VFS Global has temporarily suspended consular services in Australia, causing great concern

VFS Global has temporarily suspended its consular, passport and visa services from July 1, causing great concern for thousands of Indian expatriates and OCI cardholders in Australia. 

Many families who were supposed to go home during the school holidays are being stranded due to this.

Emergency crises:

1. Even those who need to go home for funerals or medical emergencies are unable to renew their visas or passports.

2. This is likely to affect the visa status of many people whose passports are about to expire.

3. The OCI and visa applications of many people who have booked tickets are stuck.

In this context, the Catholic Congress Australia has written to the Hon'ble Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, raising the concerns of the Indian community in Australia, requesting his immediate intervention.

The letter has requested that an alternative system be set up for emergency visa/passport services through the Indian High Commission and consulates, taking humanitarian considerations into account, and that a permanent solution be found to the problem as soon as possible.