The Department of Home Affairs has issued Immigration Directive No. 16 of 2024, extending temporary measures to assist foreign nationals facing delays in waiver, visa, and appeal application processing. These concessions are valid until 31 March 2025 and aim to alleviate the continued backlog while ensuring applicants are not penalized. 1. Pending Waiver Applications Applicants […]
Read more...Author: Marcus Malan
DECEMBER 2024 – EXTENSION OF LESOTHO EXEMPTION PERMITS (LEP)
The Department of Home Affairs has recently issued Immigration Directive No. 17 of 2024, extending the validity of Lesotho Exemption Permits (LEP) until 28 November 2025. This extension follows a Gauteng High Court order requiring the Minister of Home Affairs to consult affected LEP holders and stakeholders regarding the future of the LEP program. The […]
Read more...LATEST IMMIGRATION CIRCULAR ISSUED BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL REGARDING APPEALS.
To address the challenges caused by the high volume of visa and permit outcomes under the backlog, a temporary concession has been introduced for submitting appeal applications. The VFS Global appointment system has faced constraints, preventing many applicants from securing appointments within the required 10 working days after receiving a negative outcome. As a solution, […]
Read more...URGENT NOTICE REGARDING BLOCKED IDENTITY DOCUMENTS
The Department of Home Affairs has issued a notice on 16 August 2024 regarding their intention to cancel identity documents or cards of persons whose identity numbers are blocked and call for representations from affected persons. Affected persons are requested, to within 30 days from the publication of the notice to provide the Department with […]
Read more...NEW HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER DR LEON SCHREIBER EXTENDS THE TEMPORARY VISA CONCESSION TO SAFEGUARD APPLICANTS FROM ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES CAUSED BY PROCESSING DELAYS.
Foreign nationals who have applied for long-term visas (including Spousal, Relative’s, Work and Business visas), and whose applications are still pending as at 30 June 2024, are granted a further temporary extension until 31 December 2024. Applicants who need to travel, but are awaiting the outcome of their long term visa applications, will be allowed […]
Read more...MAY 2024 – UPDATE ON VISA BACKLOG AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is grappling with a significant visa backlog, now exceeding 92,000 applications. The DHA has been overwhelmed, leading to delays that affect various visa categories, particularly family orientated visa applications. Home Affairs Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, detailed the backlog and the several visa categories that are causing the hold up […]
Read more...DO YOU FIND YOURSELF STUCK WITH A PENDING APPLICATION AT HOME AFFAIRS?
We specialize in expediting outcomes for applicants, having successfully assisted over 1000 individuals through court applications filed in the High Court of South Africa. As a starting point, we will send a final letter of demand to the Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs), addressing the Minister and Director-General. The letter of demand will demand […]
Read more...2024 – UPDATE ON BACKLOG IN PROCESSING OF VISA AND PERMANENT RESIDENCE APPLICATIONS
A recently leaked memo originating from the state attorney’s office and addressed to the Department of Home Affairs, sheds light on the concerning state of the Department’s visa backlog. The backlog has surged to an alarming figure of more than 95 000 pending applications. The memo underscores potential repercussions of this backlog, as highlighted by […]
Read more...Department of Home Affairs Latest Notice – Extension of Temporary Concession
On 21 December 2023 the Department of Home Affairs issued a new circular pertaining to the continued backlog in the processing of waiver, long-term visa and appeal applications. The current visa status of all applicants who have submitted their applications via VFS in South Africa before or on 30 November 2023 will be extended until […]
Read more...CONSTITUTIONAL COURT JUDGMENT REGARDING VISAS FOR FOREIGN NATIONAL PARENTS WITH SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDREN
On 4 December 2023 the Constitution Court ruled that the Immigration Act was inconsistent with the Constitution and that it infringed on foreign national parents of South African children’s right to human dignity. The Judgment goes further to rule that a foreign national parent of a South African child should be allowed to work in […]
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