SIEMENS HAS completed an online visa application and tracking system for the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS). The system is already in use in 12 countries including India, China and Egypt and other European nations.
Developed using Microsoft's BizTalk Server software, the contract is understood to have been worth more than €3 million to Siemens.
The system is being used for approximately 70 per cent of all visa applications, according to Brendan Tangney, public sector sales manager with Siemens.
The Automated Visa Application Tracking System (AVATS) provides a website for potential visitors to Ireland to apply for a visa, and a back-end management interface for staff in the relevant embassy. "When applicants present themselves at the embassy all the paperwork has been done in advance," says Mr Tangney. Systems such as this, which can have a "high impact" and "deliver value for money", will become the norm.
AVATS keeps a record of previously issued visas and allows the INIS to apply photographs to each application so people applying for subsequent visas can be quickly and efficiently identified. This enables the photograph uploaded by the applicant to be embedded in the printed visa. The system also has the ability to support biometric technology through the contribution of Irish firm Daon.
As recent high-profile cases at Dublin airport and other ports of entry have shown, having a valid visa is no guarantee that immigration officials will grant you access. However, Mr Tangney says one of the benefits of an online system is increased transparency of the visa process, as INIS officials can view the progress of all applications.
