People who don't get cold feet before they marry would probably not be
so relaxed if they appreciated the extent of the bureaucracy involved,
especially when marrying a foreigner.


Foreigners coming to South Africa to marry face all sorts of
challenges, despite the revenue "wedding tourism" brings in.


Marriage officers across South Africa complain about the tortuous Home
Affairs procedures involved.


Three contacted said they now advised foreigners not to marry here
because of the arduous process.


Among the steps that create such hassles is getting a printed,
unabridged marriage certificate, which is so time-consuming that
tourists often leave before getting them.


Marriage officer Daniel Brits said it was a nightmare.


"I tell people to get married where they come from. I have to be
honest with them. I see hundreds of couples with the same
problems."


The most common complaint is that each Home Affairs branch has its own
rules for marriage paperwork, and even these change depending on who
is behind the counter.


Marriage officer Stephen Nicholson said each Home Affairs centre made
its own rules and that, despite there being a national policy, there
was no consistency.


A foreigner marrying a South African needs to be interviewed by an
immigration officer to ensure that reasons given for the marriage are
genuine and not just to get South African residency.
Marriage officer Jaco Venter said he "fully supports" the [interview
with an immigration officer] to prevent fraud. "The problem," he said,
"is that the requirements [for the interview] are not legal."


Couples

are told to provide proof that lobola has been paid and to
have their parents present at the interview, even if they live
overseas.


Jeremy and Rafael, who asked that their surnames not be divulged, are
about to get married. They were told they needed their parents'
permission and that their parents had to be present at the
interview.

Both are in their 30s.


Rafael's parents live in Brazil and Jeremy's in Port Elizabeth. It
took days of going back and forth between Home Affairs branches in
Pretoria and Johannesburg before a proof-of-intent interview could be
set up with an immigration officer. When they finally had the
interview, it lasted less than a minute.


Jeremy said such a short interview defeated the entire purpose of the
process.


Venter said he knew of two couples whose parents had to fly from the
UK for their interviews.


"Imagine the cost involved. I had a couple that had to return to
Zimbabwe to get married because Home Affairs staff here refused to let
them get married because they had no proof lobola had been
paid."


Another problem was that South Africans marrying foreigners needed a
"letter of no impediment" from a prospective spouse, to prove they
were not already married overseas.


Nicholson said Commonwealth countries did not supply that document and
other documents they did supply might be rejected, depending on the
clerks on duty at that branch at the time.


Home Affairs spokesman Mayihlome Tshwete failed to respond to questions. V.1707

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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