Home Affairs extends visa validity as massive backlog builds up
The Department of Home Affairs says that it is introducing temporary measures to assist foreign nationals facing delayed outcomes to their waiver and visa applications due to the backlog at the department.
The department said that it is currently sitting with a backlog of almost 62,700 visa applications which it has been trying to get through since last year.
In December 2022 the department noted that it had a backlog of 56,500 visas to process, which it hoped to get through by June 2024.
However, the backlog had only grown since then, forcing the department to bring relief to thousands of foreign nationals who would be left in the lurch when their visas expired.
Visa applications and processing have become a veritable nightmare for businesses in South Africa looking to hire specialists and critical skills needed for operations.
Companies have run into frustrating hurdles with these visa types over the last few months as the department dithered with systems and shifted processes around. Businesses have described getting the necessary visas for foreign workers in the country as a nightmare.
Broadly, the relief measures will allow visa and waiver applicants to stay in the country legally until 31 December 2023 while their applications are being processed. However, this applies only to those applicants whose outcome is still pending at 31 March 2023.
This is “in an attempt to address the impact that the backlog in processing outcomes on waiver and visa applications has on foreign nationals”, the department said.
“The temporary measures will apply only to foreign nationals who have been legally admitted into South Africa,” it said.
In a notice issued on Wednesday (29 March), the department said that the following measures will be put in place:
For applicants whose waiver application outcomes are still pending
Long term visa holders for work, business, study, relatives and accompanying a spouse, who have applied for a waiver and the waiver is still pending as of 31 March 2023, will be granted a temporary extension to 31 December 2023.
This will give the department time to process the applications and for applicants to collect their outcomes and submit applications for appropriate renewals.
If these visa holders wish to abandon the waiver application and want to depart from Soith Africa when able to do so, they will be allowed to exit at a port of entry before 31 December 2023 without being declared undesirable.
Non-visa exempted applicants are required to apply for a visitor’s visa to be allowed to remain in the country
For applicants whose visa applications are still pending
Long term visa holders for work, business, study, relatives and accompanying a spouse who are part of the the backlog will have their current visa status extended to 31 December 2023.
Applicants are not allowed to engage in any activity other than what their current visa conditions provide for.
For those looking to abandon their application, the same rules as above apply.
For short-term visa holders
Short-term visa holders whose visa validity was issued for fewer than 90 days and have not received their visa extension outcome by 31 March 2023 must make the necessary arrangements to depart South Africa on or before 30 April 2023 to avoid being declared undesirable.
Visa Facilitation Services (VFS)
The concession is only applicable to applicants who have submitted an application via Visa Facilitation Services before or on 31 March 2023.
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