As people start to season their travels around the globe important need for fast visa processing services increases. Currently, VFS Global’s CEO Zubin Karkaria heads this challenge, where the aim is to make an application for a visa as easy as possible for millions of people across the globe. VFS Global is an international company that was established in 2001, and currently it cooperates with 68 governments for more than 150 countries that provides services for millions of people applying for visas every year.
The vision of Karkaria to build VFS Global was probably conceived when the world saw a need to rationalize visa application processes, thus maximizing efficiency for embassies as well as applicants. His company provides end-to-end solutions related to gathering and providing documents to booking appointments and executive transport to the traveler.
However, the challenges in the geopolitics and the issues related with the visits abroad have never halted VFS Global. It is also shown that the company processed 24. 1 million applications in 2023 and expecting to grow beyond the pre COVID-19 level this year. As per the latest data, over the course of the next three years, VFS Global’s CAGR is likely to be between 18% to 20%, which is quite healthy indeed.
For Karkaria, issues of security as well as data privacy have been deemed very crucial whereby the company assigns fairly expansive resources in IT and Cybersecurity divisions. VFS operates one of the biggest bug bounty programmes and collaborates with Microsoft, Fortinet and many other companies on different activities that underpin security of its systems.
While VFS Global increases the number of offices, the company is also paying much attention to the quality of services provide. The company provides paid areas so that customers can have an expedited service and be attended individually. Besides, it is venturing into new solutions like the ‘Medical At Your Doorstep’ service in the UAE specifically for the visa renewal process.
Having put his finger on the problems Karkaria eyes the future with enthusiasm and predicts growth beyond imagination. Since there is still 65% of the visa market untouched for outsourcing, VFS Global is in the right place at the right time. The company is also diversifying to other related services, such as passports’ renewal and medical tests for expatriates since it will be utilizing it facilities fully.
However, Karkaria looks at the bright side: ‘Migration changes over the world are moving in a direction where borders are becoming tighter and migration regulations more complex, yet for me, that is not a reason to be pessimistic’. According to him, VFS Global has adopted innovation and efficiency policy, which he observes will lead the company to deliver efficient service to millions of people across the globe in the affairs of traveling internationally.
