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Visa application volume from Philippines touches 91% of pre-pandemic levels in 2022
● Major destinations include
Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, and UK (in
alphabetical order)
● Healthy uptick for
personalised services such as Visa At Your Doorstep
● Visa application volume registers 44% growth in 2022 against 2021
Visa applications from Philippines
nearly touched the pre-pandemic levels in 2022 driven by pent-up demand,
opening of international borders, and eased COVID-related protocols. According
to VFS Global, the visa application volume from the Philippines reached 91% of
the 2019 pre-pandemic levels in 2022.
When compared with 2021, visa
application volume grew by 44% in 2022.
“We saw a healthy demand from
Philippines in 2022 with steady volumes witnessed until December. We are
confident that the travel momentum will grow even further in 2023 and hence it
is advisable for applicants including students, to apply for their visas in
advance to avoid last-minute surprises,” said Kaushik Ghosh, Head –
Australasia, VFS Global.
Major destinations for visa applicants
from Philippines include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia,
Netherlands, and United Kingdom (in alphabetical order).
Another defining trend noticed in
travellers’ behaviour was wider adoption of personalised service which began
since the pandemic. Premium optional services such as Visa At Your Doorstep
(VAYD) that enables travellers to book the entire visa experience at a location
of their choice, witnessed around 2x growth over the pre-pandemic levels in
2022. When compared with 2021, VAYD saw a 42% rise in 2022. VFS Global offers
VAYD for 10 client governments in Philippines – Austria, Belgium, Croatia,
Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Malta, Switzerland, and UK.
“Health considerations continue to be a key determining factor in the new normal, with a large and growing section of travellers becoming conscious about health and safety. As a result, we see an increasing number of travellers opt of such services that provide a seamless visa experience and prioritise safe travel,” added Ghosh.
Peak Season Travel Guide
#ApplyinAdvance
It is recommended to apply for visas as early as booking flights and stay. Most countries accept visa applications up to 90 days (3 months) before your date of travel. According to the revised Schengen Visa Code, effective 09th February 2020, you can apply for a Schengen visa up to 6 months before your date of travel. Particularly this year with higher demand and limited appointment slots available, we urge applicants to apply for their visa as early as possible
#DoNotFallForFraud
Visa applicants are advised to beware of fraudulent entities who charge fees from customers for scheduling appointments or providing any other services using VFS Global’s name or independently. We do not charge any payment for scheduling appointments. For any assistance, feel free to reach out to one of our staff or send an email to communications@vfsglobal.com
Enjoy our optional value-added services for a seamless visa experience such as:
● Premium Lounge: Quick, safe, comfortable –
get a personalised visa submission experience.
● Form-filling assistance: Allow our expert staff to
assist you in completing your visa application on phone or at a visa
application centre
● Courier Service: We deliver your passport and documents. It’s
quick, safe, and convenient.
● SMS Alerts: Stay updated on the progress of your visa application.
For more information, visit
https://www.vfsglobal.com/en/individuals/solutions.html.
About VFS Global
VFS
Global is the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist
for governments and diplomatic missions. VFS Global is the trusted partner of
67 client governments, operating a global network with more than 3,400
Application Centres in 145 countries. The company has processed over 257
million applications since its inception in 2001. The company manages
non-judgmental and administrative tasks related to applications for visa,
passport, and consular services for its client governments, enabling them to
focus entirely on the critical assessment task. VFS Global has its headquarters
in Zurich/Switzerland and Dubai/United Arab Emirates.
VFS
Global is majority-owned by funds managed by Blackstone, the world’s largest
alternative asset manager. Blackstone seeks to create positive economic impact
and long-term value for their investors, the companies in which they invest,
and the communities in which they work. Blackstone’s USD 915 billion in assets
under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real
estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity,
opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets, and secondary funds,
all on a global basis.
The
Swiss-based Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation and EQT, a global investment
organisation, headquartered in Stockholm/Sweden, hold minority stakes in VFS
Global.
