Seeking solutions on medical aid requirements for foreign students


A workshop was held in Johannesburg recently to come up with a
solution to ease visa restrictions on students from SADC countries,
which requires them to be members of a South African medical aid for
the duration of their studies.

Stakeholders, including medical schemes representatives from Zimbabwe,
Lesotho, Botswana, Swaziland and Namibia, the Council for Medical
Schemes (CMS), and the department of home affairs, discussed some of
the challenges students face when applying for visas and to find long-
and short-term solutions. The meeting was facilitated by the Board of
Healthcare Funders (BHF) of Southern Africa.

While the objectives of the visa requirements are to protect local
service providers, universities as well as the South African
Government and public against risk, we have to find solutions that are
fair to all stakeholders, said chairperson of the BHF SADC committee
and CEO of Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ),
Shylet Sanyanga.

The visa requirements that they are referring to are set out in
section 13(1) of the Immigration Act and regulation 12(1)(f).
According to the requirements, foreign students must belong to a
medical aid registered with the Council of Medical Schemes Health.

Students either have to belong to two medical aids or opt to give up
membership in their countries. If they opt to give up membership in
their own countries, they have no medical aid cover when they return
home at the end of a semester.

Apart from the fact that most students can’t afford dual-membership,
some SADC countries’ laws

prohibit membership to two medical aids. In
addition, some South African medical aid membership rules also
prohibit dual-membership. The situation is further exacerbated by the
fact that students have to pay 12 months’ membership fees in advance,
adding to their financial burden.

No medical aid requirements or restrictions are imposed on South
African citizens residing, working or studying in SADC countries.
Therefore, South Africa’s Immigration Act requirements are perceived
to be contrary to the spirit of the SADC formation, which was signed
by 14 heads of state in Maputo, Mozambique in 1999.

Most SADC medical aids have agreements with major South African-based
healthcare service provider networks and hospitals, under which
cross-border payments are facilitated and scheme members are assured
of cover. Pre-authorisation is also required, which further eliminates
any commercial risk.

Despite these safeguards, some students’ applications for visas are
either denied, while others, who are granted visas, are shown away by
universities for not meeting the medical aid regulations set out in
the Immigration Act.

Stakeholders agreed that a long-term solution to these challenges is
needed. One being an amendment to the wording in the Immigration Act,
which was changed in 2014. It is not clear what prompted these changes.

To get clarity on this issue and to find interim solutions, high level
discussions involving the departments of home affairs and higher
education, will be facilitated by the BHF. V.1856

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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