Leading visa services firm VFS Global says it added significantly to its business footprint in 2023 and coins a global contract for the UK for visa and citizenship services a 'significant win of 2023,' along with other global contracts with governments of Australia, Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Iceland and Austria.

VFS Global, a leading visa outsourcing and technology services company, says it bagged seven global contracts from the governments of the UK, Australia, Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Iceland and Austria in 2023.

In a press statement, VFS Global says that among the most significant wins of 2023 was being awarded a global contract for UK visas and citizenship services.

The visa services company says that it will deploy 240 Visa and Citizenship Application Service (VCAS) Centres for the UK in 142 countries across Africa and Middle East, Americas, Australasia and Europe, China and Taiwan and Asia and Asia Pacific regions catering to about 3.8 million applicants every year, aiding cross border mobility in 2024.

The firm says that this is a significant win also because the contract awards VFS Global with 84 new countries of service for UK Visas and Citizenship services in addition to the 58 countries that VFS Global already serves.

The statement adds that another major contract for the visa service provider was the global biometric collection service awarded by the Department of Home Affairs, Australia, across seven regions comprising Americas, Mekong, Middle East and North Africa, North Asia, Pacific, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

According to the agreement, VFS Global’s core services include biometric data collection, identity verification, digital assistance with online visa applications submission and online payment assistance on the Department’s ImmiAccount portal.

Similarly, the Swedish Ministry of Justice and the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have awarded global tenders to provide Swedish visa services in 37 countries and Norwegian visa and residence permit services in 52 countries respectively. Earlier in the year, Latvia, Iceland and Austria too renewed their global visa services mandates with VFS Global, the visa firm says.

The company says that in 2024 it will continue to focus on enhancing customer service and business excellence through investments in human capital development and technology.

“These significant contract wins are a testament of our trusted partnership with these client governments and our commitment to customer service excellence. It is also an opportunity to contribute to a larger purpose of restoring travellers’ confidence through technology-led, seamless, highly secure and reliable solutions and playing a key role in reviving global travel momentum,” says Zubin Karkaria, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, VFS Global.