Articles Archive

South Africa’s visa chaos, legal action is an option

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. V.4842

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Zimbabwe facing myriad `traditional` obstacles ahead of general elections

A tanking economy, lawfare, a shrinking civic space, propaganda, an electoral body under fire and disinformation have all come to the fore ahead of general elections in Zimbabwe. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has gazetted Wednesday, 23 August as the election date. Political parties have three months to convince the electorate to cast their votes for them. If there is a run-off, it will be held on 2 October. Various think tanks predict a close race between Mnangagwa and his biggest challenger, Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). The latest survey on the elections by US institute Fitch Solutions predicted a Mnangagwa victory because of the ruling party`s access to state machinery and resources. Zanu-PF`s overarching resources and influence compared to the opposition CCC, headed by Chamisa, will preserve its support in rural strongholds and win key votes in low-income urban areas. V.4841

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Automatic abandonment of asylum application: An analysis of the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town v Minister of Home Affairs judgment

The process of applying for asylum in South Africa is governed by the Refugees Act 130 of 1998 (Refugees Act). Sections 22(12) and 22(13) were introduced into the Refugees Act by the Refugees Amendment Act 11 of 2017, which came into effect on 1 January 2020. These provisions, and their subsequent Regulations, were the subject of litigation launched in the Western Cape High Court. The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town instituted proceedings against the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), challenging the constitutional validity of sections 22(12) and 22(13) and Regulation 9 and Form 3 of the Refugee Regulations. These impugned provisions create an automatic presumption that asylum seekers have abandoned their application if they do not renew their asylum visa within 30 days after its expiry the effect of this automatic presumption can be far-reaching and may lead to asylum seekers who have genuine claims being deported back to circumstances in which they can face further persecution. V.4838

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Judge tells Home Affairs to get house in order, stop wasting taxpayers’ money

A judge gave the Department of Home Affairs a tongue lashing for wasting taxpayers’ money by not doing its work and ignoring applications made by the public. He said these ended up in the courts, usually with the taxpayers footing the legal bill on behalf of the department. Judge MP Phooko, sitting in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, said it was time “Home Affairs got its house in order”. He pointed out the courts were flooded with applications from people who could not get any answers from the department, regarding their legal status in the country. In the late V.4839

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Tongaat Home Affairs official gunned down in street

The woman is believed to have been on her way home at the time of her murder. An as yet unidentified Home Affairs official was shot and killed in Gopalall Hurbans Road in Tongaat on Thursday afternoon at around 4pm. Members of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) swiftly responded to multiple reports of the shooting. Eyewitnesses told RUSA officials a male passenger abruptly exited a still-moving car before drawing a firearm and opening fire on the woman driver. Her vehicle veered off the road and collided with a construction barrier. V.4840

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Rwanda`s most wanted genocide fugitive arrested in SA after three decades on the run

Rwanda`s most wanted genocide fugitive has been arrested in South Africa after three decades on the run. A collaborative operation by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), the Fugitive Tracking Team and South African authorities resulted in the arrest of Fulgence Kayishema, 63, on Wednesday afternoon in Paarl, Western Cape. It had been known for years that Kayishema, who once worked as a bouncer, was hiding in South Africa. However, fractured relations between South Africa and Rwanda made it difficult to track and arrest him. V.4837

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Zimbabwean prisoners want to be paroled and repatriated

The release of Zimbabwean prisoners in South Africa appears to be supported by both governments. A campaign has kicked off to repatriate thousands of Zimbabwean prisoners eligible for parole. A letter sent by attorneys representing the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit Holders Association (Zepha) to the ministers of Home Affairs and Justice and Correctional Services demands action to facilitate the release and repatriation of Zimbabwean prisoners eligible for parole by Tuesday (23 May), failing which the matter will be taken to court. “The release of Zimbabwean prisoners eligible for parole is within the interests of justice and would save taxpayer money,” say Zepha’s attorneys. “Our instructions are to request that your respective departments work with the Zimbabwean Embassy in processing Zimbabwean prisoners in South Africa eligible for parole to be released and repatriated to Zimbabwe.” V.4836

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Don’t straighten my curls to fit your ID, angry Cape Town woman tells Home Affairs

Johannesburg, Is a picture really worth a thousand words? This is the question a Cape Town woman asked when she collected her new passport at a bank in the city. Much to her dismay, the woman, who does not want to be identified, found that her curls had been photoshopped by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and she was given a straight hairstyle. When asked about the alteration, the bank official told her all her curls could not fit into the passport photo and DHA had to change her hairstyle. In a Facebook post, the woman wrote: “Went to collect my passport at the bank (after a totally pain-free) process. When the guy handed me my passport obviously the first thing I did was turn to the photo page. Anyone who knows me, knows I hate photos, especially posed photos, which this was. I absolutely screeched. The guy looked petrified. Whaaaat? He asked. I told him to look at the photo. V.4834

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Registration of newborns being hampered by power cuts: Home Affairs

The Department of Home Affairs says rolling blackouts are having a negative impact on the registration of newborn babies, within the stipulated 30-day time frame. It says the use of generators during power outages is not without challenges. The department briefed Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on its performance in achieving its targets for the third and fourth quarters of the 2022/2023 financial year. V.4835

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Drag me to court,` Motsoaledi dares DA after claims he broke the law for UAE visit

DA MP Angel Khanyile said Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi broke the law when he failed to gazette his declaration of the Bulembu Airport as a national point of entry to allow the Emirati president and his entourage into the country. • Self-admitted legal layperson Motsoaledi previously told the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs he interpreted the law himself, and didn’t obtain a legal opinion. • Responding to the debate on his portfolio’s budget, Motsoaledi challenged Khanyile to drag him to court or to law enforcement agencies if she believed he broke the law. Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi mockingly challenged the DA to “drag [him] to court or law enforcement agencies” after the party claimed he broke the law to allow the Emirati president and his entourage to enter South Africa at the Bulembu Airport last month. V.4832

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Changes for e-Visas 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. V.4833

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MPs dissatisfied with new Home Affairs system updates

The BMCS system is replacing the 2010 Movement Control System (eMCS) and enables the capturing of fingerprint and facial biometric data of all travellers who enter or exit South Africa. Cape Town - The Department of Home Affairs report on challenges of the roll-out of the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) and the Biometric Movement Control System (BMCS) left MPS unimpressed and requesting a quarterly update moving forward. The BMCS system is replacing the 2010 Movement Control System (eMCS) and enables the capturing of fingerprint and facial biometric data of all travellers who enter or exit South Africa. According to the department, in the 2022/23 financial year the system was rolled out to 34 Ports of Entry and up to 30% of immigration counters. V.4830

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SA Opposition Supports ZEP Renewal For People From Matabeleland

The African People First (APF) opposition party in South Africa has supported Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) renewal for people from Matabeleland, citing historical connections. This comes after representatives from the Ndebele King Bulelani Khumalo’s office, from the Mthwakazi Royal Kingdom, raised concerns about Zimbabweans facing deportation when their permits expire next month. The APF also spoke to South African Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi about the issue. In a statement dated May 8, APF secretary-general Julie Pillay Mbuthuma said: We are hereby pleased to give you positive feedback on the meeting held with Motsoaledi on May 8, at his chambers, spearheaded by our president (Muzi) Hlengwa, accompanied by APF deputy president Bishop Dlamini and national chairperson Bee Hlengwa. V.4831

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‘Our lives are on the verge of ruin’

WITH less than two months before the South African government terminates the Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP), gloom and despair have set in for the permit holders and their families. In January 2022, the South African cabinet decided that the ZEP arrangement had to be terminated by December 31, 2022, and applicants should apply for other visa regimes for which they qualify, or for a waiver of certain requirements of the visas they apply for to retain their legal status in the country. On September 2, 2022, Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi issued a directive extending the ZEPs for an additional six months, until June 30, 2023. V.4826

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One for all: Single visa for entry to Gulf states in the pipelines

Visitors stand to benefit from a proposed unified visa which will cover entry to various states in the Gulf region. Single via for Gulf region in the pipelines. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its member states are set to implement a single visa for tourists and business visitors from various countries. It was revealed at a panel discussion on The Future of Travel for the GCC, held at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, that the Gulf Cooperation Council is planning the introduction of a common visa system for nationals, residents, tourists and business visitors from 35 Arab states and foreign countries. V.4827

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Home Affairs commits to implementing remote working visa by end of June

The report recommended, among others, the introduction of new visa categories to cater for remote workers and start-ups. implementation of the much-talked about and long-awaited Remote Working Visa is within reach after a commitment from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to finalise the remaining legal processes by the end of next month. Acting deputy director-general Immigration, Nischal Jaynarayan, told the legislature’s Standing Committee on Finance, Economic Opportunities and Tourism that the state Law Adviser approval process was under way. The committee had invited officials from DHA, the Airports Company South Africa, the provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism (Dedat), and Wesgro for an update on the introduction of the visa. V.4828

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Visa challenges decisive action needed

Expressing disappointment and concern that 58% of e-visa applications have been rejected as a result of a delay, tourism industry have called for decisive action from government to address this. At a National Council of Provinces meeting yesterday (May 3), the Department of Home Affairs revealed that of the 6 329 e-visas it rejected, 3 687 (58%) were rejected as a result of the date of travel already having passed. To put it simply, the applications simply weren’t got to in time. This follows an earlier revelation by the same Department that, at that time, only 48.7% of all e-visa applications received had been processed. It was further revealed that of those that had been processed, only 3.2% of the total received had been granted. V.4829

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How Motsoaledi `interpreted` an old law with no legal help to help the Emirati president land

• Aaron Motsoaledi `interpreted` legislation, without obtaining a legal opinion, to allow the Emirati president and his 680-strong entourage to enter SA. • The Border Management Act required the designation of an entry point to be gazetted, to allow 30 days for public comment. • Motsoaledi applied the Immigration Act instead, which doesn`t have this `onerous` requirement. Home Affairs Minister and self-admitted legal layperson Aaron Motsoaledi `interpreted` legislation, so that the Bulembu Airport could be designated a temporary entry point into South Africa, in time for the visit of the Emirati president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, and his 680-strong entourage. Motsoaledi briefed the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs about the unannounced, private visit by Al Nahyan last month, which raised eyebrows, and drew comparisons with the Gupta family`s infamous landing at the Waterkloof Air Force base in 2013. V.4819

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SA’s foreign policy has become entitled, childish... while pandering to Russia

South Africa has completely fallen under the spell of Russia, China, and their satellites. Once, we were a reliable international partner, respectful of the international rules-based order, but that has now all changed, argues Pieter du Toit. South Africa`s unhinged foreign policy unmoored from logic and reality, that is reached new levels of incomprehension last week during another vote related to Ukraine. V.4820

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This country is quickly becoming the next ‘Australia’ for South African expats

Mauritius is rapidly emerging as one of Africa’s big economic success stories, with its growth rate expected to increase by 75% in the coming decade, says Dani van Vuuren, business development consultant at Sovereign Trust. With economic prosperity and job opportunities on the horizon, the island state of Mauritius has become a new place for relocation or startups. One of the main drawing factors for the country is its attractive tax regime and low barriers to entry for both businesses and individuals. The country has lower tax rates than South Africa, a broad network of double taxation avoidance agreements, and tax incentives offered to foreign investors. It has been on a drive to attract major foreign investment, and it is paying off. V.4821

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Home Affairs, please bring my husband home, pleads distressed SA man

Johannesburg, Frustrated with what they call “extreme delays” at the Department of Home Affairs (HA), a South African/Chinese couple took to social media to cast a spotlight on a five-year wait for them to finally live together as a family. However, HA hit back, saying it was only able to resume permanent residence applications in 2022 after Covid-19 travel restrictions eased around the world. But this is of little to no comfort to the couple who were married in South Africa in 2017 and are still living apart. V.4822

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SA urgently needs artisans

South African matriculants must qualify as artisans to meet the country’s economic needs for new infrastructure, maintenance and the switch to green energy. According to the latest quarterly publication of Remchannel, a company that, among other things, conducts salary surveys, there is already an acute shortage of young artisans in the country. A poll conducted among 565 participants showed that, among those aged 25 and under, only 0.6% were qualified artisans. In the 25 to 30 age group, the figure was 26.7%, and was 40.7% for those aged between 36 and 55. V.4823

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These are the artisans SA so desperately needs to grow the economy

The average age of artisans in the country is about 55 years. • South Africa does not only have a shortage of artisans, but the average age of artisans in the country is about 55 years old. • Gone are the days when you needed a university degree to enjoy a successful career. • The focus is on training young people in key areas regarded as critically needed for the economy to grow. South Africa does not only have a shortage of artisans, but the average age of artisans in the country is about 55 years, according to data available on the website of the False Bay Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College. V.4824

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These are the artisans SA so desperately needs to grow the economy

The average age of artisans in the country is about 55 years. • South Africa does not only have a shortage of artisans, but the average age of artisans in the country is about 55 years old. • Gone are the days when you needed a university degree to enjoy a successful career. • The focus is on training young people in key areas regarded as critically needed for the economy to grow. South Africa does not only have a shortage of artisans, but the average age of artisans in the country is about 55 years, according to data available on the website of the False Bay Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College. V.4825

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Solutions to skills crisis evade only the government

The inertia in the face of excellent offers of help is just baffling SA has an unemployment crisis. It also has a skills crisis. This toxic combination is slowly poisoning the economy and raising the risk of a democracy-threatening social explosion. The proportion of South Africans with no hope for a better future and little to lose has probably already reached the tipping point. All of the above is trite, hardly a day goes by without some or other political analyst or business leader warning that we are “on the precipice”. The solutions to the unemployment crisis are no secret either. But they demand political will, and that is evidently in short supply. It is also not a crisis that can be resolved in a hurry, even with all the will in the world. V.4815

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South Africa one step closer to rolling out a remote working visa, says Home Affairs

The government is on track to roll out a remote working visa but the Department of Home Affairs has not given a date for its full implementation. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) says it will meet a June deadline to specify requirements for remote working visas. The department was briefing the Western Cape legislature on remote visas on Wednesday, 3 May. During the briefing, the department’s Nischal Jaynarayan said a “comprehensive” report on the review of the work visa system had recently been handed over to the Presidency by former DHA director-general Mavuso Msimang, who was tasked in 2022 by President Cyril Ramaphosa to review of the visa system. In his State of the Nation Address (Sona) in February 2022, the president said the review was V.4816

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Our lives are on the verge of ruin, say Zim Exemption Permit holders as termination draws near

The permits, which grant temporary legal status to Zimbabwean nationals living in South Africa, will be terminated on 30 June. There are about 178,000 holders of the permits. With less than two months before the South African government terminates the Zimbabwean Exemption Permits, gloom and despair have set in for the permit holders and their families. In January 2022, the Cabinet decided that the ZEP arrangement had to be terminated by 31 December 2022, and applicants should apply for other visa regimes for which they qualify, or for a waiver of certain requirements of the visas they apply for to retain their legal status in South Africa. V.4817

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SA needs to invest in nurses to avoid a healthcare catastrophe

Life Healthcare has the capacity to train 3,000 a year, but the bureaucrats will simply not listen Nurses hold candles in honour of nurses who died during the Covid-19 pandemic at at the Nursing Council offices in Pretoria in this file photo. Picture: VELI NHLAPO From the rising costs of diesel used to offset load-shedding, to difficult working conditions and the increasing effect of inflation, SA’s healthcare sector is facing a multitude of challenges. But one of the biggest issues is undoubtedly the lack of critical human resources, specifically healthcare workers, who keep hospitals and facilities functioning. V.4818

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New visas and e-Visa countries for South Africa

The Department of Home Affairs has committed to finalising the implementation of new visa types in June of this year, with the State Law Advisor approval process already underway. In its annual performance plan for 2023/24, published in April, the department made it clear that the groundwork for new visas was being laid. In the plan, Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi said that the department is currently exploring new visa categories, including start-up visas and remote working visas. V.4813

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Western Cape concerned about high rejection rate of e-visas

Over half of e-visa applications are rejected, because they were not processed in time The poor performance of the department of home affairs in the issuance of e-visas is of great concern to Western Cape finance & economic opportunities minister Mireille Wenger, who says this hampers tourism recovery in the country. She noted on Wednesday that according to a presentation made by the department in the National Council of Provinces, 58% (3,697) of failed e-visa applications totalling 6,329 were rejected because the date of travel had already passed. V.4814

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Teen’s struggle for birth certificate among thousands

At least 500 000 children, under the age of 18 in South Africa don’t have birth certificates. Wanda Booi, who just turned 19, knows the struggle and the frustration of bureaucratic red tape to get an ID without a birth certificate all too well. Since 2021, Department of Home Affairs and social workers have promised to assist Booi after his mother died, yet nothing has materialised. His sister, Khanyisa Booi, 22, takes care of the teen after their mother died. “My grandmother also tried, since we are using the same surname but still no one can assist us,” she said. She said this whole issue affected different aspects of her brother’s life. “We had to speak to his teacher for admission. However, they still want his birth certificate. Wanda is still doing Grade 10, we can`t do anything without his birth certificate. V.4810

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Couple wanting to live together separated by Home Affairs delays

A gay couple is being forced to live on different continents since the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has allegedly failed to process a permanent residence permit application submitted two years ago. Francois Oosthuizen, a South African from Cape Town, who is married to Bowen Li from China, said he was heartbroken and frustrated by being separated from his husband and their 4-year-old son born via surrogacy on Valentine’s Day in South Africa. He said it was difficult for him to wake up every morning knowing that his family was thousands of kilometres away. V.4811

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SOUTH AFRICA, Radiological Report and Police Record Waivers

The South African Department of Home Affairs has issued a new directive providing relief to visa and permit applicants from April 11, 2023. It does not apply to those with applications which have already been filed and are currently under adjudication. Previously, applicants for long-term temporary residence visas (“TRVs”) and permanent residence permits (“PRPs”) had to submit police clearance certificates (“PCCs”) from all countries resided in for 12 months or more since their 18th birthday, they are now only required to submit PCCs from all countries they resided in for 12 months or more, since having attained the age of 18, in the five years immediately preceding the date of submission of their application. V.4812

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ZEP expiry: Many permit holders intend to stay in SA until very last minute - Zimbabwean ambassador

No Zimbabwean citizen has approached their government for assistance in being repatriated back home before their Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP) expire, the country`s ambassador to South Africa has said. V.4809

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Home Affairs re-opens Cape Town`s Refugee Reception Office

Since 2012, refugee rights groups had been embroiled in legal battles with the Department of Home Affairs to have the Cape Town office re-opened. CAPE TOWN - After a decade of back-and-forth court battles, the Department of Home Affairs finally re-opened its Cape Town Refugee Reception Office. Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi officially opened the doors of the new office in Epping on Tuesday. This means that refugees and asylum seekers in Cape Town will not have to go to Pretoria, Durban, Eastern Cape or Musina to get their papers in order. V.4808

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Italy narrows asylum rights in new clampdown on immigration

Italy`s nationalist government approved a bill in the upper house of parliament on Thursday that aims to reduce the number of migrants who can claim some form of asylum and curb integration efforts. Italy‘s nationalist government approved a bill in the upper house of parliament on Thursday that aims to reduce the number of migrants who can claim some form of asylum and curb integration efforts. The bill, which still needs the approval of the lower house to become law, was drawn up after a shipwreck off southern Italy in February that killed more than 90 migrants. V.4804

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Refugees camping outside of UN offices in Pretoria refuse to leave despite eviction order

