Despite living together for nine years, a life partner visa has been
refused three times
A Democratic Republic of Congo immigrant and his partner
say “diabolical” administration by the Department of Home Affairs is
preventing him from legalising his status.
For 15 months, Rodriquez Baguma and Sarah Hubbard have been trying to
obtain a life partner visa. Hubbard says their application has been
rejected three times, despite the couple having met all the
conditions.
A life partner visa allows foreign nationals to live in South Africa
with a resident with whom they are in a permanent relationship.
Baguma said that he is in need of the visa in order to obtain
permanent residency. He had applied for it before his work permit had
expired in January 2017, but he was denied it. The spousal visa will
entitle him to work and have business rights.
“We have been accused of falsifying documents, essentially fraud,”
said Hubbard. “We have been denied a visa on the grounds that we have
not met the two-year period [living] together. She said they had been
living together for nine years with her two children.
GroundUp has viewed some of the Home Affairs rejection letters, which
are very short and provide little information. The Department appears
to be rejecting the couple’s application on the basis that they have
not proven the length of their relationship. But documentation sent
to Home Affairs by the couple, also seen by GroundUp, appears to show
that they have indeed lived together for sufficient time to make a
successful application.
Hubbard, who is British, has permanent residency in South Africa.
Baguma has been in South Africa for 18 years.
“It simply

does not make sense! We have appealed and appealed,” she
said. “Long waits, no help, no responses to calls, no feedback, no
clarity of process. Just left hanging.”
The couple appointed a lawyer, who produced a 65-page appeal “to
provide paragraph for paragraph, in idiot form, to prove that we have
met all requirements”.
The 15 months of frustration over the life partner visa has not been
the only battle with Home Affairs bureaucracy. According to Hubbard,
Baguma had never been granted refugee status because he was caught up
in an appeal process that dragged on for years.
“It was scandalous. He was subjected to a horrendous process. He
would wait in the most disgusting place and not be seen. People who
gave a backhander would get ushered to the front. We believe in doing
things the right way,” said Hubbard.
Baguma is now awaiting the outcome of a fourth appeal for a life
partner visa. Each time the application costs R1,500.
Hubbard said she was confident that this fourth application would be
successful. “I cannot think of a reason they would deny our
application. We have met every single criterion.”
But, she said, if the Department of Home Affairs did deny their
application again the family would consider leaving the country.
Home Affairs spokesperson Thabo Mokgola said the department reserved
the right to approve or reject an application “upon thorough
scrutiny”.
“In this regard, the applicants would have been provided with the
reasons explaining the rejection of the application,” he said. V.2177

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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