The visa backlog at home affairs is causing serious headaches for people looking to travel or work in South Africa.

Marisa Jacobs, Managing Director of Xpatweb, said that the Department of Home Affairs’ decision to withdraw the central adjudication system has led to a major visa backlog, with the minister of home affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, saying that the backlog stands at over 60,000.

The minister has, however, announced a new visa cession extending to 31 December 2023.

Jacobs gave details about who qualified for the new visa concession:

Applicants whose waiver application outcomes are still pending as of 31 March 2023 are granted a temporary extension until 31 December 2023.
Applicants whose visa applications (long-term visa holders) are still pending are granted a temporary extension until 31 December 2023.
Short-term visa holders whose visa validity was issued for less than 90 days, and who have not received an extension by 31 March 2023, must depart on or before 30 April 2023, to avoid being declared undesirable.
However, others are not covered by the concession:

Any pending applications at Embassies.
Limited cover for short-term visa holders.
ZEP holders, even where there is a pending application.
However, she said that the concession was ambiguous in some cases. She added that those who are covered by the concession and plan to travel outside of South Africa should bring their VFS Global receipt and concession letter to avoid any issues when they return to the country.

When it comes to those whose application is urgent or overdue, she said that they can consider legal action to speed up the process.

She added that her company was successful when it escalated its clients’ urgent applications to the High Court â€` if the urgency was supported by facts.

Considering the difficulty in getting long-term mainstream visas in South Africa, Marissa said that individuals and businesses should establish a well-defined strategy

and roadmap to deal with their applications, as it will help them in the application process while also covering those who have already been granted an extension from any unexpected requests.

Could soon get better

Jacobs and Eden Ben-Attar from Xpatweb previously said that the work visa system in South Africa is currently the worst it has ever been.

“Other countries get certain visa categories issued at record speed and with high proficiency. The current system places foreign investors in a difficult spot, as they need to be prepared for a frustrating process and a bit of a fight to get their visa,” said Xpatweb.

The major backlog in work visa applications has made South Africa a less attractive destination to much-needed skilled workers.

Although the government tried to launch an initiative in 2022 where the head office would manage the work visa approvals instead of embassies to ensure consistency in documentation and address corruption, Xpatweb said that it appears to have failed.

“Various directives were issued in this regard and to the point where the work visa adjudication process was handed back to Embassies on new submissions. The embassies have not taken back the Head Office submissions during the directive period, so these remain with Head Office according to the certain embassies,” said Xpatweb.

However, following consistent concern over the failure of the Department of Home Affairs, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that government will overhaul the visa system.

In May, Operation Vulindlela, an initiative between the Presidency and National Treasury to drive policy implementation, published a detailed report on how to improve the visa regime.

The Department of Home Affairs has also set out an implementation plan that will ensure that the implementation plan is adopted. V.4842

The extensions will help address a backlog of applications. One of the first acts of new Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has been to give visa applicants a reprieve. Schreiber extended the temporary concession for foreigners awaiting the outcome of their visa, waiver and appeal applications. Home Affairs claims the move is aimed at addressing a backlog of applications and not prejudicing the applicants due to the expected delays. Protection for lawful contributors to SA V.5616
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Joel Sihle Ngubane of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party and a member of the portfolio committee on Home Affairs have called on the department to prioritise local skills before issuing critical skills visas to foreigners. V.5617
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The White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection proposes a raft of legislative reforms. • One is that the period a foreign national resides in the country won`t be the main considering factor for granting permanent residency. • The Department of Home Affairs is looking to introduce a points-based system for foreign nationals to apply for residency. V.5618
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Here are the latest adjustments to 2024 car licence renewal fees in South Africa, as the department continues with stringent reforms … The new Transport Minister is taking the department to task over 2024 car licence renewal fees. However, motorists are reminded that when it comes to how much licence renewal will cost outright, it still varies from province to province. V.5614
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The news: South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has announced the government’s plan to digitise the department, eliminating the need for in-person visits. The government expects this online system to reduce, if not eliminate, in-person visits by transforming the current paper-based processes into an automated platform, allowing South Africans to access services like ID applications, passport renewals, and visas remotely. V.5615
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Germany`s Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) and Kenya`s President William Ruto signed the deal in Berlin Germany has agreed to open the doors to 250,000 skilled and semi-skilled Kenyan workers in a controlled and targeted labour migration deal. Kenya is struggling with increasing difficulties in providing work and sufficient income for its young professionals, while Germany is facing a shortage of skilled labour. V.5609
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BEIJING - China said it would gradually raise its statutory retirement age, as the country grapples with a looming demographic crisis and an older population. Hundreds of millions of people in China are set to enter old age in the coming decades while the birth rate dwindles dramatically. V.5610
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A surprise inspection at a Pretoria restaurant resulted in the arrest of two foreign national employees who allegedly did not have documentation to be in the country. (Alex Mitchley/News24) • The Department of Labour has conducted a `blitz` inspection at a restaurant in Menlyn. • The surprise inspection came after a complaint alleging the flouting of labour practices by a former employee that started making the rounds on social media. • One of the restaurant owners dismissed the allegations. V.5611
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The Western Cape High Court has temporarily stopped the initiation of any process to deport a foreign national who has indicated an intent to apply for asylum, until their application has been finalised. • The Western Cape High Court has temporarily halted the initiation of any process to deport a foreign national who has indicated an intent to apply for asylum, until their application has been finalised. • The interim interdict will remain in place pending the outcome of the main court application brought by the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town. • The court is expected to hear that main challenge in February 2025. V.5612
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South Africa’s plan to attract more professionals to its skills-starved economy through the introduction of a so-called nomad visa for remote workers has been slowed by the need to amend tax regulations. The impediment comes after an initial delay when changes to the visa regime had to be temporarily withdrawn because mandatory public consultation procedures hadn’t been followed. V.5613
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