A major international investigation into the global visa application industry has reignited debate over the growing role of private companies in managing visa access.
The investigation, conducted by Lighthouse Reports in collaboration with several media organisations, examined the operations of visa outsourcing providers that handle administrative aspects of visa applications on behalf of governments worldwide.
The report focused heavily on VFS Global, one of the largest companies in the sector, which operates visa application centres in more than 160 countries and serves dozens of governments, including many popular destinations for African travellers, students, businesspeople and migrants.
The investigation, titled The Visa Empire: Borders as a Business, analysed more than 2,000 visa application receipts collected from applicants across 16 countries, alongside interviews, freedom of information requests, corporate documents, and other records.
Lighthouse Reports said its findings suggested that applicants in several countries were frequently charged for additional services alongside mandatory visa application fees and that some users reported difficulties accessing appointment slots through standard booking channels.
