MFA Finland Visa process improvement programs NETVIS & ELVIS

Transcription

1 MFA Finland Visa process improvement programs NETVIS & ELVIS Katja-Marika Puittinen & Ari Uusikartano

2 NETVIS kicked-off in late 2009 because: Finland Schengen visa applications in Russia had more than doubled since 2005 in applications submitted in Finland Missions in Russia (worldwide total applications) visa application count was still constantly increasing no capacity nor resources in Missions to handle the increasing amount of visa applications residential and office space converted into visa processing areas processing cannot be handled in normal office hours continuous 2-shift work in Saint Petersburg, overtime charges in all the Missions long queues in front of the Missions for customers to submit their visa applications visa applications were filled in improperly lot of manual work when processing the applications importance for Finnish tourism, trade, business and industry in 2008 more than 2,3 million Russian spent 595 million Euros in Finland biometrics data collection (finger prints) will increase the demand for even more capacity and resources

3 Benefits Online VAF more effective application processing less manual work, more emphasis on actual decision making process improved customer service, no queuing, shorter waiting times no queues in front of the Missions Procurement was conducted at no cost by MFA Finland. No local contracts.

4 Outsourcing appointment scheduling for both to the Missions and to the VACs visa application submission and review, incl. annexes application data check and enter into online VAF if in paper form online VAF data quality check call center visa application online tracking, sms, document delivery to and from the Missions pass-back courier service (extra charge)

5 Finland VAC in Saint Petersburg world s largest visa application center approx. 3000m 2 approx. 300 employees separate areas for individual applicants and travel agents Average waiting time is less than 1 minute.

6 Queuing

7 is history!

8 Key milestones in NETVIS Appointment scheduling and online VAF implementation in Moscow, Russia VAC opening in Moscow, Russia Online VAF implementation in Kyiv, Ukraine Online VAF implementation in Saint Petersburg, Russia Appointment scheduling implementation in Kyiv, Ukraine Online VAF implementation in Petrozavodsk, Russia VAC opening in Kyiv Appointment scheduling implementation and VAC opening in Saint Petersburg Satellite VAC opening in Kazan, Russia Satellite VAC opening in Lviv, Ukraine Remote visa processing centre setup in Kouvola, Finland Satellite VAC openings in Donetsk, Odessa and Harkova, Ukraine Ten more satellite VAC openings in Russia during 2013 More than 95% of all Finland Schengen visas are submitted in VACs.

9 ELVIS kicked-off in early 2012 because: Finland Missions processed visa applications worldwide in 2011 application count increased by 23% from previous year almost 95% of the visa applications were submitted in Finland Missions in Russia St. Petersburg processed visa applications application count increased by 26% from previous year no capacity nor resources in Missions to handle the increasing amount of visa applications

10 ELVIS the increase in visa applications from Russia has accentuated the need for developing electronic visa services and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is reforming the electronic processing of visa applications (LIVP = Location Independent Visa Processing) the Ministry has decided to set up a visa service centre in Kouvola by implementing this reform, the Ministry wants to ensure the provision of high-quality visa services in Russia until the objective of visa-free travel shared by the EU and Russia is realized electronic visa processing will in future level out the peaks in the demand for visa services occurring in Finnish Missions in Russia

11 ELVIS during the initial stage, some of the visa applications submitted at the diplomatic mission in St. Petersburg will be processed in Finland the service centre concept will also enable utilization of the entire visa service capacity should any unexpected country-specific changes occur in visa activities the pilot project was launched in early April 2012 and the Kouvola Visa Service Centre (RVPC = Remote Visa Processing Centre) was opened in August 2012 during the pilot stage, the Centre employed 60 visa officers piloting lasted until summer 2013, after which the Ministry made decision about continuing and expansion of Kouvola Centre

12 Key milestones in ELVIS First group of visa officers start Second group of visa officers start First visa application processed in RVPC Third group of visa officers start >1000 applications from St. Petersburg per day processed in RVPC Decision by the Ministry to continue and expand the Kouvola Centre summer 2013 Currently Kouvola site serves missions in St. Petersburg, Murmansk, Moscow and Petrozavodsk (Kiev in process) Over 70 visa officers currently employed by Kouvola Centre About half of the overall applications from Russia are processed in Kouvola The processes are harmonized in the Missions using Elvis and in Kouvola

13 By going from this

14 to this

15 we have created history! Photo: Kouvolan Sanomat Photo: Kouvolan Sanomat

16 and scanning is revealing Normal light and UV K-MP/AJU 18