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VFS Global has won the global contract for overseas UK visa and Citizenship services. During 2024, VFS Global will deploy 240 Visa and Citizenship Application Service (VCAS) Centres for the UK in 142 countries across Africa & Middle East, Americas, Australasia & Europe, China & Taiwan and Asia & Asia Pacific regions.
These centres will accept all categories of visa applications as well as UK passport applications in some locations. Combined, these new centres are estimated to process 3.8 million applicants every year, VFS shared.
Beyond the scale of the deployment, VFS Global will also invest to improve the customer journey and increase accessibility, including through new customer websites, and through updated in-person experiences.
Visa service information in sign language now available for applicants of 16 countries in India – Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland (including Finland Residence Permit), Germany, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland in the first phase. The Contact Centre was launched on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
It will also deploy its latest technologies to maintain robust identity checks and ensure the integrity of the visa and passport application process, VFS said. The new contract is expected to deliver savings to the UK Government. “We are delighted to win this contract and expand our partnership with the Home Office to become their service provider for all UK visa customers overseas. We are excited to begin operations in new locations, and to take the next step towards providing customers with a seamless, simple and secure visa and passport application experience,” said Zubin Karkaria, Founder and CEO, VFS Global.
“This win is a testament to our dedicated efforts to provide all our client governments with best-in-class services,” he added.
The UK is a popular destination for travellers from across the globe with India, China, Nigeria and Turkey being the top four application locations.
In addition to the VCAS Centres, VFS Global will expand its network of additional paid application centres bringing the visa application process closer to home for customers through partnerships with popular hotels and resorts. VFS Global currently offers these in India, UAE and the USA through hotel partners in those countries.
This win comes soon after VFS Global being awarded the global biometric collection service mandate with Australia and renewal of the global visa service contract with Sweden.
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