TravTalk India Online Magazine
By Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group COO – South Asia, Middle East & North Africa and Americas, VFS Global
Globalisation brought with it game-changing developments that set precedence for economic growth across geographies. One such development was the boost to cross-border travel for both recreational and business purposes that greatly influenced the economic growth of countries. The increase in demand for international travel led to the need for a streamlined visa application process that would ease the customer journey while applying for a visa and help the relevant embassies/consulates with the growing application load.
VFS Global, the world’s largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist, launched its services in 2001 to provide this very process. The model invented 20 years ago was unique and effective wherein VFS Global proposed to handle all non-judgmental aspects of the visa application process for client governments, leaving only the final decision-making process to be handled by the embassies. Over the years, VFS Global has expanded and launched new services at the back of innovative technology, building a digitised ecosystem for travel that boasts of the highest levels of safety and security.
The 20-year journey- changing the face of visa services
The journey began with VFS Global in 2001 signing its first client government, the US Consulate in Mumbai, as an outsourcing partner supporting their administrative tasks around visa applications. Today, the organisation works with 63 governments globally, with operations spanning 144 countries managed via 3400+ Visa Application Centers; a success trajectory that can be attributed to VFS Global’s tech and data prowess and operational excellence.
Over the years, VFS Global has consistently invested in solutions that have been ahead of its time and addressed every challenge meticulously, ensuring that every customer’s first step into their journey is frictionless. As first-movers and creators of the space, VFS Global changed the face of visa services by revolutionising operations at the back of personalisation and customisation for both clients and customers.
Visa Application Centres were designed along the theme of customer-first, providing the necessary assistance and encouraging real-time resolution to feedback. Optional services were designed to help customers at every step, from filling their forms to end-to-end personalised assistance in exclusive premium lounges. These services saw demand grow over the years given the ease they delivered.
While the pandemic pushed many sub-sectors within travel to instinctively invest in technology, not as an afterthought, for VFS Global it was at the heart of their business since inception. The company’s depth of operations across geographies and the burgeoning number of travellers from across the globe, enabled VFS Global to introduce innovations that were never thought possible in a consular, government-to-consumer set-up. VFS Global cut through the supply chain lag and streamlined the Visa Procurement process by providing travellers personalised services such as Visa At Your Doorstep (VAYD), Joint Visa Application Centres, self-upload of documents, personal assistance, eVisa solutions, IVR (Interactive Voice Response) for helpline and chatbot help desks, all aimed at improving efficiency, turnaround time and reducing scope for error. While traditional visa application services may have been the core business, VFS Global has adapted and evolved with the need of the hour by enhancing its technology efficiency and optimum data security levels. As the company charts the road to bringing back the promise in travel, the strategy is to reimagine the customer journey and offer convenience at every step of the journey with safety at the core of it.
The future of VISA application services
It is no revelation that Covid-19 came as an immense shock to the travel sector. However, what remains significant is being relevant with a future-ready ecosystem. With health and safety being primary considerations, trends demanding even more segmented online search and booking, certified checks across borders, digital health and support infrastructure, and zero-contact travel experiences will shape the future and the recovery of the sector.
As borders reopen and travel restrictions ease gradually, a convenient and reliable pre-departure COVID-19 testing solution may become a catalyst in the recovery process of international travel. Testing all passengers for COVID-19 prior to departure at the country of origin would be a critical success factor, as that may be a pre-requisite by various countries for allowing incoming or transiting passengers.
To meet this rising demand, VFS Global launched a convenient, reliable, and secure COVID-19 test appointment booking service in over 40 countries so far globally, in partnership with government accredited medical service providers, authorised to carry out tests as per local rules and regulations of respective countries.
More recently, VFS Global has entered a strategic partnership with Affinidi’s Unifier and Accredify to address another aspect of safe border reopenings. The partnership enables travellers to seamlessly book their mandatory pre-departure COVID-19 swab tests and keep a copy of the swab’s results online via VFS Global’s network of accredited laboratories. With Accredify’s tamper-proof HealthCert solution, the traveller’s test results can be used for verification purposes by relevant authorities. Unifier then enables airlines and immigration authorities to digitally verify the authenticity of the COVID-19 test results using a simple QR code scan and matching the health credentials against the entry requirements of the destination country.
In essence, the future of visa processing now rests with how the enablers are able to best integrate the dire need for safety to a new, disrupted journey. The kind the paves way for sustainable journeys for generations to come. And VFS Global is at the forefront.
