Andhra Pradesh Chambers Seeks Visa Facilitation Centres in Amaravati, Vizag
According to AP Chambers, around 40,000 to 45,000 students from Andhra Pradesh travel abroad every year for higher education, apart from business travellers, professionals and parents visiting NRI children overseas.
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation has urged the state government to facilitate the establishment of full-fledged VFS Global Visa Application Centres (VACs) in Amaravati and Visakhapatnam to meet the growing international travel and visa processing needs of people from Andhra Pradesh.
In a representation to Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad, AP Chambers president Potluri Bhaskara Rao said the state currently lacks a comprehensive VFS Global facility despite a sharp rise in international travellers, including students, NRIs, IT professionals, entrepreneurs, exporters, tourists and migrant workers travelling to countries such as the US, UK, Canada, Australia, UAE, Singapore and several European and Gulf nations.
The federation noted that the absence of full-fledged visa centres in Andhra Pradesh has forced applicants to travel to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Delhi for biometric appointments and visa processing, causing inconvenience and additional expenditure.
According to AP Chambers, around 40,000 to 45,000 students from Andhra Pradesh travel abroad every year for higher education, apart from business travellers, professionals and parents visiting NRI children overseas.
The representation said the demand for dedicated visa centres has become more pressing with the rapid economic growth of Amaravati and Visakhapatnam.
Describing Amaravati as an emerging hub for knowledge, innovation and quantum technology, the Chambers said a VFS centre in the capital region would benefit travellers from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.
Highlighting Visakhapatnam’s rise as a major East Coast data centre and technology hub, the federation pointed out that companies such as Google, Reliance Industries, Adani Group and Sify Technologies are setting up major infrastructure projects in the city.
AP Chambers urged the government to take up the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs, foreign missions and VFS Global for the early establishment of permanent Visa Application Centres in Amaravati and Visakhapatnam.