The Following Are Changes Under the Above Mentioned Acts

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC: THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IMMIGRATION AMENDMENT ACTS, 2007 & 11 COMMENCES WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

The following are changes under the above mentioned Acts:

The word “visa” replaces the word “permit” except for the Permanent Residence “permit”. E.g. a Visitor’s Permit will now be called a Visitor’s Visa, a Work Permit will now be called a Work Visa and a Study Permit will be called a Study Visa.

ALL APPLICATION MUST BE MADE IN PERSON AT THE EMBASSY. APPLICATIONS WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTED BY MAIL/COURIER OR TRAVEL AGENTS

Study visa will be issued for the duration of the study.

An Intra-Company Transfer Work Visa will be issued for a period of Four (4) years.

A Critical Skills Work Visa has been introduced into the Act.

Exceptional Skills and Quota Work Permits have been repealed.

A Corporate Visa will be issued to South African corporate applicants to employ a number of foreigners for a period not exceeding three years, after showing the need for employment of such foreigners

A person issued with a business visa must employ or prove that 60% of the total staff complement is South African citizens or permanent residents.

Repatriation Guarantee fee is no longer a requirement

Immigration Practitioners, has been repealed as applicants will now be required to apply in person at the South African foreign Mission in the country of origin or where they permanently reside.

Renewals or extensions can be made in the Republic of South Africa at VFS Offices.

A person who is on a Visitor’s or Medical Treatment Visa may not change his or her status whilst in the Republic of South Africa except in exceptional circumstances.

Passport

Passengers traveling to South Africa must be in possession of a passport with two unused pages required for endorsement and one for entry and exit stamps. The passport must be machine readable however, the foreigner may be admitted into or depart from South Africa with a non-machine readable passport provided that:

(a) He or she is from a foreign country that is issuing machine readable passports and has not completely phased out the non-machine readable passports; and

(b) His or her passport was issued after 24 November 2005 and its date of expiry is before 24 November 2015.

Processing period:

For a Visas not exceeding three (3) months is five (5) working days

For a Visas for a period longer than three (3) months is eight (8) weeks

For a Permanent Residents Permit is eight (8) months from the date of referral from the Embassy