For millions of international travellers, securing a visa appointment can be one of the most stressful parts of planning a trip, particularly when slots are scarce and agents claim they can help applicants jump the queue.
VFS Global founder and CEO Zubin Karkaria says the company is now using artificial intelligence to counter bots attempting to corner appointment slots and prevent them from reaching genuine applicants.
Speaking to NDTV's Rahul Kanwal at VFS Global's headquarters in Dubai, Karkaria said the company was deploying technology aimed at identifying automated bookings, including systems that match passport details with applicants during the appointment process.
'No One Can Sell You A Visa Slot'
The scramble for appointments has also created an ecosystem of agents and touts claiming they can secure scarce visa slots. "Nobody can sell you a slot," Karkaria said. He said VFS Global runs anti-fraud campaigns warning applicants against intermediaries who claim to have privileged access to appointments.
The company is also using artificial intelligence to combat bots attempting to corner slots, as concerns grow that automated systems can make it harder for genuine applicants to find available appointments.
Karkaria said appointment availability ultimately depends on the capacity provided by individual governments and diplomatic missions, while VFS Global's role remains administrative. He repeatedly stressed that the company neither approves nor rejects visas. "We don't take decisions," Karkaria said, addressing concerns that applicants may believe paying for additional services could improve their chances of securing a visa or speed up the process.
Even when passports are returned after processing, he said, VFS employees may not know whether a visa has been granted because the documents arrive in sealed envelopes.
VFS Global CEO Responds To Upselling Charges
VFS Global has also faced criticism over the sale of services such as premium lounges. Karkaria rejected suggestions that applicants were being pressured into buying them.
He said most such services were booked before applicants arrived at a visa centre, either online or through travel agents and tour operators. "We don't need to hard-sell," he said, comparing the choice to purchasing additional services while booking an airline ticket.
The company, he added, displays disclaimers stating that premium services have no bearing on whether a visa is approved or how quickly an embassy processes an application.
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What Happens To Applicants' Biometric Data?
Kanwal also pressed Karkaria on another sensitive question surrounding visa outsourcing: how safe is an applicant's data Karkaria said VFS Global does not retain biometric information.
Once fingerprints, photographs and passport information are captured, he said, the biometric data is transmitted in real time to the embassy, government or designated server. "We don't keep any biometric data," he said.
According to Karkaria, front-line terminals cannot be used to store or print such information.
Limited personal details, including a name, telephone number and address required for returning passports, are retained only for periods specified by individual governments before being automatically purged.
Beyond concerns over appointments, privacy and premium services, Karkaria remains optimistic about international travel despite geopolitical tensions and tighter immigration policies in some markets.
While travel from markets such as Russia and Ukraine has been affected, he said the industry has repeatedly shown resilience through crises including SARS, 9/11 and the Covid-19 pandemic.
For Karkaria, VFS Global's ability to retain the confidence of governments ultimately rests on one factor. "Trust is the biggest factor," he said.
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