Global outsourcing giant VFS Global has reassured applicants that all foreign visa application centres (VACs) in New Delhi remain fully operational despite large-scale public demonstrations across the capital. In an advisory posted on X (formerly Twitter) at 18:49 IST on 24 July 2026, the company said customers who arrive earlier or later than their booked slot will be accommodated “wherever operationally feasible”. The message followed a morning of rolling metro-station closures and traffic diversions around the protest corridors of Jantar Mantar and Connaught Place, raising fears that applicants might miss hard-to-secure appointments. The assurance is significant because Delhi’s VAC cluster processes more than 10,000 biometric submissions daily for Schengen, UK, US, Canada, Australia and several Asian destinations. Missed appointments typically force travellers to wait weeks for the next slot—delays that can derail business trips, student enrolments or family visits. Corporate mobility teams are being advised to circulate the VFS link to employees, arrange buffer travel time, and keep proof of appointment handy at police barricades. Applicants with imminent flight connections should carry supporting documents—such as e-tickets and hotel vouchers—to strengthen requests for priority handling at the centre. VFS said it will continue to post real-time updates on social channels; applicants are urged not to rely on third-party agents for rescheduling, a practice that often attracts unauthorised fees.
Source: The Economic Times
