies
Retry attempts with alternative user profiles if needed
Protection against account bans:
Rate limiting
Randomized behavior
Testing against edge cases
Resilience against portal UI/DOM changes

Proxy & Session Management
Proxy list importable via admin panel
Rotating proxy support
Multiple concurrent, isolated sessions without conflicts

Notifications & Logging
Notification channels:
Email
Telegram
ntfy.sh

Detailed logs for:
System activity
Booking attempts
Successful reservations
Portal availability status

Configuration & Extensibility
User-friendly configuration files
Support for multiple applicant profiles and visa types
Extensible architecture for:
Additional notification channels
External CRM integrations (optional)
Custom triggers and automation rules

Preferred Technology Stack
Python (required)
Playwright or Selenium (Playwright preferred)
Docker
Linux-based deployment

Third-Party Services
No mandatory third-party paid services
If any external services are required, they must be clearly stated and justified

Important Notes for Applicants
Please include in your application:
Examples of similar automation, booking, or scraping projects
Technologies you used in those projects
Your proposed technical approach
Estimated timeline and milestones
This project will be developed milestone-based, starting with a Proof of Concept (PoC).