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SA Migration Newsletter
14 / 2023 |
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 SA Migration
International was created out of the need for a
specialist organization to assist people wishing to immigrate,
volunteer, work, bring family, study or open businesses in South
Africa.
Thousands of foreign nationals have chosen South Africa as their retirement destination, with many of them leaving some notable first-world countries such as the United Kingdom, China, Germany, and the United States of America.
During a parliamentary Q&A in June, the minister of Home Affairs was asked to furnish the total number of retirement visa applications that were received and approved, as well as what countries these applicants come from.
In response, the department said South Africa had received around 3,645 retirement visa applications over the past two years from foreigners residing in 112 countries.
In the past two and a half weeks, the South African Police Service (SAPS) have conducted raids in 20 provinces across the country, resulting in the arrest of more than 3700 foreign nationals for various immigration violations. The operation, which was launched on 8th May 2023 was led by the Ministry of Home Affairs and was conducted by police officers, immigration officers, military personnel and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
The short answer
Your best option would be to urgently consult with an organisation experienced in dealing with Home Affairs.
The whole question
Where can I get help with getting Home Affairs to process my application for citizenship for my son, born in 2020 in Russia, and whose father is South African? Russian birth certificates do not mention the father, so my child’s father had a DNA test done to confirm paternity. My 90 days of not having to have a visa are fast running out and still no response from Home Affairs.
Over 178,000 Zimbabweans in South Africa have the special permit allowing them to live and work in the country.
Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi has instructed his legal team to apply for leave to appeal court rulings which overturned his decision to terminate the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) programme.
Earlier this week, a full bench in the Pretoria high court, declared the termination of the programme unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid, and directed the minister to reconsider the issue “following a fair process†that complies with the relevant laws. The court challenge was brought by the Helen Suzman Foundation and the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa.
Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi says South Africa’s e-Visa systems will be expanded in the coming financial year to include more visa types.
Delivering his budget debate address on Wednesday (17 May), the minister said that work is underway to develop and expand the current e-Visa system.
He said that Home Affairs is critical to president Cyril Ramaphosa’s investment drive to kickstart the economy, and through Operation Vulindlela, has been given the mandate to improve the country’s overall visa regime.
The minister said that to this effect, South Africa’s e-Visa system will be expanded to 20 more countries during the course of the year.
Government decision was an opportunity missed to implement progressive suggestions. SA experiences strong migration flows from neighbouring countries, leading to competition for scarce resources and periodic violence against foreigners, says the writer.
The African proverb, “When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers,†aptly describes the consequences of the Zimbabwean exemption permit (ZEP) holders’ battle with the department of home affairs.
On Friday, the high court issued its judgment in the case brought by the Helen Suzman Foundation. The foundation’s lawsuit was a response to the government’s decision in November 2021 to discontinue the special dispensation programme for Zimbabweans. These permits had been granted since 2009, allowing over 177,000 individuals to reside in SA. The foundation’s argument focused not on challenging the decision itself, but rather on the way it was made.
You can email the RRO where you got your most recent extension to make an appointment or try to renew it online.
The long answer
As you know, the Refugee Reception Offices (RROs) of Home Affairs were all closed during the pandemic in 2020 and Home Affairs had to grant a blanket extension of the permits until 31 December 2021, which was later extended to 30 April 2022. Home Affairs set up an online renewal system in April 2021, but many asylum seekers found great difficulty in using this system. Home Affairs was urged to fix it, but it is not clear how well this system is working yet.
A waitress, who was fired for not declaring that she had received a R150 cash tip, has failed in her Labour Court bid to challenge this.
Johannesburg Labour Court Judge Edwin Tlhotlhalemaje ruled that the dismissal of Nyaradzo Taguzu and the subsequent confirmation of this at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) was fair and reasonable.
Her actions, the judge said, were “self-serving and bordered on greedâ€.
Taguzu was employed at Chef’s Warehouse, Maison Estate, in 2016. She was fired in 2018 after a disciplinary process into allegations of misconduct relating to dishonesty for failing to declare her tips.
She referred the dispute to the CCMA, where it was heard by Commissioner Richard Heath. SA
Migration International
Tel.: +27 (0)71 632 9555 Fax: +27 (0)21 461 2611 Email: info@sami.co.za |
SA
Migration
Tel.: +27 (0)71 632 9555 Fax: +27 (0)21 461 2611 Email: info@sami.co.za
Table of Contents
1. About SA Migration
2. Thousands of foreigners are flocking to South Africa to retire, here’s where they’re coming from 3. SAPS Arrested Over 3700 illegal foreign nationals, See How It Happened 4. What can I do if Home Affairs is taking long to process my son`s citizenship application and my visa is expiring soon? 5. Aaron Motsoaledi cries foul over Zimbabwean exemption permit ruling, applies for leave to appeal 6. Changes for e-Visas in South Africa 7. White paper on migration can help to sidestep Zimbabwe exemption permit battle 8. How do I renew my asylum seeker’s permit? 9. Court rules on restaurant firing waitress for not sharing R150 cash tip
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SA Migration Business Pack for free download.   
(click on pic for your study info)  Knysna Lagoon 
Zulu Village (click on pic for full size) 
Retired in South Africa (click on pic for your retirement info)  Knysna Elephants |
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