A group of refugees camping outside the UN High Commissioner for Refugees` (UNHCR) offices in Pretoria. (Photo by Gallo Images/Luba Lesolle) • Around 100 refugees have been camping outside of the UNHCR offices in Pretoria since May 2022. • The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has ordered their eviction and relocation, which was meant to be executed on Wednesday. • However, several of the refugees have said they would not leave without a fight. A group of refugees camping outside the UN High Commissioner for Refugees` (UNHCR) offices in Pretoria have signalled their intention to fight against being evicted. The group of around 100 refugees have been living on the pavements, in tents and makeshift structures, outside the offices since May 2022. V.4803

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Home Affairs must fix branch appointment booking system

DA MP says public are still required to wait in long queues despite confirmation of appointments DA urges Home Affairs to fix branch appointment booking system Last year, the Department of Home Affairs launched the Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS), a new appointment booking system for smart ID cards and passports, that was designed to reduce long queues at various Home Affairs offices across the country. The DA supported the initiative when it was revealed back in September 2021 because it was something we previously proposed to help reduce the long queues at Home Affairs offices. V.4801

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South Africa announces overhaul of its work visa system as part of a $110 bn plan

South Africa has announced plans of overhauling its work visa system as part of an effort to raise $110 billion of investment by 2028. Addressing the fifth SA Investment Conference, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government would streamline application requirements to reduce the time frames for obtaining a work visa. “We will introduce a Trusted Employer Scheme for qualifying companies and establish a points-based system to provide more flexible pathways for applicants, in line with global best practice,” Ramaphosa said. V.4802

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ZEP: no rights were taken away, Home Affairs’ lawyers tell court

Government is free to change the policy The government is free to change the policy on the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit, lawyers for the Minister of Home Affairs have argued in court. • No rights will be taken away when the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) system comes to an end in June, lawyers for the Minister of Home Affairs told the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday. • The court is hearing an application by the Helen Suzman Foundation and the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa to have the minister set aside the decision. • Advocate Ismail Jamie said rights that were temporarily conferred in the first place had been allowed to lapse through the passage of time. • He said it would be impractical to expect the government to have consulted 178,000 ZEP holders. The lapsing of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) system was a political decision by the Minister of Home Affairs, and does not take away the rights of ZEP holders, the government has argued in court. V.4793

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Investment conference: Businesses pledged R1.5 trillion in 5 years, 26% more than target

President Cyril Ramaphosa at the investment conference in Johannesburg on Thursday. Photo: SA Investment Conference/Twitter South Africa attracted R1.51 trillion of new investment pledges over the past five years, 26% more than a target set in 2018, president Cyril Ramaphosa said. New commitments made at an investment conference in Johannesburg on Thursday include those from companies including mobile-phone company Vodacom, miner Anglo American and brewer Heineken, Ramaphosa said at a closing ceremony. Key investment pledges on Thursday: Ramaphosa set a target of attracting R2 trillion of new investment in the next five years, as executives pleaded with his government to urgently address the nation’s energy crisis, fix crumbling infrastructure and end rampant crime. V.4794

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Sun International says SA is scoring `own goal` with overly complex visa regime

The Palace at Sun City Resort which is owned by Sun International. The company said SA should simplify its visa requirements for foreign travellers to boost tourism. • Sun International says SA should fix its visa regime and make it easier for foreign visitors to come to the country. • The owner of Sun City believes a simplification would result in a surge in tourism and help address the country`s dismal unemployment problem. • There is particularly potential to attract tourists from China, which has about 140 million outbound travellers a year. Sun International says SA is `scoring a couple of own goals` if it does not simplify its visa regime for foreign visitors. Graham Wood, COO of the company, which owns Sun City along with other top hotels and casinos, said on Wednesday if SA allowed visas on entry - instead of forcing potential visitors to have to apply for them in their home countries - there was potential for the `floodgate to open`. V.4795

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Now is not the time to give up on SA, Anglo American CEO

• Anglo American CEO Duncan Wanblad says that while SA is not the country it was in 2018, it is still offers value to investors. • But business needs to help and fix it right now. • Top of the agenda are the energy crisis, the logistics crisis and crime and corruption. SA is still investible, and while times are tough, this is not the time to give up, Anglo American CEO Duncan Wanblad said on the eve of President Cyril Ramaphosa`s fifth investment conference. The SA Investment Conference will hear investment pledges by local and international firms towards a new investment target, which will be announced on Thursday. V.4796

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Speed needed to overhaul current visa regime, says WC Economic Opportunities

This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa`s announcement about a significant overhaul of the work visa system which is expected to provide a further boost to investment. CAPE TOWN - Western Cape`s Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC, Mireille Wenger said much more speed was needed in overhauling the current visa regime. This follows President Cyril Ramaphosa`s announcement about a significant overhaul of the work visa system, which is expected to provide a further boost to investment. Ramaphosa was speaking at the fifth South Africa Investment Conference in Sandton on Thursday. The process includes introducing new visa categories for remote workers and start-ups and expanding the e-Visa system to include an additional 20 countries over and above the 14 that are currently eligible. V.4797

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Common South Africa Visa Mistakes to Avoid

Table of Contents • Introduction: • The importance of avoiding visa pitfalls • Visa Errors frequently made by South African Visa Applicants o Lack of proper documentation o Examples of missing or incomplete documents for South Africa o Providing false information o Examples of providing false information: o Applying for the wrong type of visa • How to avoid errors with your South Africa Visa The purpose of this article is to provide helpful information and tips to individuals who are planning to travel or live in South Africa and need to obtain a visa. Specifically, the article will focus on common visa mistakes that travellers make when applying for a visa to South Africa. There are many South Africa Visa types, so you need to know what you are doing. V.4787

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Motsoaledi failed to apply his mind to ending Zimbabwe special permits, court told

Helen Suzman Foundation argues holders ‘abided by the law for 14 years and had built lives in SA’ Home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi did not consider the harmful effects of his decision to end the Zimbabwe exemption permit (ZEP) regime, the high court in Pretoria heard on Tuesday. On that basis alone his decision was unlawful, said Steven Budlender, counsel for the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF). The court was hearing three separate applications on the special permits, which had allowed about 178,000 Zimbabweans to lawfully live in SA since 2009. The permits, due to expire at the end of June, were first introduced in response to a political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe that created an exodus to SA. The permit regime was twice extended in 2014 and 2017 but the government says it was always clear that the permits were temporary. V.4788

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Home Affairs in the dock over termination of ZEP system

Challenges to SA’s decision to end the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit system are now being heard in court. One of the most important human rights cases of recent decades got underway in the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday, with no fewer than four separate cases challenging Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s decision to terminate the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) system. First to the podium was the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF), represented by Advocate Steven Budlender, which is asking a full bench of three judges to set aside Motsoaledi’s November 2021 decision as unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid. V.4789

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Motsoaledi`s decision on Zimbabwean Exemption Permit does not take rights away, court hears

Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi Photo: Tebogo Letsie • The Helen Suzman Foundation has gone to court to challenge Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi`s decision to terminate the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit. • The permit allows around 178 000 Zimbabwean nationals to live and work in South Africa. • The court heard on Wednesday that Motsoaledi`s decision did not take the rights away from permit holders but conferred them. Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi`s decision not to create a further exemption programme for around 178 000 Zimbabwean nationals living in South Africa does not take away their rights - it confers them. This was one of the arguments by Motsoaledi and the Department of Home Affairs` director-general in a court challenge by the Helen Suzman Foundation which is being heard in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. V.4790

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ZEP discontinuation: Judgement reserved in Helen Suzman Foundation’s challenge

The ZEP allows Zimbabweans to live and work in South Africa and has been in place in various forms since 2009. JOHANNESBURG - Judgment has been reserved in the Helen Suzman Foundation’s challenge against the discontinuation of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) programme. The ZEP allows Zimbabweans to live and work in South Africa and has been in place in various forms since 2009. But Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi decided to discontinue the ZEP. The decision has been met with widespread backlash and is currently the subject of multiple court challenges. V.4791

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Zimbabwean permit: High Court considers if Motsoaledi`s decision is irrational or executive action

The Helen Suzman Foundation has gone to court to challenge Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi`s decision to terminate the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit. The permit allows around 178 000 Zimbabwean nationals to live and work in South Africa. Arguments were based on whether the decision was administrative or executive and if it was procedurally unfair and irrational. Was the decision not to renew the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) an administrative or executive action or was it irrational, antithetical to the Constitution and procedurally unfair? These are some of the questions that a full bench of the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria will seek to answer before delivering judgment in a case relating to the effective termination of the ZEP. V.4792

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This South African city ranks as a top global holiday destination, thanks to a weaker rand

As demand for international holiday travel returns to pre-Covid levels, the city of Cape Town was ranked the world’s best-value hotspot thanks to a weaker rand in 2023. This is according to the United Kingdom Post Office Travel Money’s Holiday Travel Report 2023, which ranked over 40 popular destinations based on currency demand, exchange rates, and travel costs. “Demand for holidays abroad is close to pre-pandemic levels, according to tour operators, travel agents and airlines who have reported a boom in bookings,” the report said. Despite the cost of living pressures affecting many countries worldwide, the report noted that Britons are prepared to forgo other lifestyle expenditures to afford a holiday abroad, and many will dip into their savings to fund the trip. The first indicator of where these holidaymakers will travel is shown in the UK post office’s sales of holiday currencies, as well as the pound’s strength against the destination countries. V.4782

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New case deals with ‘life partners’ and maintenance in South Africa

A recent case had to determine whether there was a duty of support between life partners after the termination of their relationship. Legal experts Brigitta Mangale and Elgene Roos from Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr said that South Africa’s law has had to adjust to acknowledge non-traditional nuclear families through legal recognition of various different forms of a committed relationship. In February this year, in the case of E.W v V.H the Western Cape High Court was tasked with answering the question as to what legal consequences flow from a life partnership. Facts. V.4783

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South Africa’s birth registration system challenged over ‘unconstitutional’ requirements

South African human rights organization the Legal Resources Center (LRC) has initiated a legal challenge against the country’s Department of Home Affairs over the what it says are cumbersome requirements for establishing birth certificates for children born in the country. The LRC, acting on behalf of 17 parents, last year, filed an application at the Cape Town High Court challenging the Birth and Death registration Act regulations as anti-constitutional, according to reporting by Mail & Guardian. Home Affairs is opposing the application. V.4784

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New deal for children with foreign parents born in South Africa

The Constitutional Court recently ruled that children born in South Africa to foreign parents qualify for South African citizenship in terms of Section 2 of the South African Citizenship Act. That is, if you were born in South Africa to foreign parents who have not been admitted as permanent residents, you qualify to apply for South African citizenship upon becoming a major if your birth was registered and if you have lived here all your life, irrespective of the date of your birth and you have not accepted the nationality of another country. The judgment also reduced the term for applying for citizenship by holders of permanent residence from 5 years to 10 years by declaring Regulation 3(2)(a) of the Citizenship Act Regulations unconstitutional. V.4785

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What`s new in global immigration?

This week, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters would like to highlight the following recent updates from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Malaysia, South Africa and the United States. Australia: Skilled Work Regional Visa Candidates living and/or working in metropolitan Melbourne can now submit a registration of Interest (ROI) for the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) nomination. The new expanded eligibility criteria opens Victoria’s subclass 491 visa program to skilled migrants living anywhere in Victoria, including previously ineligible metropolitan Melbourne residents who wish to relocate to work and live in a designated regional area of Victoria. V.4786

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Helen Suzman Foundation and Another v Minister of Home Affairs and Another, Q & A

1. What is at issue in this case and when will it be heard? At issue in this case is Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi’s (Minister) decision to terminate the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP). If the Minister’s decision is upheld, the ZEP will terminate on 30 June 2023. The case will be heard between 11 and 14 April 2023 by a full bench of the Pretoria High Court. 2. What is the ZEP? The ZEP is a special permit issued in terms of the Immigration Act that allows its approximately 178 000 holders, and their children, temporary legal status to live, work and study in South Africa. It is the third iteration of a permit that began back in 2009 as the ‘Dispensation for Zimbabweans Project’ (DZP), which the South African government introduced to cope with an influx of undocumented Zimbabweans fleeing political violence around 2008. The DZP was renewed as the Zimbabwe Special Permit. V.4774

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Spain to invest R42bn in South Africa`s energy transition, water projects

Spain plans to back South Africa`s energy transition with R42 billion. Getty Images • Spain plans to back South Africa`s energy transition and water needs with R42 billion in funding. • The Spanish funding is a mixture of financial instruments, from development finance institutions. • This funding is not part of the Just Energy Transition Partnership in which $8.5 billion was initially pledged. Spain is providing €2.1 billion (R42 billion) to help fund South Africa`s energy transition and water needs, even as some of the world`s richest nations struggle to push forward on a ground-breaking climate-finance initiative with the country. V.4775

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Business Leadership SA says visa systems could affect economy

Business Leadership South Africa believes our country’s visa application systems need a major overhaul in order to attract investment. Cape Town - Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) has issued a warning that the current visa application systems in the country could stifle the economy. This comes after BLSA CEO Busi Mavuso said they had been working hard with government to fix South Africa’s current visa regime. Mavuso said they felt like they are making very little progress, because some 56 000 foreigners working or intending to work in South Africa were facing having their visas cancelled at the end of March, purely because Home Affairs has been unable to process their applications. V.4776

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Attack kills around 20 in eastern Congo; Islamic State claims responsibility

Islamic State on Saturday claimed responsibility for an attack on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that authorities said killed around 20 people. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on its Telegram channel. The attack, which took place on Friday in Musandaba, a village on the outskirts of Beni, is part of a wave of violence against civilians that the army and local authorities blame on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan group based in eastern Congo that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State. V.4777

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Dear foreigners, this is how you buy a property in South Africa

Despite South Africa’s political turmoil and energy crisis, there is still significant interest from international property buyers who are drawn by the country’s inimitable lifestyle and the fact that that they can get considerably more bang for their buck here than in comparable areas abroad. The favourable value of the Rand compared to major foreign currencies also makes residential real estate in South Africa a very attractive investment option, says Grahame Diedericks, Midrand manager principal for Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty. “In South Africa, foreign investors are spoilt for choice with a wide variety of lifestyle options, from luxury beachfront living to mountainous retreats which include numerous internationally acclaimed and award-winning destinations.” V.4778

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A sorry state of (home) affairs

Department dismisses slow progress on visa overhaul with obfuscation and bluster, putting the economy at further risk Despite recent announcements that the department of home affairs has plans in place to correct its poor performance, fears remain that it is on the same slippery slope as many other SA government functions. The general decline in the public sector’s ability to actually deliver public services is hitting citizens, investors, tourists, and the economy as a whole. Worse, a failure of key departments such as home affairs along with national utilities and other services signals to the world that SA is on track to become a failed state. V.4779

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Pretoria High Court To Hear Challenge Against Termination Of Zimbabwe

From 11 to 14 April 2023, the Pretoria High Court will hear three applications challenging the termination of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) by the Minister of Home Affairs. One of these cases is called the “Helen Suzman Foundation and Another v Minister of Home Affairs and Another.” 1. What is at issue in this case and when will it be heard? The case is about the Minister of Home Affairs’ decision to end the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) by June 30, 2023. The Pretoria High Court will hear the case from April 11-14, 2023. 2. What is the ZEP? V.4780

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Why is South Africa not renewing 160,000 Zimbabwean work permits?

On Tuesday, a South African court will decide if thousands of Zimbabweans can stay back in the country or face possible deportation. Cape Town, South Africa Thousands of Zimbabweans living in South Africa face an uncertain future and possible deportation before a June 2023 expiration of their work permits, following an announcement by the home government last year that there will be no extension. *Matilda Tebogo (not her real name), a 35-year-old shopkeeper, says she is stressed and nervous about what lies ahead for her and her family. The Zimbabwean national has been living and working in Cape Town for more than 10 years under the Zimbabwe Extension Permit (ZEP) scheme. V.4781

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Man jailed for illegally dealing in rhino horn to be deported to China after serving sentence

Shuihau Chen, 50, appeared in the Kempton Park District Court on Tuesday. A man arrested for illegally dealing rhino horns has been sentenced to a R500 000 fine or five years` imprisonment and ordered to be deported to China after serving his sentence. V.4771

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South Korea to allow online permit-free entry for tourists from 22 nations

South Korea will temporarily exempt people from 22 visa-waiver nations from mandatory online travel permits and transit visa requirements as part of efforts to attract more foreign tourists and boost domestic demand, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday. These are a set of measures aimed at attracting 10 million foreign tourists this year, a goal that could help spur private spending and revitalize the economy amid an economic slowdown, Yonhap News Agency quoted the Ministry as saying. The number of foreign visitors to South Korea hit a record high of 17.5 million in 2019, generating tourism revenue of $20.7-billion, according to data compiled by the Korea Tourism Organisation. V.4772

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Spain to invest R42bn in South Africa`s energy transition, water projects

Spain is providing €2.1 billion (R42 billion) to help fund South Africa`s energy transition and water needs, even as some of the world`s richest nations struggle to push forward on a ground-breaking climate-finance initiative with the country. The Spanish funding is being provided through a mixture of financial instruments, with the country`s government working with its development finance institution, Cofides, and South Africa`s Industrial Development Corporation, said Ambassador Raimundo Robredo Rubio. V.4773

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Changes to marriage laws in South Africa, what to expect this year

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) says it will submit the updated Marriage Bill to Cabinet this year, with the goal of obtaining approval to table the proposed laws in Parliament in 2024. The DHA has presented its latest annual performance plan for 2023/24, which outlines the department’s plans for the year. Over the next 12 months, the draft laws are expected to be approved for submission to the minister by the end of June, with various clusters and committees giving recommendations by the end of the year. By March 2024 the department hopes to have the necessary cabinet approval to table the draft bill to Parliament. V.4766

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Rising property trend among wealthy in SA, apartment living

The 2023 Wealth Report said when it came to price growth, luxury apartments have been the best-performing residential property segment in the country over the past decade. ZambeziShark • The 2023 Wealth Report says apartment living is on the rise for the wealthy in South Africa. • Johannesburg and Cape Town have the top luxury apartments in the country, but Umhlanga, Plettenberg Bay and Hermanus are also on their way up. South Africa is home to almost twice as many high-net-worth individuals as any other country on the African continent, according to a new wealth report, and there is an interesting trend on the rise where they are increasingly investing in luxury apartments. V.4767

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New visas planned for South Africa

The Department of Home Affairs says it has started laying the groundwork for new visa types to be introduced in South Africa, in a bid to draw in skilled workers. The department has published its 2023/24 annual performance plan, which includes its intentions and targets for the current financial year. In the plan, Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi said that the department is currently exploring new visa categories, including start-up visas and remote working visas. V.4768

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Government claims long queues at Home Affairs will soon be ‘thing of the past’

Officials reported that they were working on backlogs, but didn`t elaborate on how. Waking at 3am just to secure a spot somewhere in the front of the queue at one of South Africa’s Home Affairs offices will soon be a thing of the past, according to the Department of Home Affairs. The department said it is working to eliminate the terrible experience that many citizens have had to endure throughout the years. But, it has yet to reveal a detailed strategy on how it plans to do this. V.4769

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Australia’s Department of Home Affairs struggling with outdated IT systems

A leaked report from a private consulting firm paints a dire picture of the IT operations of the Department of Home Affairs. The report, by Proximity Consultants, was written between December 2021 and February 2022. The details of the report were first shared at an audit committee hearing on Friday, 31 March. “The financial underpinnings to support the resolution of critical policy and operational issues have not been available,” the report read, as reported by the SMH. “Functions and priorities were never right-sized or funded appropriately from the outset.” V.4770

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Home Affairs underfunded, overstretched and ‘set up to fail’, says leaked report

