VFS processes over 300m applications, to partner governments

VFS Global, an outsourcing and technology service specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, has crossed the 300 million application milestone.

The body, in a statement, said the last 100 million applications have been achieved in the past five years despite the pandemic-driven travel slow-down of 2020-2022.

In 2023 alone, the company processed 24.1 million applications, 35 per cent more than in 2022. Between January and May 2024, it processed approximately 100,000 applications a day.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of VFS Global Group, Zubin Karkaria, said: “We are very pleased and honoured with the achievement of this milestone, which is a testament to the trust 69 governments have in VFS Global, and a testament to the reliable, secure and innovative services we provide across 153 countries.

“We are also deeply grateful to all visa applicants using our services. Over the past year, we are honoured to have won several important contracts, including becoming the exclusive overseas visa outsourcing partner for UK Visas and DHA Australia and contracts with Germany, Finland, Portugal and Japan who have renewed their trust in us. We remain deeply committed to continuing investments in technology and human capital development to ensure continuous enhancement of our services.”

From managing 60 client governments in 2019, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 69 governments comprising long-term partnerships with 25 governments for over 15 years.

Achieving the feat, VFS Global said, innovation and technology have been founding pillars for it, a company that conceptualised and created the business segment of outsourced visa services with its inception in 2001. For instance, the company has introduced 16 unique digital solutions and built robust end-to-end eVisa platforms for 12 sovereign governments. Likewise, it pioneered biometric capabilities, another stellar example of innovation and adapting to changing market dynamics. VFS Global has efficiently processed more than 140 million biometric enrolments since 2007.

Today as more governments look to integrating biometric enrollment in their visa application process, VFS Global has further developed its capabilities with Multi-Mission Model (MMM) biometric kits.