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FedEx in AMEA Rolls Out Sustainability-Themed ‘50 Days of Caring’ to Celebrate its 50th Birthday
FedEx Express (FedEx), a
subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, celebrated “50 days of Caring” undertaking
community service programs across
the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA) region as part of a series of
initiatives taking place during the countdown to the company’s 50th birthday
on April 17 this year.
Over 1000 FedEx volunteers and
their families across 22 AMEA markets including Australia, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Egypt,
Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mainland
China, Nigeria, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan,
Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam undertook a variety of community-based
activities focusing on sustainability and environmental protection, education,
welfare, and support for the underserved.
Some
of the programs undertaken include:
·
Beach
clean-ups in Australia, Mainland China, and South Africa, to reduce waste and
build cleaner coastal communities.
·
A park clean-up in Japan, and trash collection drives
in India, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa to help
deliver a cleaner, trash-free environment.
·
Planting trees in Mainland China, Singapore, India, Vietnam,
and addition of plants and shrubs around office facilities in Kuwait and Saudi
Arabia.
·
Giving old fabrics in Thailand, including FedEx
retired uniforms in Indonesia a new life through upcycling programs.
·
Hosting educational seminars on eco-living/eating, waste
segregation, road safety and sustainable logistics education being held in the
Philippines, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea.
·
Meal distribution in India as part of Akshay Patra midday meal program,
providing nutritious food to the underserved.
“At FedEx, we believe that a connected world
is a better world. Over our first five decades, we’ve helped people and
businesses thrive and that includes contributing our resources and our network wherever
we can to make a positive difference,” said Kawal Preet, president of Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa
(AMEA) region at FedEx Express. “I’m incredibly proud to see the impact our
team members have made in contributing to a Better World as part of our
anniversary celebrations. What unites our team members is our drive to deliver
the best results for our customers, our communities, and to build a more
sustainable world. We are committed to creating a future that is as
transformative as our first five decades have been.”
To mark 50 years since FedEx was
founded in 1973, the company is continuing to
organize events and share stories that celebrate its team members, shine a
spotlight on its customers, and give the world a glimpse into what’s next. To
learn more about the FedEx 50th birthday celebration, click here.
--------------------------
About
FedEx Express
FedEx Express is one of the world's
largest express transportation companies, supplying fast and reliable delivery
to more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx Express uses a global
air-and-ground network to speed the delivery of time-sensitive shipments by a
definite time and date.
Addendum:
Giving back to local communities has
always been part of FedEx culture. FedEx recently announced that it exceeded its FedEx Cares 50 by
50 goal announced in 2019 to help 50 million people ahead of its 50th
birthday. As one of the most extensive
regions within the FedEx global network, the FedEx AMEA team has contributed significantly
to this goal over the past years. Some of the key achievements include:
·
Donated
three charter
flights to India at
the peak of the Delta variant outbreak, providing hundreds of tonnes of medical
supplies and thousands of oxygen concentrators to vulnerable communities.
·
Provided over 50,000 children with access
to quality healthcare services across Vietnam under FedEx Delivers
Heartbeats Outreach Clinic program – a joint program
between FedEx and VinaCapital Foundation since 2012.
·
Collected over
140,000kg of
garbage and plastic waste
from 21 beaches in Australia, India, Japan and Singapore by the end of 2022.
·
Nurtured
nearly 40,000 aspiring students across AMEA through FedEx / JA
International Trade Challenge over the past 16 years.
·
Donated
more than 30,800 books to more than 5,400 children and set up 32 libraries
across Mainland China under the FedEx Library
Program.
·
Provided
over 1,000 care
packages to blue-collar
workers in the UAE through collaboration with SmartLife Foundation, and joined
the Egyptian Food Bank to pack 1,300 food boxes for the underprivileged in
Egypt during Ramadan in 2022.
·
Benefited more than 30,000 children aged 3-9 years old
and their families and caregivers through 430 AnQ Safety
Awakening cloud classes across Mainland China since 2020.