Home Affairs’ cyber systems are vulnerable to hacking and frontline officers are not properly trained, according to a damning internal report that says chronic underfunding has undermined the department’s ability to keep Australia safe. The leaked confidential review into the mega department responsible for national security, cyber defence and foreign interference among other areas revealed the department lost 600 employees in a year and more than $2 billion in cost-cutting has stopped it from hiring enough staff. The probe into the agency’s budget, conducted by consulting and legal firm Proximity between December 2021 and February 2022, interviewed dozens of top brass including the agency’s secretary Mike Pezullo, who has run the department since its inception. V.4763

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Caught up in Home Affairs disfunction

SA’s visa administration problems are well recognised as a serious impediment to our economy, says BLSA CEO. BLSA has been working hard with government to fix our visa regime. But last week, I felt like we were making very little progress at all. Some 56 000 foreigners working or intending to work in South Africa were facing having their visas cancelled at the end of March, purely because Home Affairs has been unable to process their applications. They were given a last-minute reprieve two days before the deadline extending the validity of their existing status until the end of the year. This is appalling. People’s lives are thrown into turmoil, unable to know whether they would be allowed to stay in the country many consider home. More to the point, it presents an impossible situation for business. V.4764

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Ramaphosa must urgently solve visa mess, says BLSA

SA has significant deficits in areas like technical skills. A major overhaul of South Africa`s visa regime is needed, and during his upcoming investment conference, President Cyril Ramaphosa should address the issue, according to Business Leadership SA (BLSA). `The president could use the opportunity to announce a credible intervention to fix the visa mess. That would go far to addressing one of the major sources of a lack of confidence in South Africa`s investment case,` the BLSA says in its latest newsletter. V.4765

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Alberton Home Affairs on the application of IDs

Alberton Home Affairs weighs in on how to apply for a first-time ID book as a naturalised citizen and permanent residence permit holder. Alberton Home Affairs has confirmed that those born outside the country are issued with green bar-coded identity books and should go to specific home affairs offices for assistance. South African citizens are issued smart ID cards when they apply for an identity document. Should you lose, damage or have your ID book stolen, you can request a Temporary Identification Certificate (TIC). V.4761

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Visa chaos in South Africa

People willing and wanting to work in South Africa are being held back by failing visa services which is having damaging knock-on effects on business and economic growth in the country, says Busi Mavuso, the CEO of Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) In her weekly letter, Mavuso said that roughly 56,000 foreigners were facing having their visas cancelled at the end of March because the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) could not process their applications. V.4762

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Adrian Gore, My view on SA remains unchanged: We need action, not despair

Business has identified three clear priority areas and initiatives to get things off the ground. These areas are energy, railways, ports, roads and corruption and crime. Adrian Gore writes that he has a deep belief in the potential of our country and it is clear to him that this is not a time for pessimism, despair and inaction. He argues that, on the contrary, we are in desperate need of optimism, hope and action. Right now, times are tough for every South African. Every person I speak to is concerned and despairing; there is a deep sense of futility. V.4759

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The country is undeniably better off than it was five years ago

The removal of Jacob Zuma gave the country and critical state institutions a fighting chance to recover. The fight is not over and not all enablers have left, but the country is undeniably better off than it was five years ago, argues JP Landman. A young friend expressed her dismay about what she had seen and read in the media since the release of the final part of the Zondo Commission`s report. With the recent avalanche of bad news about rising food, petrol prices, and interest rate costs, the commission had given her some hope. However, the responses she had heard and read in our media made her feel that hope was in vain, or even naïve. V.4760

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First Chinese group a step towards ambitious goal

South Africa has officially welcomed its first large group of leisure tourists from China post-COVID, setting the ball rolling on the industry’s goal of reaching one million annual arrivals from the Asian powerhouse by 2030. The group of 13 tourists, along with their tour guide, flew from the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Air China flight CA867, touching down to a jubilant welcome at OR Tambo International Airport at 07h47 on Wednesday. The high-end tourists clients of Chinese travel agency GZL International Travel were greeted by dignitaries from, amongst others, South African Tourism, the Chinese consulate and the Gauteng Tourism Authority, and South African and Chinese media. V.4758

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Over 12,000 Asylum Seekers Permitted to Work in Ireland Since 2018

More than 12,000 asylum seekers have been allowed to work in Ireland since new changes in EU legislation were introduced in 2018. Authorities in Ireland opted into European Union legislation of 2018 permitting persons who seek international protection in this country to have access to the Labour market after the Supreme court ruled that it was unconstitutional to stop them from working, SchengenVisaInfo.com report. When it comes to this legislation, Ireland was the last European Union country to accept this decision. V.4756

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Home Affairs’ last-minute move extends concession for 56,000 foreign residents until end of the year

The Department of Home Affairs has yet again issued a last-minute reprieve, extending a blanket concession for long-term visa or waiver applicants awaiting decisions on their applications. The holders of the long-term visas can now legally remain in South Africa until 31 December 2023, although the lateness of the decision 48-hours before these visa holders technically expire has drawn sharp criticism. The directive was issued this morning to the Home Affairs head office and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s Consular Services and Visa Facilitation Centres (VFS) to communicate this decision. V.4757

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OPINION, Bernard Chiguvare: I left Zimbabwe to live in SA. I want to go back. This is why it’s hard

Many South Africans wonder why so many of us Zimbabweans came to be settled in their country, and wonder why we do not simply return to our homeland. This is my story about my rural homestead in Zimbabwe that I felt forced to leave. I would like to go back and spend the rest of my life there, but it isn’t that simple. From the early 1960s, I lived in Buhera District in Manicaland Province. I have a deep bond with this place, even though the soil is today very poor for farming. In 1987 I got married. My uncle allocated me three hectares to build a family homestead. I was earning a salary that allowed me to immediately build a three-bedroomed house and also a small rondavel. Though my wish was to build a better home, I had limited resources. V.4755

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Death penalty imposed as Uganda passes law making it a crime to identify as LGBTQ

KAMPALA, March 21 (Reuters) Uganda`s parliament passed a law on Tuesday making it a crime to identify as LGBTQ, handing authorities broad powers to target gay Ugandans who already face legal discrimination and mob violence. More than 30 African countries, including Uganda, already ban same-sex relations. The new law appears to be the first to outlaw merely identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ), according to rights group Human Rights Watch. Supporters of the new law say it is needed to punish a broader array of LGBTQ activities, which they say threaten traditional values in the conservative and religious East African nation. V.4750

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Home affairs embraces e-governance…online passports, work visa applications launched

The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security has made further progress in improving service delivery when it launched online applications for passports and short-term employment permits yesterday. Over the past few years, the ministry has introduced e-passports in 2018, visa-on-arrival, the inauguration of the state-of-the-art headquarters and the national migration policy. Less than a month ago, the usage of ID-cards as travel documents between Namibia and Botswana was added. Minister Albert Kawana announced that the ministry will continue to expand its digital services, including online visa applications for tourists, by the end of the year to keep up with the fast-growing digital world as well as attract more tourists to the country. V.4751

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Finance minister places Habib Overseas Bank into curatorship to protect depositors

Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana has placed Habib Overseas Bank under curatorship with immediate effect to deal with `governance, compliance and operational failures` and protect the bank`s depositors. The minister took the decision based on a recommendation by the SA Reserve Bank`s (SARB) Prudential Authority (PA). In a statement on Monday morning, the SARB said the PA had identified weaknesses in the bank`s governance process and its internal control environment over the past four years. V.4752

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Home Affairs department’s efforts around load shedding hampered by UPS, generator breakdowns

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is struggling with generators and UPSes that break down frequently during load shedding at offices dotted across the nine provinces, MPs heard. A total of 80 UPSes and 69 generators all bought by the department and to be serviced by a sole contractor broke down at DHA offices across the country, causing clients more inconvenience, DHA Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told MPs. DA MP Adrian Roos had requested, in writing, a list of Home Affairs offices with faulty and/or broken UPS units and no functioning generator; and had asked by what date the UPS units would be repaired and emergency power supply systems installed in each of the specified offices. Motsoaledi admitted the alternative systems’ breakdowns and listed affected offices as of February 17. V.4753

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Largest strike in decades brings Germany to a standstill

Airports and bus and train stations across Germany were at a standstill on Monday morning, causing disruption for millions at the start of the working week during one of the largest walkouts in decades as Europe`s biggest economy reels from inflation. The 24-hour strikes called by the Verdi trade union and railway and transport union EVG were the latest in months of industrial action which has hit major European economies as higher food and energy prices dent living standards. Two of Germany`s largest airports, Munich and Frankfurt, suspended flights, while long-distance rail services were cancelled by rail operator Deutsche Bahn. Striking workers wearing red high-visibility jackets blew horns and whistles through an empty Munich train station. V.4754

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Hell Affairs, a South African was stuck in limbo for four years trying to prove her identity and citizenship

A mother of three had her ID blocked by Home Affairs leaving her in anguish, and unable to live a normal life. Expensively obtained affidavits, letters and a DNA test left officials unmoved about the lack of progress for years. Many South Africans have never considered what it would take to prove they are citizens of this land. For Thulisile Gumede, it took several trips from Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), collecting affidavits from former teachers, a letter from her village chief and a DNA test. It also took four years of her life. Gumede, a mother of three married to a Zimbabwean man, thought her ordeal was over when in 2022, Home Affairs confirmed it had unblocked her identity document. Earlier, in 2017, when applying for her son’s identity document (ID), she found out that her ID had been blocked. Blocked identity V.4747

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Immigration activists launch detention hotline as calls for help increase

Activists have launched an immigration detention hotline to deal with an increasing number of calls from persons and family of people who have been detained. Lawyers for Human Rights has been inundated with calls for help from mostly immigrants who have been detained and cannot afford legal representation. Nearly a month ago, the organisation launched its immigration detention hotline. The head of penal reform at the organisation, Nabeelah Mia, says they deal with an average of about 10 to 15 calls per day. V.4748

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Canada to roll back asylum access in reported agreement with US

The United States and Canada have reportedly reached an agreement that will allow border officials to turn back asylum seekers heading north across their shared border without considering their petitions for sanctuary, sparking outcry from immigrant groups. US and Canadian media outlets reported the tentative agreement on Thursday, as US President Joe Biden visits the Canadian capital of Ottawa for his first official visit to the country since taking office in early 2021. V.4749

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How much it costs to buy a bar or pub franchise like Tiger`s Milk, News Cafe, Cubaña, or Bossa

How much it costs to buy a bar or pub franchise like Tiger`s Milk, News Cafe, Cubaña, or Bossa 20 March 2023 | News24 South Africa`s bar and pub scene has changed significantly in recent years - particularly when it comes to national franchises. What was once a market dominated by a handful of traditional pubs and bars has seen the line blurred between bar, pub, and restaurant - to create a safer jack-of-all-trades model. Many South African bars now tend to look more like restaurants - doing quieter trade during daylight and ramping up with live music, DJs, and drinks specials in the evenings. They also tend to serve simple meals like burgers and pizzas throughout the day and late into the evening - a move that likely increases the appeal and potential revenue versus the days of grabbing a few evening pints at the bar. V.4742

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DHA official presents higher visa backlog than Motsoaledi initially reported due to corruption

DHA official presents higher visa backlog than Motsoaledi initially reported due to corruption 20 March 2023 Published Mar 15, 2023 Cape Town - Some of the backlogs in visa applications were caused by corruption and suspensions at the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), MPs were told by a department official, who presented higher figures than initially reported. DHA acting deputy director-general for immigration services, Yusuf Simons, told the Home Affairs portfolio committee members that corruption in the department played a role in the backlog. V.4743

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Why asylum seekers are choosing Canada in record numbers

Why asylum seekers are choosing Canada in record numbers Last year, nearly 40,000 migrants crossed into Canada at an unofficial border at the end of a remote rural road in upstate New York - a record number - to seek asylum. Many are driven by the belief that the country is more welcoming than the US. But can Canada handle the influx? 20 March 2023 | BBC News On a snowy winter day, Roxham Road is cold and quiet. The silence is interrupted by the sound of wheels approaching the end of the path, or the crunching of footsteps on snow. Around 150 migrants are dropped off here each day, determined to step foot into Canada. Many began their journey as far away as Brazil, with this road in New York state as their finish line. Roxham Road is not an official border point. There are no border agents at the end of it, only police officers who arrest those who cross. V.4744

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The emotional impact of emigration, through the eyes of an artist

The emotional impact of emigration, through the eyes of an artist 20 March 2023 | Daily Maverick As an emigration therapist, I have the privilege to explore the world of emigration through the eyes of my clients. Everyone’s experience is unique. Emigrants venture into a new, unknown world: they leave the familiar to start afresh amid new cultures and environments. Some recall a profound sense of being emotionally uprooted, others fully embrace the opportunities presented and continue to thrive. Yet, some experience both. V.4745

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Tax tips for wealthy South Africans emigrating to the US

Tax tips for wealthy South Africans emigrating to the US BusinessTech | 20 March 2023 There are three areas of concern that high net-worth individuals looking to emigrate to the United States must consider to ensure that their wealth is secure. America is a popular destination for South African emigrants, with data from Statista showing that over 100,000 South Africans lived in the US in 2020 trailing only the United Kingdom and Australia in the number of South African ex-pats. V.4746

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Refugees Good News !! If you have been in South Africa for 10 years as a Refugee did you know there is a path to permanent residence .

Refugees Good News !! If you have been in South Africa for 10 years as a Refugee did you know there is a path to permanent residence . Apply Now for Temporary Residence even with EXPIRED LOCKDOWN PERMITS The Constitutional Court handed down a judgement in the Ahmed matter as well as a Court Order opening the door for Asylum Seekers and Refugees to apply to change their status to temporary residence visa . Contact us now before this fantastic opportunity is lost . V.4741

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Home affairs official based in Namibia busted for allegedly selling visas

A Department of Home Affairs official based in Windhoek has been fired after being caught allegedly fraudulently issuing visas to Pakistani and Bangladeshi citizens. Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the department had revoked the visas after the secretary for civics and immigration services based at South Africa`s mission in Windhoek was busted for allegedly selling them to non-qualifying citizens. V.4740

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One year on, the remote worker visa feels only a little less like a remote possibilityOne year on, the remote worker visa feels only a little less like a remote possibility

It’s ‘inexcusable’ that SA still doesn’t offer this when the average work-from-destination traveller could be spending ‘at least’ R50 000 here each month. Digital nomads are rushing to beautiful locations all over the world but can’t come to South Africa. Image: Bloomberg It’s been a year since President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his 2022 State of the Nation address (Sona) that a comprehensive review of the work visa system was “currently underway”. Led by a former director-general of Home Affairs, the review was “exploring the possibility of new visa categories that could enable economic growth”, including “a remote working visa”. V.4735

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Home affairs commits to reducing permits backlog

The department of home affairs is giving attention to clearing the backlog of applications for permanent and temporary residence permits that date back to 2016, and which cause immense frustration to people wanting to settle in the country. But it only expects to have cleared the backlog in 15 months’ time. Acting director of immigration services Yusuf Simons told members of parliament’s home affairs committee on Tuesday that measures to address the backlogs included bringing in more adjudicators, the use of overtime and reducing the number of layers of adjudication that an application has to go through before being considered by the director-general. V.4736

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After 10 years of court battles, Home Affairs will open Cape Town refugee office

The long wait for a Cape Town Refugee Reception Office will finally come to an end on Monday. A new office on Grenville Avenue in Epping is expected to open its doors officially for asylum and refugee services on 20 March. This comes after more than ten years of court battles since the Department of Home Affairs closed its Cape Town refugee office. In October last year, GroundUp reported that the new centre had finally started to take shape in Epping. According to the UCT Refugee Rights Clinic Facebook page, all new asylum and refugee matters will be heard at the Epping offices. “If anyone has any matters that still need to be dealt with before the 20th, you may still be required to attend their old office at Foreshore where the remaining Home Affairs staff will assist you,” the clinic advises. V.4737

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Dismissed immigrant lecturers withdraw Labour Court case

Port Elizabeth TVET College agrees not to retrench them Three immigrant lecturers whose contracts at the Port Elizabeth TVET College were terminated in January have won their case in the Labour Court. Graphic: Lisa Nelson Three lecturers from Zimbabwe and Rwanda whose contracts were terminated in January by the Port Elizabeth TVET College have withdrawn their case today after the College agreed in the Port Elizabeth Labour Court that it will not retrench them. A fourth lecturer who was also dismissed, who is Zimbabwean, has not been appearing in court because he has another case pending with the college. The four have been lecturing in engineering for several years. The college management wrote letters on 12 January informing them that their services would be terminated on 1 February. V.4738

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Cape Town’s notorious unfinished freeway finally gives way to Foreshore development

Development of Cape Town Gateway Precinct, linking the Foreshore to the Bo-Kaap, De Waterkant and the V&A Waterfront, can now begin as land along lower Buitengracht Street has been released to the City by the provincial government. Development has been held back for 40 years because of a road reserve along Buitengracht Street kept by the provincial government for the unfinished Foreshore freeway. The 11,254m2 of land released to the City of Cape Town on 20 January was announced by the City on 14 February. The land is made up of vacant plots and parking lots along Buitengracht Street, held in line with a 1970s’ plan to create a ring road linking the Foreshore freeway nicknamed “Solly’s Folly” after city engineer Solly Morris to Buitengracht Street between Walter Sisulu Avenue and Wale Street. V.4739

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Some Home Affairs mobile units not functioning in three provinces

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said three mobile units allocated to the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State were not fully operational due to mechanical problems. Motsoaledi said the fleet belonged to the old fleet that was procured in the 2005/6 financial year. “Some of the units were previously involved in accidents,” he said. Motsoaledi was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Adrian Roos, who asked about the number of the department’s mobile units that were fully operational and also deployed on a day-to-day basis. V.4726

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Suspected Islamist militants kill 19 people in village raid in eastern DRC

Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 19 people and burnt a medical facility in a raid on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) early on Sunday morning, said two regional officials and a resident. The attack, which occurred around 1am (23:00 GMT) in the village of Kirindera in North Kivu province, took place just a few kilometres from another attack on a village that killed at least 35 people last week. The army blamed last week’s attack on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group based in eastern Congo that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State. A resident of a nearby village and a member of local civil society blamed Sunday’s attack on the ADF. V.4727

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Life in prison for murderer who threw a 23-year-old man out of seventh-floor Pretoria flat

A 37-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering 23-year-old Shaun Douglas Chabalala, who was thrown out of a seventh-floor window of a block of flats in central Pretoria in 2018. Dumkele “Ekere” Onyeghani appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, where he stood in the dock expressionless as the judgment was read out. Magistrate Thembinkosi Ndwandwe started his judgment by going through the testimony of the State witnesses, followed by the version of the defence. Ndwandwe accepted the version of Chabalala’s business partner, Given Mzamane, who was the only witness to the killing. V.4729

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Govt probes Shein amid concerns over its rapid gains in SA

As parts of business and labour in SA sound the alarm that Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein could be exploiting tax loopholes to undercut local retailers and manufacturers, the government has confirmed an investigation is underway. Shein meanwhile says it is committed to ethical business and wage practices as well as abiding by the laws and regulations, but there are mounting concerns in some quarters about the rapid gains it is making the South African market. Founded in 2008, Shein is a Chinese online retailer that ships to more than 150 countries. It markets its clothes primarily via social media, and has gained a fast-growing market in South Africa - as was evidenced by long queues outside its local logistics partner`s premises during the past festive season. V.4730

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Home Affairs Department said it is reviewing their options relating to the 22 Afghan nationals seeking asylum

The Home Affairs Department said it has asked for a legal opinion regarding the matter involving 22 Afghan nationals who were dumped in the country without being vetted. `We are reviewing our options and have asked for a legal opinion in this regard,` said Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s spokesperson, Siya Qoza. South Africans expressed concern over a security rush associated with the 22 Afghan nationals who are in the country; some even suspected that they might attack citizens. V.4731

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SA’s visa crisis jeopardises internationalisation efforts of universities, businesses

Market depends on skilled labour with universal exposure. Along with the many other issues hampering foreign investment and development in South Africa, the country is facing a visa crisis. Visa chaos at Home Affairs Skilled labour, students and visitors on business, as well as tourists, are being held up by a failing administration and bureaucracy. Businesses are struggling and losing out on not only critical skills injections, but also on broader interactions with overseas partners in terms of internships, mentorships and short-term exchanges of staff. V.4732

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Full List of Bank Shares That Halted Trading as Panic Spreads

Fallout Of Silicon Valley Bank Collapse Explained On Monday morning, trading in the shares of a number of banks was halted as panic spread following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. The Nasdaq Trader website published a list of bank shares that were placed under a temporary regulatory halt. Newsweek has listed them below. Each bank share had been hit with a volatility trading pause, a kind of circuit-breaker that automatically halts trading for a short time when a share`s price swings too rapidly. At the time of writing, some of these shares had plunged by more than 60%. The New York Stock Exchange on March 13, 2023 in New York City. A number of bank shares this morning have been placed under temporary trading halts following the shutdown of the Silicon Valley Bank last week. V.4733

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Ask Richard: How does experience stack up against education, and how do we address ageism?

