Indian nationals in Australia faced immediate disruption on July 1 after outsourcing giant VFS Global halted operations at every Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in the country. The suspension — announced with less than 48 hours’ notice — affects visa stamping, passport renewals and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) processing in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra. According to a VFS Global advisory, the shutdown follows a legal dispute in New Delhi over the award of the next seven-year outsourcing contract; until the Delhi High Court issues direction, the company says it cannot accept new files or release processed documents. Applicants with passports already lodged have been told to await individual email instructions, fueling anxiety among families booked to travel in the current school-holiday peak. Australia hosts roughly 780,000 persons of Indian origin, many of whom make frequent trips for business, weddings and eldercare. Travel agents report dozens of corporate travellers stranded because their passports are locked inside VFS centres.
![VFS Global Suspends All Indian Visa and Passport Services in Australia]()
Some firms are re-routing executives through Singapore to obtain emergency visas on arrival, while others are pushing meetings online. In the meantime, online visa facilitator VisaHQ is stepping in to help travellers navigate alternative solutions, offering guidance on emergency travel documents and expedited processing for neighbouring jurisdictions. Indian passport-holders can explore options and submit enquiries directly through the firm’s dedicated India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), which also hosts real-time updates on the evolving situation in Australia and elsewhere.
The Indian High Commission in Canberra has published emergency contact numbers and says it can issue short-validity emergency certificates for life-and-death cases, but routine services remain frozen. Lawyers warn that prolonged closure could breach Australia’s workplace right-to-work rules for temporary visa-holders whose passport expires. A hearing is scheduled for July 2; if no stay order is granted, the government may need to appoint an interim service provider. Businesses with rotation staff are urged to check passport validity and, where possible, move assignments to alternate hubs until processing resumes.
Some firms are re-routing executives through Singapore to obtain emergency visas on arrival, while others are pushing meetings online. In the meantime, online visa facilitator VisaHQ is stepping in to help travellers navigate alternative solutions, offering guidance on emergency travel documents and expedited processing for neighbouring jurisdictions. Indian passport-holders can explore options and submit enquiries directly through the firm’s dedicated India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), which also hosts real-time updates on the evolving situation in Australia and elsewhere.
The Indian High Commission in Canberra has published emergency contact numbers and says it can issue short-validity emergency certificates for life-and-death cases, but routine services remain frozen. Lawyers warn that prolonged closure could breach Australia’s workplace right-to-work rules for temporary visa-holders whose passport expires. A hearing is scheduled for July 2; if no stay order is granted, the government may need to appoint an interim service provider. Businesses with rotation staff are urged to check passport validity and, where possible, move assignments to alternate hubs until processing resumes.
