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Indian High Commission outsource visa service to VFS Global

by: John Parker

Source: Indiainfoline.com

The opening of customer friendly and easily accessible VFS Global visa,
passport and OCI application centres (V&PSC) in Australia, will ensure
efficient visa, passport and OCI services.

To improve the service delivery of the visa, passport and OCI application
processes, the High Commission and the Consulate Generals of India have
decided to outsource these services in Australia to VFS Global Services, the
specialist visa facilitation partner for diplomatic missions worldwide and
part of the Zurich based Kuoni Travel Group. VFS Global is the first Indian
company to be awarded the contract for Consular Outsourcing Service by the
Indian High Commission in Australia.

The opening of customer friendly and easily accessible VFS Global visa,
passport and OCI application centres (V&PSC) in Australia, will ensure
efficient visa, passport and OCI services. The Centres will also offer
prompt and efficient responses to all queries including telephone and e-mail
queries relating to these services. In addition, the Centres would accept
fees in cash, drafts / money orders, and also through credit card / debit
card starting from May 2008. The VFS Global centres in Australia will also
be open without break for longer consular hours  from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM 
on all working days.

Currently the visa application procedures for India in Australia are as
follows:

1) Passport and OCI applications in respect of the areas covered by
Consulate General of India in Melbourne, i.e., Victoria and Tasmania, will
continue to be received by the High Commission of India, Canberra till the
opening of V&PSC in Melbourne.

2) Passport, Visa and OCI applications in respect of South Australia will
continue to be received by the Consulate General of India in Sydney until 20
February, 2008. From 21 February, 2008, applications from South Australia
will have to be forwarded to the V&PSC Centre in Sydney, until the opening
of a separate V&PSC Centre in Adelaide on 18 April, 2008. Thereafter,
applications from South Australia will be dealt with by the V&PSC Centre in
Adelaide.