Inside the billion-dollar business of getting a visa

VFS Global, the world's largest visa outsourcing company, exploits its position to generate massive profits by pressuring applicants into purchasing unnecessary "value-added services." Since being acquired by the private equity firm Blackstone in 2022, the company has seen revenue per visa application rise by 41%, driven by aggressive upselling tactics that target vulnerable individuals. May Bulman, Investigations Editor at Lighthouse Reports, highlights how applicants—often from countries with limited travel mobility—are coerced into paying for premium lounges and courier services under the fear that refusal will jeopardize their visa outcomes. This systemic extraction of wealth persists despite high rejection rates, where applicants lose significant sums on fees for visas they never receive. The investigation, conducted across 14 global media outlets, exposes a profit-driven model that complicates international mobility and imposes severe financial strain on those seeking to study, work, or reunite with family abroad.