Thank you, as ever, to everyone who shared such great questions for my Ask Richard Newsletter this month. I chose this question from Karen Morgan, as I have a lot of thoughts on the matter. I also paraphrased her question a little bit to fit into a headline, but I wanted to share it in full: How do you feel about hiring someone without a degree, but with 20+ years of experience? Do you think that someone straight out of school with a degree is more suited to a position than someone with years of experience and a desire to continue learning and growing? I have encountered ‘ageism’ more than ever recently, but in my mind I’m still in my thirties and I know several others who are experiencing similar things! V.4734

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Rwanda and Uganda took in more than 10 000 refugees from DRC so far this year, UNHCR says

At least 10 000 people have fled to Rwanda and Uganda from the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as fighting between the M23 rebels and the government`s Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) aggravates the humanitarian crisis in the region. This was despite a ceasefire facilitated by the Angolan President João Lourenço entered on Tuesday by the two warring parties. Speaking at a press conference on Friday in Geneva, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh said since January, Rwanda and Uganda have seen an increase in refugees from the DRC. V.4720

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On Monday, a new payment system will be launched in SA, what you need to know

On Monday, a new payment system will be launched, which could finally help wean South Africans off cash. Payshap, which is backed by the SA Reserve Bank and local banks - will allow South Africans to transfer money instantly between their phones, without a bank account. You will be able to send money using vouchers and PIN codes, and recipients won`t have to cash out that money first to perform another transaction. Payshap will allow them to make payments from their new balance to other people, and soon also via apps like WhatsApp. V.4721

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Hawks bust bogus schools in Randburg. 10 suspects, all ‘foreign nationals,’nabbed

The Hawks arrested suspects running bogus schools File Pic A gang of 10 suspected foreign nationals were hauled before Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, slapped with fraud charges for tricking the community into two bogus schools. Their arrests follow a dramatic raid on Monday by a multidisciplinary team headed by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation along with Department of Education and the Department of Home Affairs. The two bogus schools, Hillcrest International School and Academy of Science, located on Harley Street in Randburg, northwest of Johannesburg, became the center of an illegal operation. V.4722

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Rwanda and Uganda took in more than 10 000 refugees from DRC so far this year, UNHCR says

At least 10 000 people have fled to Rwanda and Uganda from the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as fighting between the M23 rebels and the government`s Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) aggravates the humanitarian crisis in the region. This was despite a ceasefire facilitated by the Angolan President João Lourenço entered on Tuesday by the two warring parties. Speaking at a press conference on Friday in Geneva, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh said since January, Rwanda and Uganda have seen an increase in refugees from the DRC. `More than 5 500 people have crossed the border into neighbouring Rwanda since January, and a further 5 300 into Uganda as insecurity and violence continue to ravage the border regions,` he said. V.4723

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Good news for wine as foreign investors pile into SA

On Monday, a new payment system will be launched which could finally help wean South Africans off cash. Payshap which is backed by the SA Reserve Bank and local banks - will allow South Africans to transfer money instantly between their phones, without a bank account. You will be able to send money using vouchers and PIN codes, and recipients won`t have to cash out that money first to perform another transaction. Payshap will allow them to make payments from their new balance to other people, and soon also via apps like WhatsApp. V.4724

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Suspected Islamist militants kill 19 people in village raid in eastern DRC

Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 19 people and burnt a medical facility in a raid on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) early on Sunday morning, said two regional officials and a resident. The attack, which occurred around 1am (23:00 GMT) in the village of Kirindera in North Kivu province, took place just a few kilometres from another attack on a village that killed at least 35 people last week. The army blamed last week’s attack on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group based in eastern Congo that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State. A resident of a nearby village and a member of local civil society blamed Sunday’s attack on the ADF. V.4725

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Want to know more about work visas?

o Want to know more about work visas: o Who is defined as an illegal worker? • Can you employ someone without a work permit? o What are the visa options for applicants? • What are the consequences of hiring illegal immigrants in South Africa? • What is the fine for employing illegal workers in South Africa? o So how are the amounts determined or how are you sentenced to prison? • Can I employ a Zimbabwean without a work permit? • Do illegal workers have any rights? o 1. What you need to know about work permit South Africa. 2. Apply for work permit South Africa for Zimbabweans 3. Apply for a work permit South Africa for Malawians Who is defined as an illegal worker? V.4714

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Who is defined as an illegal worker?

1. A person who has not entered South Africa through one of its official ports and presenting the necessary documents. 2. A person who is not undertaking the same job as endorsed in the visa. 3. A person who is not using a work permit in SA. Can you employ someone without a work permit? No, you are not allowed to employ someone without a South African work visa as this is illegal and the company or person can be fined or face imprisonment. The responsibility falls on the employer when they decide to employ a foreigner and the law does not penalize the foreigner for accepting or working with no visa. It’s not an offence when you do the following: V.4715

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What is the fine for employing illegal workers in South Africa?

The employer will be fined anything between R 7000.00 to R 50, 000.00 per illegal worker and as previously mentioned the employer can be arrested for 12 months or more depending on the severity of the case. So how are the amounts determined or how are you sentenced to prison? • An employer would need to prove that he or she was unaware that the applicant in question was an illegal foreigner. You need to prove to the Department of Home Affairs that you thought the immigrant was an ordinary South African citizen. • Assisting an illegal foreigner in one of the following ways would increase the severity of your case: helping them obtain false or forged identification, giving them a place to stay or teaching them a particular skill. • Not telling the truth. V.4716

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Do illegal workers have any rights?

Many employers often employ illegal foreigners thinking that an illegal worker can be mistreated or underpay them significantly. The thought behind this is that they cannot seek assistance from the government or CCMA. Illegal workers can seek assistance from CCMA to seek recourse. V.4717

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Zimbabwean gov`t to begin identifying locals needing help to relocate from South Africa

The Zimbabwean government will begin a 20-day physical mapping exercise on March 12 to identify locals who wish to be helped in relocating from neighboring South Africa before their special work permits expire on June 30. About 180,000 holders of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP), which allowed them to work in South Africa under a special dispensation, will have to return home at the expiry of the permits unless they acquire special skills visas that qualify them to stay on. These are part of an estimated 800,000 Zimbabweans staying in South Africa, most of them illegally and surviving on menial jobs where they are often taken advantage of by unscrupulous employers. V.4718

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Staff arrested, pupils sent home as two Joburg private schools shut down amid fraud probe

The Gauteng Hawks shut down two private schools in Harley Street, Ferndale on Monday before they arrested several staffers and sent pupils home. Assisted by the SAPS, education department and Home Affairs officials, they swooped in on Hillcrest International School and Academy of Sciences, allegedly for operating without education department registration. Petros Lyson, 54, the director of Hillcrest, was arrested along with his sons, Rawlings, 30, and Rodney, 25. His sons taught at the primary school, according to the Hawks. V.4719

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Motsoaledi says SA can’t involve US government in Afghan nationals asylum saga

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says the South African government cannot rope in the United States (US) to help deal with the Afghanistan nationals seeking asylum in South Africa. Motsoaledi briefed Parliament following the legal battle between the Department of Home Affairs and the Afghan nationals. An American non-government organisation (NGO) took the department to court after the asylum seekers were refused entry at the Beitbridge Border Post in Limpopo on 16 February. V.4712

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Motsoaledi says SA can’t involve US government in Afghan nationals asylum saga

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says the South African government cannot rope in the United States (US) to help deal with the Afghanistan nationals seeking asylum in South Africa. Motsoaledi briefed Parliament following the legal battle between the Department of Home Affairs and the Afghan nationals. An American non-government organisation (NGO) took the department to court after the asylum seekers were refused entry at the Beitbridge Border Post in Limpopo on 16 February. V.4713

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Visa chaos at Home Affairs causing major headaches

The South African work visa system is currently in the worst shape it has ever been, says Marisa Jacobs and Eden Ben-Attar, experts from work permit and ex-pat solutions firm Xpatweb. The state of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and its failure to get foreign internationals their working visas issued correctly and timely has made south Africa a less friendly country for investors, they said. “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. V.4709

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Reprieve For Zimbabwean Learners Denied School Registration In South Africa

THE South African government says it will not oppose a court application by representatives of children of Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) holders who are in school. Some schools in South Africa were preventing the learners from registering due to the uncertain legal status of their parents. Last week, the ZEP Holders Association (ZEPHA) filed an urgent application in the Pretoria High Court claiming that children of ZEP holders, who had grown up and attended school in SA, were being denied registration at a number of schools in SA. V.4710

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Working without a work permit in South Africa

Many foreign nationals leave their country to seek a better life in South Africa or immigrate to join their spouse, life partner or family. People who live in Africa leave their homes due to many reasons such as; poverty, fear for their lives and finding a job in a different country to support their families back home. A popular choice for foreign nationals is South Africa and as such seek employment when they have arrived in the country. In most cases, the foreigner in question does not qualify to apply for a South African work visa or any other type of visa and is therefore stuck in the dilemma to work without a work permit to survive. V.4711

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Home Affairs staff on a go slow service delivery suffers

There was chaos outside the Home Affairs office in Cape Town CBD yesterday as workers went on strike over a wage dispute. Hundreds of mense coming for applications and collections were left stranded, including a couple who came to get married. Members of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) shut down Home Affairs in Barrack Street after their demand for a 10% salary increase was denied. Western Cape Nehawu secretary Baxolise Mali told the Daily Voice they’ve been at loggerheads with the government since last year after the state offered a measly 3% increase. V.4708

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Motsoaledi: Pandemic caused 40 365 visa backlog crisis

Cape Town, The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is overwhelmed by a visa backlog crisis of 40 365 applications for permanent and temporary residence. Minister Aaron Motsoaledi revealed these numbers in a parliamentary response to DA MP Adrian Roos. The minister said the delays dated back to 2016 and were exacerbated by Covid-19 travel restrictions and the pandemic-induced state of disaster. Roos had posed a question about the current visa processing backlog and the details of DHA plans to eradicate it. V.4702

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‘Frustrated’ man in hostage drama at Home Affairs office in Limpopo

A man has appeared in court after a hostage drama at the Department of Home Affairs’ offices in Elim outside Louis Trichardt. Amukelani Baloyi (26) stormed the Home Affairs offices in Elim and pointed a pistol at a female security officer at the registry desk, forcing her into an office where there were four Home Affairs officials, said district manager Zamba Maluleke. The hostage drama played out over several hours last Friday, with hostage negotiators being called to the scene from Pretoria in the afternoon. “He was frustrated and blamed the department for delaying his birth certificate application,” said Maluleke. V.4703

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High court orders Department of Home Affairs to register birth of stateless man after 10-year battle

The Department of Home Affairs has been given 30 days to register the birth of Tebogo Khoza, a stateless man born in South Africa. The Pretoria high court found that since Khoza first attempted to have his birth and status as a South African citizen recognised in 2013, he had been sent from ‘pillar to post’ by the department a situation that forced him to live in limbo. The Pretoria high court has ordered the Department of Home Affairs to register the birth of a man who has spent the last decade struggling to have his presence in South Africa recognised. In a judgement handed down on Monday 27 February, the court found that the department had failed in its mandate to assist Tebogo Khoza, a stateless orphan, in obtaining South African citizenship. V.4704

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19 foreign nationals in court for contravening Immigration Act

Durban - Nineteen foreign nationals, 14 of which are from Bangladeshi, while five are from Pakistan, appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court this week for contravention of the Immigration Act. Another suspect, Juliah Isangs, was also arrested together with the 19 suspects but will appear in a separate case, according to Hawks spokesperson Captain Dineo Segkotodi. Sixteen of the suspects were identified as: Sopnil Sopnil, 22, Arifuzzamans Arifu, 28, Shariu Ilah Shafiulla, 38, Muhammed Bilal, 34, Islen Ferhadul, 24, Mahammed Ali, 34, Bifoy Rayhanul Infaque, 29, Uddio Mohin, 25, Addin Giyas, 44, Morud MD, 27, Islam Saiful, 35, Hossan Saddam, 32, Mohammed Abdullah, 21, Sharaz Ahmed, 34, Shanzol Dulah Hossain, 45 and Mahammed Alfan, 28. The names of the other suspects were not captured by police. It is understood that none of the 19 suspects speak English. V.4705

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How can a Zimbabwean get a work permit in South Africa?

South Africa is a popular destination for many foreigners who would like to visit or be employed in the country and thus citizens from Zimbabwe are always seeking employment opportunities in the country. In 2020 Zimbabwean President Lazarus Chakwera requested that the SA government introduce special immigration visas for his citizens that are employed in SA. The process for applying for a work permit in South Africa is a daunting process and foreign applicants are often confused about where they should start. Not all applicants will qualify for a visa to be employed V.4706

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Is my work permit fake?

So currently there are two ways that a work visa can be forged and it’s important to understand the differences. Once you understand the different methods of fraudulent ways then you have a starting point to investigate from. 1. A work permit can be forged to look like a real visa, but this has not been printed and entered into the Department of Home Affairs system. So there is no record that it has been issued and details of your particulars. V.4707

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Trevor Noah `left in awe` of Cape Town`s beauty

Trevor Noah may call South Africa home, but that hasn`t stopped him from being a tourist in his country of birth. The comedian has been in SA since he surprised the audience during Kevin Hart`s Reality Check stand-up show in Pretoria in mid-February. On Wednesday, Noah shared two videos and a photo of a day well spent in Cape Town, including a trip up Table Mountain and lounging on the beach at the Grand Café. `Every time I think I remember how beautiful Cape Town is, I visit again, and I`m constantly left in awe,` Noah wrote in the caption. V.4697

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Tom Cruise speaks of `absolutely stunning` SA during awards speech: `I am, because you are`

Tom Cruise was honoured with the David O. Selznick Achievement Award by the Producers Guild of America on 26 February. Accepting the award, the actor stood up on stage and said: `My whole life, I wanted to make movies. I wanted to travel the world. I wanted adventure.` The actor said he`d worked since he was a child, and he`d use the money he made to go to the movies. `I just got back from filming in South Africa,` he added. `It`s an absolutely stunning country. `And there is a beautiful philosophy it`s Ubuntu.` V.4698

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Home Affairs urged to ensure indigent South Africans get free DNA tests to prove citizenship

Home Affairs has again been urged to ensure that the National Health Laboratory Service conducts free DNA tests for indigent South Africans where such a test is required to prove one’s South African citizenship. This follows the Munyai twins’ struggle to be identified as South Africans. Their father struggled for three decades to obtain their birth certificates. Now 31 years old, both Lebo and Lebogang Munyai finally received their birth certificates. Their father raised them after their mother abandoned them in a hospital two weeks after they were born. But for three decades, he’d been tossed around by Home Affairs. They needed him to prove his paternity before he could apply for their birth certificates. After obtaining DNA results from a local GP, Home Affairs still refused to recognise it. V.4699

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Court grants asylum transit visas to Afghan refugees

Department of home affairs says it will abide by the Pretoria high court’s ruling after initially refusing the people entry The department of home affairs said it will abide by a Pretoria high court order granting 22 Afghans fleeing the Taliban access to SA on asylum transit visas. “The DHA [department of home affairs] will abide by the ruling of the court and take all necessary steps to give effect to the ruling,” said spokesperson Siya Qoza. “The decision to abide shows the DHA respects the rule of law. “However, this should not be interpreted as opening floodgates for spurious asylum claims. “The DHA will not hesitate to fight the cases in court, as it has done in this instance.” V.4700

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One Home Affairs worker & Four foreign nationals busted working together to make fake passports

The issue of illegal immigration in South Africa might never be solved in the next 100 years to come. While hardworking South African citizens are crying out to the government to solve illegal immigration, some greedy South Africans are busy making millions of rands by selling passports to illegal immigrants. According to reports, four Home Affairs officers have been convicted and sentenced by the White River Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga for fraud and corruption in connection with the issuing of South African passports to illegal foreign nationals from Bangladesh and Pakistan. These people betrayed their fellow countrymen just for money, without thinking about the consequences of their actions. V.4701

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GHOST IN THE SYSTEM: HELL AFFAIRS

Lawyers for Human Rights in legal battle with Home Affairs over 10-year limbo identity document case Phindile Mazibuko hasn’t been able to travel, open a bank account or apply for citizenship for more than 10 years after Home Affairs flagged her ID document. Thousands of other people are in the same situation. When Phindile Mazibuko was informed by her bank in 2012 that her identity had been stolen, she had no idea that the incident would still be hanging over her head more than 10 years later. For over a decade, Mazibuko has been fighting for the Department of Home Affairs to unblock her identity document, which was “marked”. V.4694

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Zimbabwe: Returning Citizens From SA Need to Be Accepted

OVER the next four months, around 178 000 Zimbabweans will be coming home from South Africa as their special Zimbabwe Exemption Permits expire with President Mnangagwa, while not underestimating the strains of relocation, seeing this large group as a huge resource to accelerate Zimbabwe`s development. To understand his optimism, we need to think just who these 178 000 are. They range in age from small children to people of retirement age, but most are skilled adults in the midst of their working life who are earning a living legally in South Africa. V.4695

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New ‘travel pass’ rolling out to all airports in South Africa

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has announced that the new online traveller declaration system that grants a travel pass via email is planned to be implemented at all airports in the country. The new system was successfully trialled from 29 November 2022 as phase 1 of the project at King Shaka International Airport, SARS said. V.4696

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Returning citizens from Sa need to be accepted

OVER the next four months, around 178 000 Zimbabweans will be coming home from South Africa as their special Zimbabwe Exemption Permits expire with President Mnangagwa, while not underestimating the strains of relocation, seeing this large group as a huge resource to accelerate Zimbabwe`s development. To understand his optimism, we need to think just who these 178 000 are. They range in age from small children to people of retirement age, but most are skilled adults in the midst of their working life who are earning a living legally in South Africa. V.4693

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Lawyers for Human Rights in legal battle with Home Affairs over 10-year limbo identity document case

Phindile Mazibuko hasn’t been able to travel, open a bank account or apply for citizenship for more than 10 years after Home Affairs flagged her ID document. Thousands of other people are in the same situation. When Phindile Mazibuko was informed by her bank in 2012 that her identity had been stolen, she had no idea that the incident would still be hanging over her head more than 10 years later. For over a decade, Mazibuko has been fighting for the Department of Home Affairs to unblock her identity document, which was “marked”. V.4692

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Are foreign nursing diplomas valid in South Africa?

