A major development has affected Indian passport, visa, and consular services in Australia, Singapore, Kuwait, and the UAE.
The Supreme Court of India has dismissed the Union Government’s appeal against a Delhi High Court judgment that struck down the Ministry of External Affairs’ tender for outsourced Consular, Passport, and Visa (CPV) services in the four countries.
At the same time, the court recognized that the decision could disrupt services for thousands of applicants. It directed the MEA and Engineers India Limited (EIL) to put interim arrangements in place to ensure services continue without interruption while a fresh tender is prepared. The court also asked that the new process be completed as quickly as possible, ideally within three months.
What led to the case
The dispute began after two unsuccessful bidders challenged the tender process, alleging that the evaluation was unfair.
On 15 July, the Delhi High Court ruled that the technical scoring system was arbitrary and lacked transparency, noting inconsistent outcomes across bids. It quashed the tender and ordered the MEA to issue fresh Requests for Proposal. The ruling focused on flaws in the procurement process, not on the quality of visa decisions or applicant conduct.
Impact in Australia
The disruption had already started before the Supreme Court’s ruling. VFS Global stopped accepting new Indian passport and visa applications in Australia from 1 July, saying it was acting on instructions from the High Commission of India in Canberra while the contract dispute remained unresolved.
The Supreme Court’s order is intended to keep essential services available while the government conducts a new, legally compliant tender process. Operational details are expected soon from the MEA and Indian missions in the affected countries.
For thousands of Indians in Australia, the issue goes beyond a legal dispute. It affects passport renewals, visa processing, OCI applications, police clearance certificates, document attestations, and family travel plans.
