The public protector has ordered the home affairs minister to review
the 10-year period to apply for naturalisation, and ensure it aligns
with the five-year period in the Citizenship Act.
Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane received communication from 18
individuals who complained about the time it took for the Department
of Home Affairs to finalise their applications for naturalisation.
She received the complaints between 2014 and 2017.
Some complained about the department’s decision to reject their
applications for naturalisation on the basis that their applications
were made before 10 years had passed since obtaining a permanent
resident permit.
Others complained of the long period it took before their
applications were adjudicated.
One of the complainants stated that he received his permanent
resident permit in January 2008. He lodged his application for
naturalisation in January 2013. The department informed him that his
application was premature.
The eight complainants submitted their applications for
naturalisation‚ and the response from the department took between 13
months and 48 months to advise them of the outcome of their
applications.
Ten other complainants had waited for between 13 months and 48 months
and they had not received the response from the department at the
time of lodging their complaints.
In her findings, Mkhwebane said section 5 of the Citizenship Act
provided that a person may be naturalised five years after being a
resident in SA.
This was in contrast with

regulation 3(2) of the act‚ which provides
that the period referred to in the act for naturalisation is 10 years.
`The regulations … ascribe a period of ordinary residence as 10
years, contrary to the five-year period specified in the act‚`
Mkhwebane said in her report.
She said 10 of the complainants had the permanent residence permits
and had met the minimum requirement of five years immediately
preceding the date of their applications.
`Despite meeting these requirements‚ the [department] disqualified
them on the basis that their applications for naturalisation were
premature‚` the public protector said in her report.
She said the department‚ in adjudicating the applications‚ improperly
applied section 5(1)(c) of the Citizenship Act and said the 10-year
period prescribed in the regulations was inconsistent with the
provisions of the Act.
She said the review must be done within three months. She also said
the director-general of the department must issue letters of apology
to the complainants within 30 days of issuing of the report.
The department was also ordered to review the naturalisation
applications submitted by the complainants.
Mkhwebane said the director-general must‚ within six months of the
report‚ publish standard operating procedures with turnaround times
on how long it should take to adjudicate applications for
naturalisation. V.2139

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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