The short answer It depends. The South African Nursing Council will recognise your qualification if it meets certain criteria. The whole question I am an asylum seeker with a nursing diploma from my country of origin. Does my diploma have any value in South Africa? Can I work here? Can I go to university? The long answer In the first place, asylum seekers do have the right to look for work in South Africa. But as to what value your diploma has in South Africa, that is a question that can only be settled by the South African Nursing Council (SANC). V.4690

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Can I get an ID if I was born in SA to foreign parents but my uncle has a valid South African ID?

The short answer Possibly. In terms of the 2018 judgement in the Naki case, Home Affairs should accept and consider your application. The whole question I was born in South Africa, although my parents are foreign. I am currently undocumented and cannot further my studies (I have completed matric). I only have a birth clinic card. My father returned to his country and my mother has disappeared. The only family I have left is my father`s younger brother who has a valid South African ID. What can I do to get documented? V.4691

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Home Affairs, New bill will allow IDs from age 10

JOHANNESBURG - In South Africa, you may only apply for an identity document when you`re 16 and above but, that`s about to change. Cabinet has approved a new bill that will allow citizens to get their IDs at the age of 10. The National Identification and Registration Bill of 2022 is now open for public comment. The Bill also seeks to lay out an integrated digital national identification system, to keep a record of both SA citizens and foreign nationals. V.4686

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Zimbabwean jailed for 15 years for possession of commercial explosives

A 40-year-old Zimbabwean man has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars for possession of commercial explosives. The Musina regional court sentenced Luckmore Harunashe on Friday. Hawks spokesperson Capt Matimba Maluleke said Harunashe and Zorodzai Ignatius Mukonzamariro, 31, were arrested on the N1 between Musina and Makhado in September 2022. Maluleke said the Beitbridge police task team was tipped off about a blue Toyota Condor transporting explosives. V.4687

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Govt to oppose order allowing 22 Afghan nationals into SA

Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi believes a US Non-Governmental Organisation is trying to use the legal system to undermine and ambush South Africa’s sovereignty. Motsoaledi has reacted to an order by the High Court in Pretoria that government grants asylum to 22 Afghan nationals. The order was issued on Friday after lawyers representing a United States-based NGO approached the court on behalf of the 22 Afghan nationals. The NGO argued that the group might be victimised by the Taliban regime which took power in August 2021. V.4688

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Proof of Permanent Residency ( PR)

Why does one do this Obtaining permanent residency is your ticket to securing a full-time residency in South Africa. This alleviates the headache of renewing your visa every few years while still enabling you to enjoy every moment of your stay in South Africa. This is why we call it “Permanent” residency. It is important to make sure that you look after your PR certificate. V.4689

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Another loose thread left hanging in South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has again reaffirmed the government’s intention to introduce a remote working visa repeating a promise made a year ago to help solve South Africa’s growing skills crisis. Despite the stated intention, however, the president has given no further details on the plan, nor any timelines associated with it. Meanwhile, repeated comments from the Department of Home Affairs on the matter show that zero progress has been made to make these visas a reality. Responding to several parliamentary Q&As in 2022, Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi stated plainly that there are no provisions for such a visa in South Africa’s laws as such, there are no plans to launch one. V.4684

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High Court declares sections of Refugees Act unconstitutional

The Western Cape High Court declared sections of the Refugees Act unconstitutional. • Western Cape High Court Deputy Judge President Patricia Goliath has declared sections of the Refugees Act unconstitutional. • According to the act, asylum seekers who do not renew their visas within one month of the date of expiry are considered to have abandoned their asylum applications. • The judge said that the essence of the minister of home affairs’ argument was that most asylum seekers are not genuine and use the process to “avoid meeting the requirements of immigration laws”. The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town has won a significant victory against the minister of home affairs in the Western Cape High Court, which has declared sections of the Refugees Act unconstitutional. The sections in question provide that asylum seekers who have not renewed their visas within one month of the date of expiry are considered to have abandoned their asylum applications. V.4685

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Can the children of diplomats apply to be permanent residents in South Africa

The short answer Yes, if they are dependent, aged between 18 and 23, and studying. They`ll need temporary residence first. The whole question I have been living in South Africa since 2007 as a diplomat with my children. They were minors when we moved. Now that they are adults, they want to apply for permanent residency here. What are the conditions for them to achieve this? V.4670

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US Permit Some H 1B & L1 Visa Holders to Renew Their Visas Without Leaving the Country

Some H-1B visa holders may soon be eligible to renew their visas without being obliged to leave the country after the US State Department has announced that it is looking forward to further easing these visa procedures. According to an announcement provided by Mint, all employees working in the United States through the H-1B and L-1 visa programs will soon be eligible to renew their status domestically, following the pilot program that was introduced by the State Department earlier this year, VisaGuide.World reports. However, despite the fact that the new changes will bring significant benefits to their holders, it has still not been confirmed how many renewal applicants the new pilot program is eligible to accommodate. V.4680

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Rude, unhelpful and unfriendly`: Home affairs booking system has Western Cape citizens seething

• The Department of Home Affairs launched a new appointment booking system last year. • But citizens in the Western Cape have complained about poor service delivery and communication. • It appears that the website may also have been affected by glitches in the past. Ten months after the Department of Home Affairs launched a new online appointment booking system at select offices across the country, South Africans have described `chaos` and poor service delivery at branches in the Western Cape. The department launched its Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS) in May last year. V.4681

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President’s Red Tape Reduction task team’s power limited by red tape

Though they`re helping reduce government red tape, the task team has limited power, and is working on fixing this, along with defining what red tape is. If you’ve been wondering what President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Red Tape Reduction task team has been doing after the president announced it during last year’s State of the Nation Address, the short answer is: not much. According to the Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG), the Red Tape Reduction task team in the Presidency met with the Small Business Development Committee on 16 November for a brief on its progress. V.4682

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Legal agreements that couples in South Africa should know about whether married or not

There are numerous legal agreements South African couples can enter into instead of the “traditional” marriage. Which legal agreement a couple wants to enter depends on what suits their relationship. Some may want to get married, but with adjustments to suit their needs. Others may want to live together without getting the government involved. Michael Visser, a legal advisor at Legal&Tax, explored different legal agreements for couples. V.4683

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Mumbai: Man with bogus papers deported from South Africa, booked

The immigration officers at CSMIA approached the police and got an offence registered against Mumbai: Man with bogus papers deported from South Africa, booked | representative pic Mumbai: The Sahar police have booked a 29-year-old Gujarat native after he was deported by South African immigration officials as they found that his Permanent Resident Permit Card was forged. V.4678

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Another loose thread left hanging in South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has again reaffirmed the government’s intention to introduce a remote working visa repeating a promise made a year ago to help solve South Africa’s growing skills crisis. Despite the stated intention, however, the president has given no further details on the plan, nor any timelines associated with it. Meanwhile, repeated comments from the Department of Home Affairs on the matter show that zero progress has been made to make these visas a reality. V.4679

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Surprising trend for South Africans moving to Canada

A surprising trend is emerging on the South African emigration scene: female entrepreneurs are leading the pack when it comes to business immigration applications. According to Nicholas Avramis, a licensed Canadian immigration from Beaver Immigration, female business owners make up more than half of the applications for Canadian business visas. “In the last two years, we have noticed that more and more inquiries and application filings are coming from South African females. They are leveraging their innovative ideas and talents to immigrate to Canada.” According to Avramis, the only licensed Canadian consultant based in South Africa, Canada’s Start-Up Visa program is the go-to visa program for immigrant entrepreneurs; it is also ideal for female innovators. V.4673

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Here’s how many South Africans are moving to Canada each year

The Canadian government has updated its Immigration Levels Plan for 2023-2025, showing that the country is desperate to draw skilled workers from other countries to its shores. Canada made an announcement in October 2020 that it would seek to welcome over 400,000 new immigrants per year moving forward, or about 40,000 more per year than its previous targets. The revised outlook for 2022-2024 showed that the country expected to draw 430,000 new immigrants each year. In the 2023-2025 update delivered on Tuesday (1 November), this target has been pushed to 500,000 new immigrants by 2025. It expects to welcome 435,000 immigrants in 2022. V.4674

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Can I get an ID if my birth was registered under the name/ID of someone who is not my birth mother?

The short answer Yes, but you should include an affidavit explaining the circumstances of your birth. The whole question When I was born, my mother had to stay in the hospital for a long time. My aunt took care of me and registered my birth using her ID number, rather than my mother`s. Now I am 17 and need to apply for my own ID, but my mother and I are struggling to find my aunt or a copy of her ID. The only supporting document I have is my clinic card. Is there a way for me to apply for my ID without my aunt? V.4675

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Can you get a spousal visa if you have not lived together?

The short answer Yes because you do not have to live together. There is no minimum period of marriage either The whole question I am a US citizen, and have just married my South African partner, in South Africa. In one of your previous answers, you said that to apply for a life partner visa you need to live together for two years. My husband and I live in separate countries but I want to emigrate to SA to live with him. V.4676

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Can holders of expired ZEPs withdraw their provident funds and UIF?

The short answer When the visa expires, the member can apply to withdraw their provident funds. Claiming UIF might be trickier, unless the courts find a solution. The long answer SARS issued a Tax Directive on 27 July 2022 regarding withdrawing provident or pension fund benefits if “emigrating” in terms of an expired visa (as such a benefit would be taxed): V.4672

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Are foreign nursing diplomas valid in South Africa?

Are foreign nursing diplomas valid in South Africa? The short answer It depends. The South African Nursing Council will recognize your qualification if it meets certain criteria. The whole question I am an asylum seeker with a nursing diploma from my country of origin. Does my diploma have any value in South Africa? Can I work here? Can I go to university? V.4669

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What came out of meeting between Ramaphosa, Lesotho prime minister

South Africa and Lesotho will convene an inaugural Bi-National Commission (BNC) this year as the two countries work on strengthening ties, while the latter is seeking an extension of the Lesotho Special Permit (LSP) that expires at the end of the year. This came out of the meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Lesotho Prime Minister Sam Matekane in Pretoria on Saturday. This was their first meeting since Matekane came into office in October last year. In 2021, the two countries signed a framework of cooperation and now they want to upgrade it into a fully-fledged BNC. V.4671

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South Africa Visa for Ethiopian Citizens

Apply for eVisa The South African eVisa for Ethiopians is now live. Ethiopia is one of 14 countries whose citizens can get a visa for South Africa online. The electronic visa was launched in February 2022. The new eVisa makes it easier to travel from Ethiopia to South Africa. Ethiopians can apply for a visa online and receive the approved permit by email. Information about the South Africa eVisa requirements for Ethiopians, and how to apply only, is provided on this page. V.4661

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South Africa Visa Photo Requirements

As it is now possible for travelers from select countries to obtain a South African eVisa online, it is important to understand the requirements before submitting an application, including whether there are any South Africa visa photo specifications that must be met. Foreign citizens who need to apply for a South Africa tourist visa from an embassy are also advised to familiarize themselves with the expected visa photo size and how many photos are required to submit a completed application. V.4662

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Who inherits the house of a man who was married to but separated from one woman and in a long-term partnership with another?

The short answer It may be that your mother and children and the separated wife and her children are both entitled to inherit. The whole question My mother, my siblings and I lived with my father in his house although he was married to another woman. There is a lobola letter for my mother. Can we change the title deed to my or my mother`s name? V.4663

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How can I get legal permission to work in South Africa?

The short answer Legal permission to work in South Africa is accessed by getting a visa. In you case it can be a relatives visa, spousal visa or life partner visa The whole question How I, a Zimbabwean man, can get a visa to be able to stay in South Africa and care for my seven-month-old child and her mother, when my critical skills visa expires in March and I cannot renew it as the skills list was changed this year. V.4664

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How can I adopt my minor relative`s baby?

How can I adopt my minor relative`s baby? The short answer You should contact the Department of Social Development, but the baby needs a birth certificate first. The whole question My 14-year-old sister-in-law left her baby on my doorstep - she is too young to care for the child. She gave me the clinic card and all the papers she has for the baby. How can I adopt the baby? V.4665

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How can asylum seekers and refugees apply for temporary residence from inside South Africa?

How can asylum seekers and refugees apply for temporary residence from inside South Africa? The short answer You can get exemption by applying to Home Affairs for a Waiver of Regulation 9(5). The whole question I have been in South Africa as an asylum seeker since 2007. I want to get a residence permit so that I can enjoy the same rights as other permanent residents. I read in one of your previous responses that asylum seekers are allowed to apply for temporary residence from within the country by asking for exemption. How can I do this? V.4666

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How can you get a late registration of birth certificate and ID if you are an orphan with no family?

How can you get a late registration of birth certificate and ID if you are an orphan with no family? The short answer You need to find some proof that you were born in South Africa and that at least one of your parents was South African. The whole question My friend does not have a birth certificate, so he cannot get an ID. He has no parents or family to vouch for him, and the school that he went to says all the records got destroyed when they rebuilt. He wants to get married, so what can he do? V.4667

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Can I apply for a work permit even if I am unemployed?

Can I apply for a work permit even if I am unemployed? The short answer You could apply for a critical skills permit or a general work permit (if you get a job offer). The whole question I lost my job due to the pandemic in 2020 but I am a semi-skilled auto-electrician with a certificate from the Polytechnic Institute Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. I still want to stay in South Africa. V.4668

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Thousands of South Africans are losing their citizenship, some without even realising it

Many South Africans are being stripped of their South African citizenship when they voluntarily obtain citizenship in a second country. Gary Moore, a Senior Researcher at the Free Market Foundation, said that thousands of South Africans are having their citizenship stripped, with many, if not most, not knowing. Moore looked at a 2021 application made to the Pretoria High Court for an order to declare Section 6(1) of the Citizenship Act constitutionally invalid. Section 6(1) states that South Africans will automatically lose their citizenship if they voluntarily obtain citizenship of another country a continuation of apartheid law. However, the South African Constitution states that no citizen may be deprived of citizenship. V.4659

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South Africa Visa for Indian Citizens

Apply for eVisa Indians can now apply for a South African visa online. The South Africa eVisa for Indians went live in February 2022. Thanks to the South African eVisa, it’s now easier to travel from India to South Africa. The application process is 100% online and travellers receive the approved visa by email. On this page, tourists can find out about the South Africa eVisa requirements for Indians and how to apply. Do Indian passport holders need a visa for South Africa? Yes, Indian passport holders need a visa for South Africa. Only holders of diplomatic, official, and service passports from India can enter South Africa visa-free. V.4660

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China`s shrinking population is a grim omen for the rest of the wo

China will lose half its population by the end of the century. The population decline is a warning for the US and Europe. (Alyssa Powell/Insider) • China`s National Bureau of Statistics announced that its population shrank in 2022 by roughly 850,000 people. • Strong growth in its working-age population over the past several decades allowed China to become the world`s factory. • Fewer children and fewer immigrants means fewer workers in the long term. The country`s shrinking population is a grim omen for the rest of the world. China`s population is shrinking. While the massive country is still home to 1.4 billion people` nearly one out of every five people on Earth China`s National Bureau of Statistics announced that its population shrank in 2022, falling by roughly 850,000 people. V.4655

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Russia, US lead recovery in foreign tourist visits to SA in 2022

• Statistics SA released data for foreign tourist arrivals, enabling a picture for the whole of 2022. • In December 2022, South Africa only received 69% of the foreign visitors it had in December 2019, before the pandemic. • In 2022, total foreign arrivals were at 70% of 2019 levels, overseas arrivals at only 60% of 2019 levels, and arrivals from other African countries at 73% of 2019 levels. While foreign visitors to South Africa in December 2022 increased significantly since the previous year, the number is still at only 69% of visitors in December 2019 - before the pandemic. This is according to data on arrivals in December 2022 that was released by Statistics SA on Tuesday. Looking at data for the entire year, the only source market that exceeded its 2019 level in 2022 was Russia. Compared to 2019, arrivals from Russia in 2022 jumped to 107%. V.4656

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Ugandan woman victorious in appeal against Home Affairs

Najjemba had approached the court to review and set aside the decision of the Minister of Home Affairs who had deemed her a prohibited person in terms of the Immigration Act. woman’s appeal against being listed on the Visa Entry and Stop List (V-list) has been successful in the Western Cape High Court to be reviewed by the Department of Home Affairs. This comes after Florence Najjemba’s workers and relative visa was allegedly fraudulent after it expired. She had only found out about this when she tried to travel to Botswana. V.4657

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Department of Home Affairs losing data due to load shedding

Residents in Durban have to redo their applications at the department of Home Affairs due to lost data because of load shedding. department of Home Affairs’ online system has been experiencing data loss due to load shedding in the past few weeks. CITIZENS HAVE TO REDO APPLICATIONS There are growing concerns that load shedding could be affecting data capturing at the department of Home Affairs. This comes after applications were allegedly deleted. This was discovered by the (Democratic Alliance) DA during a visit to the Bronkhorstspruit Home Affairs office in Pretoria. It has led the DA to look into the matter in KwaZulu-Natal. V.4658

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Immigration Agents South Africa

What does an immigration consultant do? Table of Contents • What does an immigration consultant do? o Does South African Immigration Consultants need to be registered to assist me? o Am I guaranteed a visa through a South African Immigration Agent? o What can a migration agent do for me? o Is it necessary to make use of a South African Immigration Consultant to apply for visas or permits? o I’ve Been Scammed Before and really don’t trust an Immigration Consultant? South African Immigration Agents or South African immigration consultants are individuals who assist you in applying for any South African visa type or permit. You may have used an immigration agency before or choose not to make use of one depending on the budget. The use of an immigration firm means you were assigned an immigration agent or immigration consultant to handle your visa application. V.4654

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Section 10 of Births and Deaths Registration Act `impairs dignity of unmarried fathers` ConCourt

Section 10 of Births and Deaths Registration Act has been declared unconstitutional. Getty Images • The Constitutional Court has declared a section of the Births and Deaths Registration Act unconstitutional. • The section does not allow an unmarried father to register his child`s birth under his surname, unless the mother gives consent or is present. • A ConCourt judge says there is no justification for differentiating between married and unmarried fathers. The Constitutional Court has declared section 10 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act - which does not allow an unmarried father to register his child`s birth under his surname, unless the mother is present or gives consent - unconstitutional. V.4632

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Is artificial intelligence beginning of the end?

