VFS Global has won the contract to exclusively manage visa, Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) and passport services for the Indian government in the United States. This programme is expected to benefit the over four million-strong Indian diaspora community in the US.
The India consular application centres will be located in six US cities namely Washington DC, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta and Houston.
The visa outsourcing and technology services company will offer the facilities for Indian or US citizens, and for third country nationals, from November 2020.
Customers can apply for OCI, passport, renunciation of Indian citizenship and Global Entry Programme (GEP) verification services at any one of VFS Global’s India centres. India visa services remain suspended at present owing to the Covid-19 restrictions.
Vinay Malhotra, regional group chief operating officer (south Asia, middle east and 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.
US is the 12th country in which VFS Global will provide passport, visa and consular services for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. Other 11 countries are Australia, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
Visit indianembassyusa.gov.in for more information.
