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As per the policy of Government of India, Consulate General of India, Jeddah
has decided to outsource visa support services for foreign nationals
entering into India and passport support services to Indian expatriates to
the following three firms viz. (1) M/s Al Fifa for General Services, Dammam;
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2) M/s Al Tayyar Travel Group, Jeddah, Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia; (3) M/s VFS GCC LLC, Dubai, UAE (local partner M/s Abyaar
Modern Commercial Services – Tas Heel) respectively. These three firms are
expected to take over the work relating to collection of application of
visa/passport aspirants in the Western Region of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
falling within the jurisdiction of the Consulate from August 16, 2008
subject to their completing all formalities/infrastructure before that
date. In case they fail to meet the Consulate’s requirements by stipulated
date, the date of undertaking the task being entrusted to them shall be
deferred.
2. After outsourcing, the
visa/passport aspirants, instead of coming to the Consulate’s premises,
would approach the outsourcing firms with all required documents. The
office of these outsourcing firms at Jeddah shall remain open 6 days a week
(closed on Fridays) from 8.30 am to 8.30 pm (with usual lunch break) except
on Saudi National Day and a couple of days during Ramadan and Haj holidays.
These firms shall have dedicated collection centres at all places for
receiving applications for obtaining new passports and visas and
distributing processed documents, where Consulate’s Consular Teams had been
visiting periodically on weekends in the Western Region to provide Passport
& Consular services. In addition, they have been authorized to open
additional collection centres depending on the requirements of visa/passport
aspirants.
3. This is with a view to
provide quality services to the aspirants at their doorsteps or nearest
convenient place with more ease at a very low charge. The outsourcing firms
shall charge an additional amount of SR 27/- from passport aspirants and SR
55 from visa aspirants over and above the prescribed fees for these services
by the Government of India. For this purpose, an agreement has been signed
between the officers of this Consulate and the three firms individually on
June 30, 2008 in the presence of Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Consul General.
4. As per the agreed
terms and conditions, broadly these outsourcing firms shall ensure:
a)
Distribution of visa/passport applications, as prescribed by the Consulate,
free of cost (can also be downloaded from the website of the outsourcing
firms);
b)
Assistance to visa/passport aspirants in completion of forms by providing
factual information;
c)
Accepting
visa/passport applications along with passport, prescribed service fee and
company’s service charges and providing bar coded receipt to each applicant
showing relevant details;
d)
Scrutiny
of various documents and forms and their submission to Consulate without
much loss of time;
e)
Return of
processed visas and/or passports to successful applicants in time and
orderly fashion including informing those aspirants who are required to be
interviewed before grant of such services;
f)
Publish
and distribute an official leaflet explaining clearly how to apply for an
Indian visa and issue of new passport to Indian nationals complete with
relevant guidance;
g)
A viable
and effective security and vigilance system;
h)
Maintenance of quality control on service standards;
i)
Operate
an e-mail/tele-enquiry facilities and electronic display in order that
applicants can track the progress of their application with the upper time
limit of 2 days to respond.
5. Besides, these
outsourcing firms shall deal and handle personal information as if the
provisions of Privacy Laws applicable both in India and Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia applied to it, in particular, use it only for the purpose for which
it is collected, protect all personal information in their possession, and
not disclose it without prior permission of this Consulate.
6. The tenure of the
agreement shall be for 3 years initially unless terminated earlier for
infringement of the agreed terms and conditions by the Consulate.
7. The outsourcing firms
are also required to maintain a website containing detailed information
inter-alia Government of India’s prescribed visa/passport charges and
lodgment charges, addresses and contact details, list of holidays, office
operating hours, a passport tracking system, a link to Consulate General of
India, Jeddah’s website. These firms shall have a separate hotline
telephone number and a separate e-mail address to answer queries promptly
(not later than 24 hours). In case the outsourcing firms cannot answer the
query on their own, they shall notify the same to the Consulate.
8. It is also clarified
that outsourcing firms will ensure that no visa/passport applications are
entertained by proxy. In case an applicant failed to submit his/her
application in person due to certain extreme conditions, the application
must accompany with authority letter from the applicant. Further, the
outsourcing firms will be solely responsible in case fraud is detected by
the Consulate and contract will be cancelled without being given one month’s
notice.
9. Visas to
Diplomatic/Official Passport holders shall continue to be issued from the
Consulate directly.
10. Likewise all other
Consular services (attestation, etc.) shall continue to be provided by the
Consulate directly.
11. At present, this
Consulate issues about 40,000 passports and 8000 visas annually. Of around
1.6 million expatriate Indians, 7.5 lakhs are within the Jeddah Consulate’s
jurisdiction. As of now, the Consulate offers services on five full days a
week, excluding Government of India’s national holidays, and on Thursdays
from 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm to expatriates staying away from Jeddah and Mecca
besides undertaking Consular tours on every weekend on Thursdays and Fridays
to, at least, one location in the Western Region.
12. As per Government of
India’s new policy, several Missions/Posts have entered into agreement for
outsourcing both visa services and a few of them for obtaining visa and
passport support services. Consulate General of India, Jeddah is the second
Mission in the Middle East to sign the agreement for outsourcing both visa
and passport services after Consulate General of India, Dubai signed in the
1st week of April 2008. However, Consulate General of India,
Jeddah would be the first Mission to award the services to three firms by
providing them level playing field and it is hoped that the visa/passport
aspirants in the Western Region of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia shall receive
efficient and quality services with much ease and convenience by this new
arrangement.
13. The outsourcing firms,
with whom this Consulate General has signed agreements on June 30, 2008,
shall publicize separately the procedures in details for obtaining
applications on behalf of this Consulate General for the knowledge/benefit
of visa/passport services aspirants in due course. |