Is this the beginning of the end for personalized creativity? If you spend enough time online, you would have seen the AI-generated pictures of black alternative people at a rave or maybe you’ve even created some fun AI art of your own in the recent past. AI, also called machine intelligence, is defined as a sector within computer science that primarily focuses on elevating, building and managing computerized technology. AI technology is also created with the intention of autonomously making decisions and carrying out actions on behalf of a human. V.4650

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Children born abroad with one South African parent have right to citizenship, ConCourt

The Constitutional Court finalised a seven-year legal battle fought by Lawyers for Human Rights on behalf of four people born to SA parents outside the country. The case centred on the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2010 and how it applied to people born outside of South Africa before January 2013. Justice Sisi Khampepe slammed the Department of Home Affairs, describing its conduct in the matter as `brazenly incompetent`. Children born in other countries are entitled to South African citizenship as long as one parent is South African, the Constitutional Court has ruled. V.4651

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Court asked to permit unmarried couples in life partnerships to claim maintenance when separated

The Western Cape High Court is being asked to develop common law legislation to permit unmarried couples in life partnerships to claim maintenance from one another in the event of a separation. As the law stands, the right is reserved only for heterosexual couples who are legally married. The development sought is aimed at providing a remedy for maintenance upon the termination of a permanent life partnership, in circumstances where the parties had undertaken reciprocal duties to support one another during the existence of the partnership. A woman, whose relationship with her partner and the father of her three children has broken down, is trying to claim maintenance from him. V.4652

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Home affairs stuck in costly legal limbo, worsened by Covid

The Covid-19 pandemic has proven to be yet another stick in the spokes for the department of home affairs, further delaying processes that were already slow and inconsistent, and causing despair and disruption for thousands of people and businesses. In addition, an apparent lack of will to rectify the situation is costing the state millions in unnecessary legal fees as unsuccessful applicants head to the courts to appeal. V.4653

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Court rules on unwed fathers

The Eastern Cape High Court in Gqeberha has found a regulation that was stopping undocumented fathers from being registered on their children’s birth certificates unconstitutional. The regulation affects the rights of thousands of children simply through the circumstances of their births, Judge Mbulelo Jolwana said. He said it was “irrational” and it had never gone through a parliamentary process. The rights of citizens cannot be subject to the whims or attitudes of officials in government offices, the judge said. V.4648

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Court asked to permit unmarried couples in life partnerships to claim maintenance when separated

The Western Cape High Court is being asked to develop common law legislation to permit unmarried couples in life partnerships to claim maintenance from one another in the event of a separation. As the law stands, the right is reserved only for heterosexual couples who are legally married. The development sought is aimed at providing a remedy for maintenance upon the termination of a permanent life partnership, in circumstances where the parties had undertaken reciprocal duties to support one another during the existence of the partnership. V.4649

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Court grants mother right to keep children in SA away from nomadic father in US

- A father of three who lives in Texas in the United States said to have subjected his children to a nomadic life and who is so controlling that he even watches his children’s weight lost his legal bid in a South African court to have his children returned to him. The father launched proceedings in the Johannesburg High Court in terms of The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction Act, to have his children returned. The purpose of the Convention is to protect children from the harmful effects of their wrongful removal from the country of their habitual residence to another country, or their wrongful retention in another country. V.4647

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Legalization form 20, ask us how

How can we help you , please email us to info@samigration.com whatsapp message me on: +27 82 373 8415, where are you now? check our website : www.samigration.com V.4643

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ASYLUM SEEKERS PERMIT EXPIRED or NEW ONE needed, Don’t know what to do ?

Apply Now for Temporary Residence even with EXPIRED LOCKDOWN PERMITS The Constitutional Court handed down a judgement in the Ahmed matter as well as a Court Order opening the door for Asylum Seekers and Refugees to apply to change their status to temporary residence visa . Contact us now before this fantastic opportunity is lost . V.4644

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SA born child leaves for Croatia with father after court rules against estranged wife

A South African-born child aged 13 will next week start school in Croatia after her father won a legal battle against his estranged wife to take his daughter with him while he assists Ukrainian refugees in that country. The child’s mother was shortly before Christmas ordered by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg to allow the child to live with her father abroad. Judge Shanaaz Mia ordered the mother to sign all the necessary documents relating to her daughter’s relocation. If the mother refused to sign the documents, the sheriff of the court was entitled to do so on her behalf, the order read. Not only did the mother lose her battle for her child to remain here, but she was also instructed by the court to foot her husband’s legal bill. Judge Mia made it clear that the interest of a child will always prevail. In this case the child made it clear she wanted to go to Croatia with her father, with whom she had a better relationship. V.4645

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Court grants mother right to keep children in SA away from nomadic father in US

A father of three who lives in Texas in the United States said to have subjected his children to a nomadic life and who is so controlling that he even watches his children’s weight lost his legal bid in a South African court to have his children returned to him. V.4646

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Undocumented, unmarried fathers cannot be excluded from their children’s birth certificates

A regulation preventing the naming of a foreign, unmarried father who is in South Africa illegally on his child’s birth certificate is unconstitutional, the Eastern Cape High Court in Gqeberha has ruled. Judge Mbulelo Jolwana said the regulation, which provides that a foreign father of a child born out of wedlock must submit a copy of his valid passport, visa, permit, permanent residency, ID document or refugee identity document in order to be registered, was not only irrational but was contrary to the best interest of the child. It was also at odds with the Births and Deaths Registration Act which imposed no such rule. V.4641

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Spouse Required to be present on submission of life partner and spousal application

New development with respect to spouse / life partner application needs pictures of spouse/ life partner and applicant , the SA spouse must be physically present on day of application. No excuses. This info was sent to vfs today they will action wef 1 Feb 2023 . It will be signposted on website and offices accordingly . As an aside you and I will understand why, the fraudulent SA life partner s who cry foul and say they stole my ID when caught out will be exposed as well as the syndicates V.4642

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German government seeks to ease rules for naturalization

BERLIN -- Germany`s socially liberal government is moving ahead with plans to ease the rules for obtaining citizenship in the European Union`s most populous country, a drive that is being assailed by the conservative opposition. Chancellor OIaf Scholz said in a video message Saturday that Germany has long since become “the country of hope” for many, and it`s a good thing when people who have put down roots in the country decide to take citizenship. “Germany needs better rules for the naturalization of all these great women and men,” Scholz said. V.4639

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Life in SA through the lens of a Zimbabwean

For 12 years, Zimbabwean Martha Muhamba* has had to find a way to ensure that she remains in South Africa because, when she moved to the country in 2010, her mission was to `find work, make money` and send her child `to a decent school`. While Muhamba has been able to find employment since her first year in South Africa, the 42-year-old tells City Press that she has never been in possession of a work permit and the only documentation she has is her Zimbabwean passport, which she has managed to keep valid with border post stamps, even though she has not left South Africa for more than a decade. V.4640

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Who needs a South African visa?

Anyone traveling to South Africa will need a visa to enter the country; be it for a holiday, visiting family, joining a partner, living, working, or studying. However, some countries are exempt from this rule. When traveling with a child under 18, you should always check the current South African visa requirements and child policy as these sometimes change. From 8 November 2019, for instance, foreign children traveling with their parents no longer need to present parental consent letters or birth certificates. Nonetheless, it can’t hurt to keep a parental consent letter and birth certificate handy just in case. V.4634

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Temporary Residence Visa (TRV)

While processing times for visas under this category vary, they typically take up to 60 business days from the date of submission. However, it can take up to 10 days to process the Visitor’s Visa and Holiday Visa. When applying for a Temporary Residence Visa, you must meet the following criteria: • Hold a valid passport with at least two blank pages, which only expires a month after your intended departure date from South Africa • Ensure your temporary residence permit remains valid • Submit the online application and required documentation at any VFS.Global visa facilitation center or at the South African embassy in your country of residence or citizenship V.4635

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Business Visa

South Africa is a country that welcomes much-needed foreign investment. Therefore, a section of South African immigration legislation deals specifically with foreign individuals wishing to conduct business in the country or invest in a South African company. If you are trying to start your own business, take over an existing business, or invest in a company in South Africa, you need to apply for a Business Visa. Furthermore, you will need to invest a prescribed financial capital contribution, and at least 60% of your workforce needs to be South African. V.4636

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Relative Visa

Family members of a South African citizen or permanent resident can apply for a temporary residence Relative Visa if they fall within the first or second line of kinship. This visa applies to the following: • Spouses • Life partners • Parents • Children • Siblings Life partners (heterosexual or same-sex) of a South African citizen or permanent resident must provide comprehensive and satisfactory evidence that their relationship is at least two years in length to apply for the Relative’s Visa. V.4637

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Legalising yourself from within South Africa

In the past, prior to the amendments to the Immigration Act, it was possible for an illegal foreigner to “legalise” or “regularise” him/herself from within South Africa by making payment of the requisite fine. This is no longer the case and we are constantly encountering foreigners who find themselves illegally in South Africa with little hope of rectifying their situation. The current dilemma In many cases, these illegal foreigners elect to depart South Africa and contest any ban issued to them from outside of the country. This involves the submission of an overstay appeal to the Department of Home Affairs (“DHA”). A number of foreigners, however, simply have too much invested in South Africa and are unwilling to depart the country for fear of incurring a ban that may or may not be overturned V.4638

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I want to be in school but... we have no papers: Undocumented children struggle to find schools

Many undocumented children of immigrant parents are struggling to get placements at South African schools. The online school registration placement system requires documentation, and most public schools insist on it. Private schools will accept undocumented children, but the fees are too high for most parents. It is 10:00, and 9-year-old Michael is begging at a set of traffic lights in Johannesburg. Most children his age are back at school after the holidays. But Michael is undocumented. He has not been in school since 2021, when he used to attend a private school. His family could not afford to keep him there, and the school also gave him notice that he should provide some documentation if he wanted to continue classes, GroundUp reported. V.4629

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Free SAMI Immigration Newsletter, Be informed.

Newsletters are always the best way to keep our clients informed of the rapid changes in the immigration world and we can update you in this regard by you subscribing to our free newsletter. V.4630

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Couple wins legal battle to have rule in Births and Deaths Registration Act declared unconstitutional

A couple has won a court battle to have a regulation in the Birth and Deaths Registrations Act declared unconstitutional and invalid. • A South African woman and her Bulgarian partner have won an application to have a regulation in the Birth and Deaths Registrations Act declared unconstitutional. • Judge Mbulelo Jolwana in the Eastern Cape High Court found that it imposed discriminatory conditions for fathers who are unmarried and may be undocumented foreigners. • The home affairs minister and department were ordered to pay the costs of the application. V.4631

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Want to visit, live, work, or study in the rainbow nation?

We explain how to apply for the correct visa for South Africa based on your situation. South Africa is a beautiful and culturally diverse country that offers unique experiences and exciting opportunities for all. However, many tourists and migrants wanting to cross her rugged shores must first apply for a South African visa if they are planning to visit, live, work, or study in the country; or perhaps join a relative or partner there. Furthermore, your nationality and reasons for coming to South Africa will dictate what type of visa you need. Luckily, this guide is here to explain the conditions of each type of visa for South Africa to help you choose the correct permit. But before we delve into that, it’s important to know that this information serves only as a guideline. V.4633

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Couple wins legal battle to have rule in Births and Deaths Registration Act declared unconstitutional

A couple has won a court battle to have a regulation in the Birth and Deaths Registrations Act declared unconstitutional and invalid. Stock image • A South African woman and her Bulgarian partner have won an application to have a regulation in the Birth and Deaths Registrations Act declared unconstitutional. • Judge Mbulelo Jolwana in the Eastern Cape High Court found that it imposed discriminatory conditions for fathers who are unmarried and may be undocumented foreigners. • The home affairs minister and department were ordered to pay the costs of the application. V.4628

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Just Like UK, Canada, South Africa Invites Nigerians to Apply for Its Visas, Offers Permanent Residency

South African government has presented an open invitation to Nigerian business leaders, and skilled workers to the country. Bobby Moroe, the South African Consul General announced this on Monday, January 9, 2023, at a roundtable with the Lagos business community. According to him, South Africa is ready and open for business and has worked to ease the plight of Nigerians seeking visas to enter the country. Moroe who was represented by Ntakuseni Lambani, head of immigration at the Consulat also disclosed that South Africa will now issue long-term visas of up to ten years to proven Nigerian businessmen. V.4625

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SAPS captain arrested after she allegedly detained foreign nationals, demanded R10 000 for their freedom

SAPS captain arrested after she allegedly detained foreign nationals, demanded R10 000 for their freedom IOL | 11 Jan 2023 Pretoria �` Three suspects, including a female police captain have been arrested on charges of corruption, defeating the ends of justice, extortion and kidnapping. Police in Mpumalanga have identified the trio as Tshidi Anastacia Mamareko, 56, Santi Madoda Khumalo, 44, and Albert Ramuchu, 41. The suspects, one woman and two men, were nabbed in Witbank on Monday afternoon, after they had received money in a bid to release undocumented foreign nationals they had arrested, according to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli. V.4626

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SA passport makes gains on global index

SA passport makes gains on global index News24 | 11 Jan 2023 Global investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners compiles a quarterly passport index. The South African passport has moved up on the index to take 53rd spot after Egypt was added to the visa-free destination. The SA passport offers visa-free access to 106 of 227 destinations measured by the index. The South African passport has moved up on a global index ranking to take the 53rd spot with its visa-free access offered to 47% of the world`s destinations. V.4627

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Can I get an ID if I was born in SA to foreign parents but my uncle has a valid South African ID?

Can I get an ID if I was born in SA to foreign parents but my uncle has a valid South African ID? SA Migration | 10 Jan 2022 The short answer Possibly. In terms of the 2018 judgement in the Naki case, Home Affairs should accept and consider your application. The whole question V.4619

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Court rules on stateless children

Court rules on stateless children The Mercury | 10 Jan 2023 As long as we live in a world that is territorially organised into national states, a stateless person is not simply expelled from one country; they are expelled from humanity CHILDREN born to foreign nationals and raised in South Africa are South Africans, the Supreme Court of Appeal has said. In the ground-breaking judgment, the court quoted political theorist and philosopher Hannah Arendt in the opening to the judgment, saying “citizenship is more fundamental than civil rights”. V.4620

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Citizenship is a right, not a concession

Citizenship is a right, not a concession Mail & Guardian Thought Leader | 10 January 2023 The removal of citizenship, and permanent residence, from South Africa’s statute books is the holy grail of a political conspiracy hatched somewhere in the deep state of the department of home affairs. Its cabal hides behind the façade of the 2017 white paper on international migration, which it authored. The 2017 white paper contains the foundational architecture of a radical ideological transformation of the democratic state as we know it into a tribal fiefdom where constitutional norms and entrenched legislative processes, and legal practitioners, are nothing more than hindrances to the achievement of its objectives. V.4621

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Temporary Residence Visa South Africa 2022 and 2023

Temporary Residence Visa South Africa 2022 and 2023 SA Migration | 09 Jan 2023 What Is a Temporary Resident Visa? You might be interested in moving to South Africa and wondering “What is a temporary resident status”? A temporary residence visa allows a foreign national to legally stay in South Africa for longer than 90 days and a maximum of up to five years. Many people choose to emigrate to our beautiful country and make this their new home because we have the perfect climate plus many more things to excite you. The most important thing to consider when emigrating is applying for a temporary visa to settle here. V.4622

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Relatives permit for immigration to South Africa

Relatives permit for immigration to South Africa SA Migration | 10 Jan 2023 What is a Relatives permit or visa for immigration to South Africa The South African Immigration Act allows applications for permanent residence from those who have a first kin relationship with either a South African Permanent Resident or Citizen. This category of permit is known as a relatives permit. You can learn more about the relatives permit by viewing the below information, or if you prefer the human touch simply call us on any of the above numbers, request a call back here, or email your enquiry. V.4623

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SUPREME COURT OF APPEAL OF SOUTH AFRICA

SUPREME COURT OF APPEAL OF SOUTH AFRICA MEDIA SUMMARY �` JUDGMENT DELIVERED IN THE SUPREME COURT OF APPEAL The Registrar, Supreme Court of Appeal | 25 November 2020 STATUS Immediate The Minister of Home Affairs and Others v Jose and Another (Case no 169/2020) [2020] ZASCA 152 (25 November 2020) Please note that the media summary is intended for the benefit of the media and does not form part of the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal. Today the Supreme Court of Appeal (the SCA) dismissed an appeal by the first to fourth appellants, collectively referred to as the Department of Home Affairs (the DHA), against a decision of the Gauteng Division of the High Court, Pretoria (the high court). V.4624

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Chris Yelland | Not just dark: SA`s electricity, energy sectors offer significant opportunities

There would be good cause for pessimism if we were doing much of the right stuff, while still remaining stuck in the current mess. The purpose of this article is to highlight the substantial challenges that we should be addressing, and, in so doing, appreciate and understand the significant opportunities that exist by successfully addressing just some of these. V.4612

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Anyone can live and work in Svalbard visa-free �` just don`t run out of money, and abide by its rules

In a world where your passport dictates where you can live, travel, and work, there`s a semi-frozen haven open to citizens of all countries �` no complicated visa or employment permits required. Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago 500 miles from the North Pole, is home to the world`s northernmost human settlement. The 2,300 residents of the capital, Longyearbyen, include people of over 40 different nationalities, few of whom are `from` Svalbard, per say. That`s because you`re not allowed to give birth on Svalbard �` one of the many strange rules that govern existence on the remote collection of islands covered by ice. V.4613

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Global immigration news

Global immigration news Smith Stone Walters| 3 January 2023 This week, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters would like to highlight the following recent updates from the European Union, Ireland, Lithuania and New Zealand. European Union: Croatia becomes latest Schengen country The European Council has decided to extend the Schengen Area to Croatia, but not yet to Bulgaria or Romania. From 1 January 2023, checks on persons at internal land and sea borders between Croatia and the other countries in the Schengen area will be lifted. Checks at internal air borders will be lifted from 26 March 2023, given the need for this to coincide with the dates of IATA summer/winter time schedule. From 1 January 2023, Croatia will also start to issue Schengen visas and will be able to make full use of the Schengen Information System. V.4614

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This is how attracting Chinese tourists can help SA industry recover, suggests hospitality expert

This is how attracting Chinese tourists can help SA industry recover, suggests hospitality expert News24 �` 09 January 2023 China had the world`s largest outbound tourism market before the pandemic. China is about to open its borders for international travel after imposing strict travel bans when the Covid-19 pandemic started. In 2019, the number of outbound Chinese tourists peaked at nearly 155 million, of which just over 93 000 chose SA. The national chair of hospitality industry body, Fedhasa, says the Chinese market can help the SA tourism industry recover. V.4615

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Anomalies in the issuing of permits and visas to foreign nationals: Aaron Motsoaledi

Anomalies in the issuing of permits and visas to foreign nationals: Aaron Motsoaledi 09 January 2023 - #SABCNews The Ministerial Committee Reviewing Permits and Visas has found a lot of wrongdoing on the part of the Department of Home Affairs in the issuing of these documents. It has recommended the appointment of a multi-disciplinary task team to conduct a full investigation of fraudulent applications, corrupt activities as well as maladministration that have been picked up. The V.4616

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ANC to push for overhaul of migration laws

ANC national executive committee (NEC) member David Mahlobo said this was one of resolutions taken by the party’s peace and stability commission during its 55th national elective conference. JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) said the country’s migration laws must be overhauled. ANC national executive committee (NEC) member David Mahlobo said this was one of resolutions taken by the party’s Peace and Stability commission during its 55th national elective conference. V.4617

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Can an adult apply for South African citizenship through their informally adoptive father?

