AMS Ltd

Having worked with CSC on Visa Application Centre designs and the project management of construction and fit out works during the successful World wide roll out of these premises; the AMS Ltd design team offer their congratulations to all parties involved in the VAC project who have contributed to CSC receiving this prestigious award. 

On Monday 27^th of April 2009, CSC won the International Award at this year’s prestigious MCA Management Awards for its work in establishing 30 visa application centres overseas for the UK Border Agency, complete with biometrics technology.  

The UK Border Agency was tasked with processing 2.75 million applications each year, a critical role in allowing skilled workers to come into the country while protecting the nation’s borders against terrorism, organised crime and influxes of illegal immigrants. 

To manage this task, a five year business outsourcing deal was signed with CSC and stated that the biometrics-based visa applications had to be introduced to the 30 VACS by the end of 2007 – within just 10 months. Jamaica was the first VAC to go live. This deadline was met, and the lessons learnt in Jamaica provided CSC with a repeatable model, the ‘VAC-in-a-box’. This concept introduced by Stephen Martin of AMS Ltd was constantly refined throughout the roll out and proved to be a significant success. 

The ambitious roll-out of secure biometrics collection and visa application centres around the world was completed successfully three months ahead of schedule, and under budget. To date, 3.9 million biometric details have been logged. More than 26,000 visa applicants have been connected to earlier migration cases and asylum requests, and some 4,000 cases of identity-swapping have been detected.

Brian Lever and Geoff Lockwood were delighted to pick up this award on behalf of CSC and UK Borders Agency, but congratulations go to the entire UK Borders Agency Team.