For millions of people, getting a visa is the key to studying, working or travelling abroad, but applicants on the African continent say the process has become increasingly expensive and difficult due to VFS Global – an Indian company that handles visa applications for dozens of African governments. An investigation by Lighthouse Reports and its media partners, including RFI, found complaints of aggressive sales tactics and a thriving market for fraud.
If you are applying in Senegal for a French visa, or in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a Chinese visa, your first point of contact may not be an embassy at all, but VFS Global. The outsourcing company manages appointments and application processing on behalf of governments around the world.