Can an adult apply for South African citizenship through their informally adoptive father? SA Migration | 09 Feb 2022 The short answer If her de facto father was assumed to be her biological father, the child would qualify for South African citizenship by descent The whole question Dear Athalie What is the legal status of a child who was born in Zimbabwe to a Zimbabwean mother who then married a South African man living in Zimbabwe at the time? The South African husband gave the baby his name and signed her birth certificate. Can the child apply for South African citizenship through her informally adoptive father, and can the father could legally adopt her, given that she is 22 years of age? V.4618

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Global immigration news

This week, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters would like to highlight the following recent updates from the European Union, Ireland, Lithuania and New Zealand. European Union: Croatia becomes latest Schengen country. The European Council has decided to extend the Schengen Area to Croatia, but not yet to Bulgaria or Romania. From 1 January 2023, checks on persons at internal land and sea borders between Croatia and the other countries in the Schengen area will be lifted. Checks at internal air borders will be lifted from 26 March 2023, given the need for this to coincide with the dates of IATA summer/winter time schedule. From 1 January 2023, Croatia will also start to issue Schengen visas and will be able to make full use of the Schengen Information System V.4610

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What happens if your landlord sells the property you’re living in

It is not uncommon for a rental property owner or landlord to decide to put the property up for sale. The question then arises as to what happens to the tenant. While it is usually advisable that landlords or property owners wait until the end of the lease before they sell the property, that is not always possible. According to rental agents from the Seeff Property Group, tenants should be aware of their rights in such a case. There are certain legal rights, but the rental agreement should also make provisions for this as a safeguard. The first aspect is that the property owner is always free to sell at any time, but the lease agreement will remain valid and in full force until its expiry date. The property owner cannot cancel the lease because of the sale. Only a breach on the part of the tenant can result in legal action and cancellation. V.4611

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Proof of Permanent Residency (PR)

Why does one do this Obtaining permanent residency is your ticket to securing a full-time residency in South Africa. This alleviates the headache of renewing your visa every few years while still enabling you to enjoy every moment of your stay in South Africa. This is why we call it “Permanent” residency. It is important to make sure that you look after your PR certificate. While obtaining your permanent residency is a joyous occasion, it is important to be able to produce a proof of permanent residency (PR) upon request. V.4607

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Canada Bans Nigerians, Other Foreigners From Buying Homes

A ban on foreigners buying residential property in Canada took effect on Sunday, aiming to make more homes available to locals facing a housing crunch. Several exceptions in the act allow individuals such as refugees and permanent residents who are not citizens to buy homes. In late December, Ottawa also clarified that the ban would apply only to city dwellings and not to recreational properties such as summer cottages. The temporary two-year measure was proposed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the 2021 election campaign when soaring prices put home ownership beyond the reach of many Canadians. V.4608

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How to apply for a Department of Labour Certificate for Work Visa

In 2014, the Department of Home Affairs decided to update the immigration regulations and made major changes which affected many foreign nationals. One of the changes was how to apply for a general work visa. Previously candidates or employers had to place an advert in a local newspaper, obtain their SAQA certificate and lastly apply for a salary benchmarking certificate. So after the immigration regulations, employers had to obtain a certificate from the Department of Labour before they could apply for a General Work Visa. If you need information on how to apply for a general work Visa in South Africa, then our blog post has all the information you need. V.4609

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Vetting foreign nationals tedious but necessary

With a spotlight on corruption at immigration level, in the form of falsified visas and bribery, this has only made the topic more sensitive.With unemployment figures at an all-time high and South Africa facing numerous economic challenges, the department of home affairs (DHA) and the department of labour are again taking steps to curb the employment of illegal foreign nationals living in the country. With a spotlight on corruption at immigration level, in the form of falsified visas and bribery, this has only made the topic more sensitive. Consequently, the DHA has taken action and established an anti corruption unit comprised of immigration experts, lawyers and forensic investigators, in the hopes that employment practices towards foreign nationals will be put under scrutiny. V.4604

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Groundbreaking judgment offers relief for foreign parents of children born in SA

The court has delivered a groundbreaking judgment which opens the door for foreigners working in South Africa who have children born on local soil. Previously, they had to leave the country after breaking up with their spouses. Story continues below Advertisement In terms of sections of the Immigration Act, foreigners’ spouse visas terminated once their relationship with their South African spouses ended. This meant that they either had to leave the country, even if it meant leaving their children behind, or they had to reapply for a visa to remain in the country. However, they could only do so from outside the country. Various applicants, who come from countries such as France, Switzerland, Germany and Zimbabwe, turned to the Western Cape High Court to have the relevant sections of the act declared unconstitutional. V.4605

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Nigerians explore Egypt, Morocco, others after Dubai visa ban

Hundreds of Nigerians are now exploring other destinations after Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) slammed a total visa ban on them in October. Daily Trust Saturday reports that before the ban on Nigerian businessmen, Dubai had first tightened visa requirements for applicants from Nigeria. For now, only Nigerians with diplomatic passports and few others have easy access to Dubai. Dubai was hitherto the destination of choice for many Nigerians for many purposes, including business, education, leisure and medical tourism. But following the ban, many Nigerians are now travelling to Egypt, Morocco and other countries. V.4606

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New Zealanders, path to Australian permanent residency eased by ditching income and health check New Zealanders’ path to Australian permanent residency eased by ditching income and health check

Move expected to help clear backlog of about 11,500 applications and could ease process for up to 300,000 Kiwis Australia will lower requirements for New Zealanders to obtain permanent residency. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images The Australian government has lowered the bar for New Zealanders who have applied for permanent residency. Under changes announced by the home affairs department, New Zealanders who applied on or before 10 December for a subclass 189 visa will no longer face hurdles related to income, period of residence and health conditions. V.4600

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South Africa: Consular Posts Processing Long-Term Visa Application

As an update to the withdrawn centralized processing of long-term visa applications, consular posts are now processing and issuing long-term visa applications that were included in the centralized adjudication process at the Department of Home Affairs between January 12, 2022 and August 31, 2022. V.4601

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Stateless SA man left in limbo after parents never registered his birth turns to court for help

A young man left in legal limbo after his parents never registered his birth has appealed to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, for help. The Department of Home Affairs had simply ignored his plight over the past nine years to be registered as a South African citizen. Tebogo Khoza said since he turned 16 in 2013, he had tried in vain to be registered as a South African. He said he was born here and has never left the country since birth. While the department said it would assist him, nothing came of it. V.4602

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How much it now costs to buy a KFC, Nando`s, and Chicken Licken - or some cheaper takeaway options

Chicken franchises are among the most popular - and expensive - takeaway businesses to buy in South Africa. Much of this has to do with demand - South Africans collectively eat around 1.92 million tonnes of poultry, or up to 16 birds each, per year. And several brands, like KFC, Nando`s, and Chicken Licken, have made a good business of getting South Africans to buy even more in ready-to-eat formats. The country`s top takeaway chicken spots pull crowds with familiar branding, strong marketing campaigns, and popular recipes and preparation methods. Many of these branches are franchisee-owned and run - and even the leading brands still have some locations available to buy. V.4603

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Thank you valued clients from SA Migration - 2022

`Dear valued clients, As we come to the end of another year, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past year and express our gratitude for your continued support and partnership. Sa Migration has had a successful year thanks in no small part to your loyalty and trust in our products and services. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve you and to be a part of your success. V.4599

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Zimbabwean citizen Gibson Tawodzera kicked out of SA may return, court rules

Pretoria - A Zimbabwean citizen who had been kicked out of South Africa and deported back to Zimbabwe has received an early Christmas gift. The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria has ordered Home Affairs to allow Gibson Tawodzera back into the country At the time, Home Affairs had, out of the blue, 13 years after his South African wife had died, insisted that the marriage was all along a sham. V.3359

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Winding up an estate still takes longer than before the pandemic, what you can do

The timelines for winding up an estate have improved since the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic but are still likely to take longer than before Covid, as pandemic backlogs and other problems persist.A year was a good expectation for an estate where the deceased left a sound will and the estate was dealt with by an experienced executor, Angelique Visser, Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (FISA) National Councillor, says. V.4597

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Employers beware: new legislation starting Jan. 1 makes employees out of contractors

Contractors will be entitled to statutory holiday pay, minimum wage, and vacation pay, Ed Canning writes. It is a given that the pandemic had a dramatic impact on the working world for many people. Among those are people who lost their employment and decided to become consultants. They set themselves up as independent contractors, covering their own taxes and simply invoiced their clients on a fee-for-service basis. More than a few of these consultants decided they liked working from home too much, and when the employer demanded a return to the office, they resigned and set up their own consulting businesses. V.4598

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Life Partner Visa

Life Partner visa is issued to someone in a long term relationship. This type of South Africa life partner visa is available to people in either heterosexual or same-sex relationships and can apply for a life partner temporary residence visa or a permanent residence depending on the length of the relationship in question. An application for temporary residence life partner visa requires that the partners are in a proven relationship for 2 years. Foreigners who are life partners of South African citizens or permanent resident holders may apply for permanent residence if they have been together for 5 years or more in terms the Immigration Act. V.4595

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Judge tells Home Affairs to get house in order, stop wasting taxpayers’ money

Pretoria - A judge gave the Department of Home Affairs a tongue lashing for wasting taxpayers’ money by not doing its work and ignoring applications made by the public. He said these ended up in the courts, usually with the taxpayers footing the legal bill on behalf of the department. Judge MP Phooko, sitting in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, said it was time “Home Affairs got its house in order”. He pointed out the courts were flooded with applications from people who could not get any answers from the department, regarding their legal status in the country. In the latest such application, British citizen Jonathan Firth applied nearly four years ago for permanent residency with the department. After he did not receive any response from the department two years later, he instructed a lawyer to assist him. The lawyer wrote letters to the department requesting information regarding the status of Firth’s application, but there was no response. V.4596

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The most in-demand jobs and skills in South Africa

A new report by the recruitment group Michael Page has highlighted a strong demand for specific professional skills in South Africa, noting that global companies are poaching experienced South African staff while local employers are looking for candidates with the same talent. Michael Page Africa, a division of the UK-headquartered PageGroup, recruits managers and senior executives on the African continent. Based on data captured by the group from job advertisements and insights from consultants, it has compiled a new report on the most in-demand skills and experience needed within various sectors of South Africa. V.4589

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Immigration: German couple may retire in SA after long unnecessary legal battle

Pretoria - A judge was outraged by the conduct of the director-general of Home Affairs, who for years simply turned a blind eye towards an elderly German couple’s desperate plight to retire in South Africa. The couple fully qualify in terms of the law to obtain permanent residency here, yet their application was turned down by the department. Western Cape High Court Judge Vincent Saldanha said he considered holding the official personally liable for the legal costs. He commented that the court noted the egregious conduct of the official for the manner in which he had conducted this litigation and in handling the couple’s application. Jakob Maier, 80 and his wife Maria, 78, dearly want to retire in Cape Town, where they bought a house about 11 years ago. V.4590

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Bad service at Home Affairs angers public

The public including school children stand in long queues, even on rainy days. The public is frustrated with poor service at the Department of Home Affairs office in Port Shepstone. Some have done online applications and allocated a date to visit its offices. However, on arrival they are told to go home as it had enough people in the queue for that specific date. According to a Shelly Beach resident who did not wish to be named fearing intimidation, she was sent back three times after standing in a long queue for an entire morning. V.4591

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Burundi ranks as second most visa-open in East Africa

Burundi’s immigration policies for other Africans have improved significantly, with the country’s visa openness ranking rising by 32 places in the year and becoming the second most open country in the East African Community (EAC) bloc. According to a new report by the African Development Bank (AfDB), Burundi’s rise, mostly since 2021, is a result of Bujumbura accepting all travellers from Africa into the country either on visa-free travel (all East Africans) or visas on arrival (all other Africans). Burundi does not have electronic visas yet, but it does not require Africans to apply for entry permits before travelling to its territory. Burundi’s decision to allow all Africans to travel without visa applications helped it rise from position 44 to 12, making it one of the most improved countries on the continent’s visa openness ranking alongside Benin, Nigeria and Ethiopia V.4592

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Zimbabwe Exemption Permit: Six months before expiry, Zimbabweans in SA have mixed feelings

With just six months before the time is up for those in South Africa living under the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP), there are mixed feelings among Zimbabweans, with some wishing for a further extension, while others contemplate going abroad. The government announced that it would terminate the ZEP on 30 June 2023, a decision that will affect about 180 000 Zimbabweans residing in South Africa. As early as October, the Zimbabwean government announced that it was prepared for its nationals who were coming home to start a new life and would assist them with transport and other logistics. While there has been no sign of it backing its words with action, there has been an influx of travellers from South Africa into Zimbabwe. V.4593

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Judgment ensures kids are at school, documented or not

Pretoria - Come Wednesday when the country’s schools open for the 2020 academic year, no school may turn a pupil away - local or foreign - if they do not have IDs, permits or passports. This is after a judgment delivered on December 12 by the high court in Grahamstown in which it declared the admission policy of the Department of Basic Education unconstitutional where it barred undocumented children - both South African and non-national children - from attending school because they were undocumented. The judge president of that division, Judge Selby Mbenenge, ruled that the department acted unconstitutionally in not permitting children to continue receiving education in public schools, purely because they lacked ID documents. V.4594

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Fraudulently obtained South Africa Visas

The Curious Case of the 1997 Exemption Permits 2021 has started on a busy note in terms of the South African immigration landscape. The Border Management Agency began its work having been signed into law by the president in December, a draft critical skills list has been published and now the Minister has vowed to take steps to review and investigate visas and permits irregularly issued over the years and its only February. It has been my expectation that the immigration in the post COVID-19 era would be characterised by a dramatic increase in enforcement activities of DHA. V.4588

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UK deportation agreement with Rwanda flawed and won`t solve migration crisis, say critics

Despite the courts on Monday ruling that the United Kingdom`s intended deportation of illegal immigrants to Rwanda was legal, the policy remains opaque, shrouded in secrecy, a breeding ground for corruption, and has no guarantee of solving the UK`s immigration crisis, says Yvette Cooper, a Labour Party legislator. Speaking uninterrupted for five minutes in the House of Commons on Monday, Cooper made it clear that she did not support the Rwanda deal for which Home Secretary Suella Braverman was lobbying. `The government has failed to stop criminal gangs putting lives at risk and proliferating through our borders. They failed to prosecute or convict the gang members and failed to take basic asylum decisions which are down by 40% in the last six years V.4587

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Victory in the SCA for two brothers after a grueling struggle for their birthright

In a satisfying victory for Pro Bono & Human Rights Practice, on Wednesday 25 November, the Supreme Court of Appeal (the SCA) resoundingly dismissed the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) appeal against the judgment of the Gauteng High Court in the matter of the Minister of Home Affairs and Others v Jose and Another (169/2020 [2020] ZASCA 152 (25 November 2020). The High Court had found in the brothers’ favour and ordered the Minister to grant them citizenship within 10 days of its order. V.4585

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Decades-long battle for South African citizenship

Two brothers born in South Africa to Angolan refugees still face an uphill battle for citizenship despite a high court order. The matter is now in the Supreme Court of Appeal. 11 November 2020: From left, Cristina Sunda with her sons Joseph ‘Chris’ Jose and Jonathan Jose on the pavement in Yeoville, where they sell vegetables. After failing to keep up with the payment of his tuition fees, Jonathan Jose dropped out of university after six months. He has now joined his mother on the streets of Yeoville in Johannesburg, selling vegetables outside the Shoprite on Raleigh Street every morning. V.4586

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Home Affairs is trying to clear a backlog of 56,543 visas ` which may be done by June 2024

• South Africa`s Department of Home Affairs is struggling with a major visa backlog. • The backlog includes more than 56,000 applications across all visa categories. • Home Affairs hopes to have cleared these by June 2024. • In the meantime, average turnaround times for visas have grown far beyond what the department`s performance plan dictates. South Africa`s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is battling its way through a vast backlog of visa applications, which it hopes to have cleared by June 2024. Home Affairs is drowning in outstanding visa applications. This backlog, made worse by the department`s disastrous decision to centralise the adjudication of long-term visas, has led to longer processing times, frustrated foreign applicants, and missed work opportunities. V.4580

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Question NW4361 to the Minister of Home Affairs

(a) What is the current backlog across all visa categories, (b) what has been the average response time for each visa category and (c) by what date does his department envisage to have cleared the current backlog with regard to all visa categories? V.4581

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Home affairs has dropped central adjudication of visas, after months of complaints

The department of home affairs has reversed a decision to centralise the adjudication of long-term visas. • That plan lasted for only a couple of months, and did not go at all well. • Embassies ` previously accused of sometimes endangering national security or harming the economy ` are now back in charge. As of 1 September, South Africa is no longer centralising the adjudication of long-term visas, the department of home affairs (DHA) confirmed on Tuesday. That brings to an end a fraught six-month period for those who applied for such visas, previously handled by individual South African missions abroad, and makes consular officials responsible again for deciding who is let in to South Africa Visa specialists Xpatweb first noted the reversal on the weekend, saying it expected an announcement from the department on the transitional arrangement for visas already in process. V.4582

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Few Zimbabweans in the queue for new visas

Just 6,000 applications from an estimated 178,000 people had been received by September Only 3% of the estimated 178,000 Zimbabweans living in SA under the special exemption permit had applied for alternative visas by September, home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Tuesday. V.4583

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Qatari Citizens to Enter Schengen Zone Countries Visa-Free

Qatari nationals are now eligible to travel to the European Union’s Schengen Zone countries without being required to apply for a visa at first. Such a decision has been confirmed by the European Parliament, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. According to the Brussels Morning Newspaper, the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs voted in favour of Qatar, while only 16 Members of the European Parliament voted against it. The new decision has been taken amid the World Cup 2022. V.4584

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Kiwis push for pathways to citizenship in Australia

New Zealanders pushing for pathways to Australian citizenship will lobby Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil in Canberra this week, as more than 11,000 Kiwis remain stuck in a years-long visa processing backlog. After Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern pledged renewed co-operation between the two countries in June ` including progress on citizenship and enhanced voting rights ` campaigners say applicants for the 189 visa stream were left languishing by the former Morrison government. V.4576

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Birth registration: How SA’s legislation harms foreign national children

Johannesburg - Birth registration is a fundamental human right as it triggers the ability to access other rights. South Africa’s regulatory framework is premised on the fact that one’s residence status determines whether a child’s birth can be registered or not. The registration of children born to foreign nationals, who are not permanent residents or refugees, is subject to the provision of valid documentation. Senior Associate in the Pro Bono and Human Rights practice at law firm Cliffe Dekker Hoffmeyr, Elgene Roos, said the consequences of not being documented can be far-reaching and result in a child not being able to access basic services that they are entitled to under the Constitution. V.4577

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Zimbabwe exemption permit case to be heard next year

The ZEPs are expected to expire in June next year following an extension by the home affairs department. The Helen Suzman Foundation’s (HSF) challenge of Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s decision to terminate the Zimbabwe exemption permit (ZEP) will reportedly be heard in April 2023, two months before they expire. The director of the foundation Nicole Fritz told TimesLive on Monday that a three-bench panel of judges would hear the matter. “We are disappointed that hearing dates could not be secured earlier in that we are anxious to have the matter heard by the courts and for a just resolution to be determined,” Fritz was quoted as saying. V.4578

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Letter: If only Motsoaledi should have focused on Home Affairs instead of fanning xenophobia

I am surprised I do not hear of any nominations for the Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to become the president of the ANC after all the xenophobic workouts that kept him busy and propelled him suddenly into the headlines in the past few months. But then again that is not unexpected regarding the ANC cadre of today. These so-called leaders sleep the term, only to wake up a few months before an election with exaggerated little details of little importance. And if they are not sleeping, they are either shocked or rushing to scenes, and this is the highest standard of service delivery and governance. V.4579

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Qatari Citizens to Enter Schengen Zone Countries Visa-Free

Qatari nationals are now eligible to travel to the European Union’s Schengen Zone countries without being required to apply for a visa at first. Such a decision has been confirmed by the European Parliament, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. According to the Brussels Morning Newspaper, the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs voted in favour of Qatar, while only 16 Members of the European Parliament voted against it. The new decision has been taken amid the World Cup 2022. V.4570

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Calls for DHA to act swiftly amid asylum application appeals backlog

Department of Home Affairs has been urged to hasten the processing of the asylum appeal backlogs which the Department says stands at 131 190 cases. The department has opted for an email appointment booking system for new asylum applicants, of which 31 973 still need to be processed. While the department said that the rationale behind the email appointment booking system was to work through the two-year backlog, Adrian Roos, a member of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, said that of the 131 190 applications which remain unfinalised, since 2019 less than 1000 had been finalised. V.4571

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Our immigration system is failing on nearly every front

A successful immigration policy needs to be based on secure borders. We need a practical and sustainable procedure for bringing people to the United Kingdom whose skills are needed or to unite with settled families. We need safe and legal routes to bring people here who are genuinely escaping danger or persecution and have a legitimate claim to a secure haven in the UK rather than another destination. We need an efficient and fair way for processing the claims of applicants and removing those who have not reached the threshold, and an effectively functioning department of government to operate it all with pragmatism and compassion. V.4572

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I sell queue spots at Home Affairs for a living

Home Affairs queues are notoriously long with many people getting turned away at the end of the day without getting help or even stepping into the premises. Nathi, a 24-year-old from the south of Durban, has made it his livelihood to make the people’s trip to these offices as convenient and stress-free as possible....at a price. The young man wakes up just after midnight and carries 10 chairs to the nearest Home Affairs branch and waits for individuals he can sell the spots to. “I don’t usually get up at the same time, so occasionally there is a short line when I arrive. I charge R100 for each spot,” he says. V.4573

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Zimbabweans head to court to stop SA banks and schools being ‘weaponised’

There are also reports that Operation Dudula is selling jobs held by Zimbabweans to South Africans. The latest court action opens up another front in a legal battle between Zimbabweans facing potential deportation next year and the Department of Home Affairs. Image: AdobeStock The Zimbabwe Exemption Permit Holders Association (Zepha) heads to court next week seeking an urgent interdict to stop banks and schools in South Africa from harassing Zimbabweans who are under threat of deportation once the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) system expires in 2023. V.4574

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Asylum seekers face challenges with DHA`s online system - Lawyers for Human Rights

Asylum seekers are not getting the required documentation timeously, leaving them vulnerable to deportation. (Archive photo by Ashraf Hendricks, GroundUp) • Refugee and asylum seekers face challenges with the Department of Home Affairs` online system, Lawyers for Human Rights told the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs. • It means they don`t get the required documentation timeously, leaving them vulnerable to deportation. • Furthermore, there is a reluctance to process children, exposing them to `structural xenophobia`. Refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa have problems with the Department of Home Affairs` online system, leaving them vulnerable to deportation and their children to `structural xenophobia`, Lawyers for Human Rights told Parliament. V.4575

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South Africa Visa Rejected by the Department of Home Affairs?

