Inside the billion-dollar business of getting a visa

About this episode

This episode explores the billion-dollar business of visa processing and the implications of outsourcing this service to private companies.

Getting a visa can be expensive, frustrating, and for many people, unsuccessful. So what happens when governments outsource that process to private companies? An investigation by Lighthouse Reports examines VFS Global, the world’s largest visa processing firm, revealing how billions in applications generate enormous profits, even when visas are denied. In this episode:  May Bulman ( @maybulman ), Investigative Editor, Lighthouse Reports Episode credits: This episode was produced by our guest host, David Enders, Sarí el-Khalili, and Catherine Nouhan. It was edited by Alexandra Locke.  Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Rick Rush mixed this episode. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.  Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X , Instagram , Facebook , and YouTube

People in this episode

Hosts: David Enders, Sarí el-Khalili, Catherine Nouhan

Guest: May Bulman

Topics covered

• visa processing
• private companies
• government outsourcing
• investigation
• profits
• Lighthouse Reports

Keywords

• visa
• VFS Global
• Lighthouse Reports
• investigation
• government outsourcing
• profits
• visa applications

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lighthouse Reports, VFS Global

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