October 26, 2020 TnH Global

VFS Global wins contract to provide visa, OCI and passport services for India across the United States

• VFS Global has been appointed as the exclusive service provider for visa, OCI, passport, renunciation of Indian citizenship, and Global Entry Programme (GEP) verification services for the Government of India in the United States

• From November 2020, the Indian diaspora and other applicants across the United States can apply for OCI, passport, renunciation of Indian citizenship, and GEP verification services at any one of VFS Global’s India Centres

• Due to COVID-19 restrictions, India visa services remain suspended; re-start date to be announced according to directives of the Embassy of India in the US

• India Consular Application Centres will be located in six cities: Washington DC, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston

As part of its expanding service network for the Government of India’s Ministry of External Affairs worldwide, VFS Global has been awarded the contract to exclusively manage visa, OCI, passport, renunciation of Indian citizenship, and Global Entry Programme (GEP) verification services for the Government of India, across six cities in the United States of America: Washington DC, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston.
In these cities, VFS Global will provide the following services for Indian or US citizens, and for third-country nationals, from November 2020: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) application, passport application, renunciation of Indian citizenship and Global Entry Programme (GEP) verification services. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, India visa services remain suspended at present. The re-start date for visa services will be announced according to directives of the Embassy of India in USA.

The centres will be equipped with world-class facilities aimed at providing an easily accessible and a superior application experience for customers and will make the application process more convenient for travellers. These services are expected to benefit the over 4 million-strong Indian diaspora community in the United States, as well as customers who apply for India visas from the US. Customers can visit https://www.indianembassyusa.gov.in for the latest information on the services offered.

VFS Global has been serving the Government of India since 2008. The United States is the 12th country in which VFS Global will provide passport, visa and consular services for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. At present, VFS Global manages 44 Passport and Visa Application Centres for the Government of India in 11 countries: Australia, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group Chief Operating Officer (South Asia, Middle East & North Africa and Americas), VFS Global, said:

“We are delighted to have been chosen to offer these vital passport and consular services across the United States and are committed to providing a superior experience for each and every one of our customers here, in line with our service standards globally. I must add that as a company that has its origins in Mumbai, India – where the first VFS Global Application Centre was set up close to two decades ago – it is a matter of immense pride for us to be given the opportunity to serve our customers right across the United States.”

With a vast global network of visa and consular application centres, VFS Global provides Passport and Consular Services to 10 governments through 95 application centres in 30 countries worldwide. Some of the other governments for which VFS Global provides passport and consular services include:
▪ Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO), UK – 38 outsourced Passport Application Centres in 17 countries
▪ The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs – 5 outsourced Passport and ID Card Application Centres across Australia, UK, USA, and Canada
▪ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ghana – 2 outsourced Passport Application Centres in the USA
▪ The Ministry of External Affairs of India – 38 outsourced Passport Application Centres in 8 countries
▪ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italy – 1 outsourced Citizenship Application Centre in Paraguay
▪ Philippines – 5 outsourced Passport Application Centres across the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
▪ Lithuania – 2 outsourced Passport Application Centres in the UK
▪ Austria – 1 Passport Collection Centre in Dubai, UAE
▪ Portugal – 2 Passport Collection Centres in the UAE