We understand that navigating the complex immigration system of South Africa is a daunting process and can cause your anxiety levels to jump through the roof. The process alone is frustrating and being notified that your visa application was rejected will make you panic. There are many reasons why your visa application has been refused and 9/10 times the reason for rejections is because of a document which could have been omitted by you. V.4569

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Zimbabweans without power for 19 hours a day as Kariba dam runs dry

Zimbabweans are being subjected to 19 hours of power cuts a day, because there is insufficient water in the Kariba dam to drive the nation’s main hydropower plant. The worst outages since 2019 are wreaking havoc, causing snarl-ups in Harare, the capital, where most traffic lights are no longer working, and interrupting mobile phone services because batteries used to run base stations don’t have time to recharge. Supermarkets, restaurants and some other businesses rely on generators to keep operating, but they are unable to run them perpetually for an extended period. V.4566

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What is ChatGPT: The new AI chatbot that can code, compose music, write essays, and more

ChatGPT is a new chatbot that answers questions in a conversational, human-like way. People shared conversations with ChatGPT, showing it writing social media posts and explaining code. It reached over one million users in five days ` but has its limitations. A new artificial intelligence chatbot called ChatGPT is answering questions and taking instructions from users in a conversational, human-like way. OpenAI ` the company that`s also behind AI-art generator Dall-E ` launched an early demo of ChatGPT last week and amassed over 1 million users in five days, according to Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. ChatGPT is not only conversational, but well-versed in a large range of topics. It can create code, social media posts, and even scripts for television shows. V.4567

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Another boost for SA borders this festive season

Cape Town - South Africa’s border posts will see a boost in security personnel, including Public Order Police (Pops) who will work overtime to curb threats and risks over the festive season. The major economic and migrant route, Beitbridge, will have an additional capacity of 30 Pops and four Sars-customs security personnel, Lebombo will receive 88 Pops and eight Sars-customs security personnel, the Maserubridge port will get 16 Pops and six Sars-customs security personnel, and Ficksburg 16 pops and four Sars-customs security personnel. V.4568

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South Africa Visa Rejected by the Department of Home Affairs?

We understand that navigating the complex immigration system of South Africa is a daunting process and can cause your anxiety levels to jump through the roof. The process alone is frustrating and being notified that your visa application was rejected will make you panic. V.4560

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We Help You To Obtain A South African Visa

We create a tailor-made immigration strategy for you . • We create a tailor-made immigration strategy based on your unique case. • We navigate the complex South African immigration system for you. • We stay with you from beginning to end. • • Immigration Services South Africa • Are you confident in applying for your own South African visa? • We ask this question because we have assisted hundreds of people who were applying for a visa on their own and 90% of their visas were rejected due to a number of issues with their required paperwork. We discovered that many people who were 100% confident that their required documents were correct had major flaws. V.4561

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What is the penalty for overstaying in South Africa on an expired Visa?

South Africa is a popular tourist destination for many tourists and many opt-ins to permanently move to South Africa to work or retire here. Our beautiful country has many popular destinations to see such as our landscape and wonderful games reserves and not to forget our world-class wines. Tourists who travel from visa exempt countries for South Africa will receive a visa at the port of entry for 30 or 90 days. A tourist has the option to extend their visa for a further 30 or 90 days and must apply 60 days before their visa expires at VFS. A visa overstay is something you must avoid at all and exit the country before your visa expires. V.4562

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How Do I Check My Permit or Visa Status In South Africa?

Before the “new” immigration regulations were introduced in 2014 for South Africa, there were different ways and means that one could follow up on the status of their application online with the Department of Home Affairs. There were four specific ways you could track your application, but before we get into this let’s quickly review how the immigration regulations changed quite a bit. V.4563

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What you need to know about fake work permits in South Africa

You might have obtained your work permit recently and second-guessing whether your visa is valid or not, this is a tricky situation to be in. There are many people out there who pretend to be immigration consultants or immigration lawyers only to scam you and issue you with a fake visa. The worst is being arrested or being detained in South Africa for something that you are not responsible and the Department of Home Affairs is coming down hard on these individuals. V.4564

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Visa Appeal Process South Africa

It is incredibly heartbreaking to know that your application for a visa has been rejected by the Department of Home Affairs and not to imagine the anxiety you must be feeling at this point. We understand all the effort you have dedicated towards this and now you need to deal with the rejection. It could feel like your dreams are crushed, but not to worry. V.4565

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Expansion Worker Visa brings more possibilities for SA businesses looking to expand in the UK

The Expansion Worker Visa, is the best bet for any business owner outside the UK who wishes to establish a branch or subsidiary in the UK. Expansion Worker Visa brings more possibilities for SA businesses looking to expand in the If you are a business owner outside the UK and wish to send a manager/senior employee (up to a maximum of 5 managers/senior employees) to the UK to establish a branch or subsidiary of the overseas business in the UK, the UK’s Expansion Worker Visa might be the visa for you. It is important that the manager/senior employee is 18 years or older and already working for the overseas business. It’s also important that the UK branch or subsidiary is not already trading in the UK V.4557

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Should you move to the UK: Why sending your child to a UK university may be better

Find out what it would take for your child to get a university qualification from the UK and also stay there. Should you move to the UK? Why sending your child to a UK university may be better: The prospect of immigrating to the UK is very enticing but is it the best investment for your children? We break down how to study abroad in the UK and explain why it may be a better alternative to moving your family overseas. Many South Africans believe that moving to the UK is the best way to give their children a greater chance at success. But there is a way to give your child the brightest future without uprooting the whole family. Firstly, let’s consider a scenario where you move to the UK in the next few years. V.4558

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Care Worker wanting to work in the UK?

Care workers who want to work in the UK using the Health and Care Worker Visa have a deadline of 15 February 2023 to apply. Find out how Sa Migration can assist you. Care Workers wanting to work in the UK urged to apply: Image: Adobe stock Care workers wanting to work in the UK must take heed of the deadline of 15 February 2023 to apply for the UK Health and Care Worker Visa In February 2022, the UK Government included care workers in the Health and Care Visa route. The announcement was and is still good news for overseas care workers wanting to work in the UK. V.4559

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Getting married in the UK?

Find out how SA Migration can help you plan your immigration route, should you wish to settle in the UK eventually. Getting married in the UK? South Africans coming to the UK to get married cannot do so while on the UK Visitor Visa. The UK Marriage Visitor Visa is available specifically for persons who want to come to the UK to get married, register a civil partnership in the UK, or give notice of a marriage or a civil partnership in the UK. However, it is important to note that you will not be allowed to stay or settle in the UK after the marriage or civil partnership while still on this visa. We strongly recommend that readers looking to get married in the UK speak to a SA Migration consultant, to help them plan their immigration route, should they wish to settle in the UK eventually. Below we have answered some of the most FAQs on the UK Marriage Visitor Visa. V.4551

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Tshisekedi using Congo crisis to delay elections: Kagame

• Rwanda president has accused his counterpart of exploiting a violent crisis to delay elections. • Fighting between rebels and government forces in the Congo has heightened tensions with Rwanda. • Talks between the two countries resulted in a ceasefire, that paused the fighting for several days. Rwanda`s President Paul Kagame on Wednesday accused his counterpart in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of exploiting a violent crisis in his country`s east to delay elections. Fighting in eastern Congo between government forces and M23 rebels has heightened tensions with neighbouring Rwanda, which the DRC accuses of abetting the militia - a charge Kigali denies. V.4552

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FAQ on the UK Visitor Visa

The UK is a very popular tourist destination for South Africans. Many South Africans want to visit friends and family in the UK; others want to experience the many tourist attractions the UK offers. South Africans who want to visit the UK have to apply for the UK Visitor Visa. SA Migration assist South Africans who want to visit the UK in applying for their visas. Below we have answered some FAQs on the UK Standard Visitor Visa. V.4555

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It will be impossible to deport 15 million migrants, here`s what can be done so that they leave

It`s impossible to deport 15 million people; here`s what can be done to make them leave. South Africa`s immigration crisis has reached crisis proportions. The majority of South Africans support returning foreigners to their countries of origin. Many South Africans want illegal immigrants sent home, but some experts say it`s impossible to send back all 15 million of them at once. This was posted on a Twitter account: `Fifteen million illegal immigrants cannot be returned home. The logistics and cost would make it impossible. V.4556

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Automobile Association partners with VFS Global to make it easier for travellers to access international driving permits

VFS Global has introduced the IDP application service at its visa centres in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban. Durban - The Automobile Association (AA) said that they have partnered with VFS Global, and overseas travellers will now be able obtain their international driving permits (IDPs) through any one of four VFS Global application centres in South Africa. VFS Global introduced the IDP application service in September at its visa centres in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban. The AA said IDP applications will be managed by VFS Global on its behalf as it is the only authorised issuer of IDPs in South Africa. IDPs are regulated by the UN. An IDP allows eligible applicants, with a South African driver’s licence, to drive vehicles in foreign countries. In addition, IDPs are another form of identification and are valid in more than 150 countries. V.4548

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Good news to Migrants in the UK with Children

Parents who want to apply for British citizenship for their children but cannot afford can now do it for free. Good news to Migrants in the UK with Children: Image: Adobe stock This past month there were two developments that bode good news for migrants in the UK with children. Waiver of British Citizenship Fees for Children Parents who cannot afford the UK Home Office application fee for British citizenship for their children can now apply to get it for free. The fee waiver applications opened on 16 June 2022. The current Home Office application fee for British Citizenship for children is a hefty £1 012. One can apply to get the fee waived if one can prove that the fee is unaffordable. You must prove that paying the fee would compromise the child’s essential living needs. Essential living needs will, among others, include Housing, utilities, food, clothing, non-prescription medication, travel costs etc. V.4549

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UK Skilled Worker Visa Immigration Route

Are you looking to make a career move ? Why not consider a career in the UK under the Skilled Worker visa route. UK Skilled Worker Visa Immigration Route The Skilled Worker Immigration Route is one of the most popular immigration routes for South Africans coming to the UK. There are, however, many misconceptions about how the route works in practice. The consultants at SA Migration have subsequently compiled some answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions on the Skilled Worker Visa Route. Do I first need to secure employment before I can apply for the Skilled Worker Visa? Yes. You first need to secure employment in one of the eligible Skilled Worker occupations with a UK registered sponsor employer before you are eligible to apply for it. The sponsor will provide you with a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). This CoS will enable you to apply for the Skilled Worker visa V.4550

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UK Visitor Visa: All you need to know about the visa

South Africans who want to travel to the UK as tourists need to apply for a UK Standard Visitor Visa. UK Visitor Visa: All you need to know about the visa. It is also important to note that the processing time of UK Visitor Visas is currently about six weeks. So, it is important to plan and apply for your Visitor Visa in time. SA Migration have answered some of the most Frequently Asked Questions on the UK Standard Visitor Visa below. Will I be allowed to work while in the UK on the UK Visitor Visa? The Home Office is very strict on the rule that you cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person while on a visitor visa in the UK. However, they allow some business activities, such as attending interviews, meetings, conferences, etc. We recommend that you speak to one of our consultants to ensure that the work you intend to do falls within the allowed business activities. I have a long-term visitor visa for the UK. My daughter is in the UK and having a baby. V.4547

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There Is A New System In Place To Prevent Home Affairs Officials To Commit Passport Fraud

South Africa has endless problems when it comes to the issue of illegal foreigners who just come as they please into the country. They buy their way into the country and because of the corrupt officials at the department of home affairs, things are just easy for them. South African officials sell out this country for just a few thousand and they forget that tomorrow it will be their children suffering. V.4541

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Nigerian Airlines suspends its operations to SA due to SA denying its citizens Visas

Is there any country in the world that is not having problems with Nigerians, from scams, drugs etc, sadly this is not doing the image of the country any good. It`s highest dream of every Nigerian to come to SA, just like Zimbabweans. Nigerians come to south Africa and later they go abroad using our documents claiming to be south Africans, once they are found doing crime in those countries it poses danger to south Africans who travel abroad because of Nigerians. V.4542

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Home Affairs Officials Arrested On Charges Of Corruption And Fraud Involving Foreign Nationals

Governmental organisations exist to serve the public, and they are run in line with a set of values that both staff members and residents are required to maintain. It implies that they must be able to offer residents effective services that make them happy every time they interact with a certain government agency, and they must be able to do so without indulging in fraud and corruption. However, it is not typically the case in South Africa. Many citizens frequently criticise the assistance they receive from government agencies, claiming that it is inefficient and that no one is being considerate or humble when assisting them. Not only that, but many also worry about the fact that some employees in these divisions demand a specific salary in order to provide persons with these services; if not, it becomes difficult for members of society to obtain help properly. V.4543

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Fitch maintains SA`s ratings, while S&P hikes Eskom`s outlook

On Friday, the US credit rating agency Fitch maintained its view on South Africa, while S&P boosted its outlook on Eskom from `negative` to `stable`. This is thanks to an expected transfer of some of Eskom`s debt to government. Fitch said South Africa`s finances are constrained by high and still rising government debt, weak growth and high inequality. But it also has a `favourable` government debt structure, which is mostly in rand (not foreign currencies) and with long maturities. In addition, the country has a `credible` monetary policy framework. The agency noted `substantial recent over-performance on fiscal revenues and the government`s strong efforts to control expenditure`, which if successfully continued, could bring about debt stabilisation. V.4544

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LOOK: 10 best places to retire in the world

According to EnjoyTravel.com, FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) has gained real momentum in recent years. People are no longer waiting until their late sixties to retire and are practising extreme saving and investment so they can retire in their forties or even late thirties. This approach requires saving as much of your income as possible, living exceptionally frugally and paying off all your debt. Retiring or early retirement is all about enjoying the fruits of your labour and proper planning, right down to where you will retire to once you’ve managed this V.4545

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Fifteen million without legal docs in SA, Parly hears

Cape Town - Fifteen million people are living without legal identity documents in South Africa, while 10000 local and foreign people are considered stateless, MPs were told. Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) briefed the Home Affairs portfolio committee on these figures along with problems faced by migrants, the opening of refugee offices and backlogs. Comparatively, there were 3.9 million stateless people around the world, the lawyers said. LHR statelessness project head, Thandeka Chauke, stressed that 10 000 stateless people included South Africans and migrants, and that stateless children for migrants were not assisted by any consulate. V.4546

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Fifteen million without legal docs in SA, Parly hears

Cape Town - Fifteen million people are living without legal identity documents in South Africa, while 10000 local and foreign people are considered stateless, MPs were told. Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) briefed the Home Affairs portfolio committee on these figures along with problems faced by migrants, the opening of refugee offices and backlogs. Comparatively, there were 3.9 million stateless people around the world, the lawyers said. LHR statelessness project head, Thandeka Chauke, stressed that 10 000 stateless people included South Africans and migrants, and that stateless children for migrants were not assisted by any consulate. V.4536

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10 best places to retire in the world (including South Africa)

According to EnjoyTravel.com, FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) has gained real momentum in recent years. People are no longer waiting until their late sixties to retire and are practising extreme saving and investment so they can retire in their forties or even late thirties. This approach requires saving as much of your income as possible, living exceptionally frugally and paying off all your debt. Retiring or early retirement is all about enjoying the fruits of your labour and proper planning, right down to where you will retire to once you’ve managed this. V.4537

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This is my South Africa. This is my home. This is a place worth fighting for

Mike Abel is a leading marketing and advertising practitioner. He is Founder & Chief Executive of M&Saatchi Abel and M&C Saatchi Group of companies operating in SA. He is former CEO of M&C Saatchi Group, Australia and before that, co-led the Ogilvy South Africa Group as COO and Group Managing Director, Cape Town. Mike has been awarded Advertising Leader by the Financial Mail and Finweek and his company was named Best Agency in SA in 2015. V.4539

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7 Questions to consider before you emigrate to the UK

There’s more to living in the UK than lush green countryside and English breakfasts. Prepare yourself for the realities of a move abroad by asking yourself these questions before you go. Questions to consider before you emigrate to the UK: Image: Adobe stock 1. Do you have the correct UK visa or work permit? You will most likely need a visa to live and work in the UK. The UK offers a number of visas so make sure you choose the right one for your needs. The Skilled Worker, Student, Ancestry and Spouse visas are among the most common. V.4540

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Home Affairs is working with the UN to clear refugee applications backlog - Motsoaledi

Pretoria - Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told the portfolio committee on Tuesday that the country`s refugee and asylum-seeker system needed a complete overhaul as it failed to provide permits based on economic reasons. Motsoaledi was presenting progress made in addressing the backlog of more than 130 000 appeals against the refusal of refugee permits, which was the major cause of backlogs. He said most appeals were from those who fled their countries due to economic collapse. V.4538

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Operation Dudula asks to join ZEP case

Operation Dudula wants to be joined in a court application by the Helen Suzman Foundation seeking a review of the lawfulness of the decision by home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi to terminate the Zimbabwe exemption permit (ZEP). V.4533

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150 Foreign Nationals Arrested In Hillbrow For Various Offences

This is such an astoundingly large number of people who have been caught and connected to illegal criminal activities, and it is unquestionably something that cannot be forgiven easily. On Thursday, the Gauteng police managed to arrest (150) suspects in Hilbrow while conducting operation O kae Molao. According to the reports, the Gauteng police conducted raids in Hilbrow apartments that have been believed to be harboring criminals. At least one hundred fifty suspects were taken into custody by the police after it was discovered that they were in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. At this time, members of the general public are pleading with the authorities to make sure that the suspects are never allowed to be released from custody. V.4534

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