Applications for birth, marriage and death registrations in South
Africa is going paperless soon �` let’s pray citizens will not soon
also be going without birth, marriage and death registrations…
Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba says the department will be moving
to paperless applications for birth, marriage and death registrations,
as well as the printing of parents’ details on their children’s
passports.
“This is another way of meeting the future, by rising to opportunities
created by technological advancements for maximising client
satisfaction,” Gigaba said.
Addressing the media in Pretoria, Gigaba said the Department of Home
Affairs has reached “another milestone” in rolling-out its flagship
programme of modernisation, which began in 2010.
“This system upgrade is a part of ongoing enhancements of the
live-capture system to improve service quality by modernising processes.”
Gigaba explained that the end-product will be the automation of the
way Home Affairs offices capture birth registration and issue
certificates for births, marriages and deaths.
“Documents will now be saved electronically and be easily retrieved
upon request, as opposed to the old paper-based legacy system,” he said.
The live-capture system upgrade is scheduled to start on Friday, 13
July 2018. On this day, modernised offices, which are offices that
accept smart ID card applications, will be unable to receive
applications for IDs and passports, from 2pm to enable system back-up.
However, offices will attend to people whose applications are already
being processed.
During the implementation of this upgrade, services for smart ID cards
and passports will not be available in the 184 modernised offices,
including at the department’s eHomeAffairs partners in the banking
sector, with the exception of large offices.
All other services will be available, except for smart ID cards and
passports.

The system upgrade entails minimal interruptions in the provision of
ID and passport services between 13 July (from 2pm) and 20 July (until
4pm), with provinces affected at different times and to different
degrees.
During the system upgrade period, Gigaba advised clients needing ID
and passport-related services to visit large offices in their
provinces, as these will be fully operational.
According to Gigaba, large offices would have been attended to on
Sunday 15 July 2018, with no impact on services.
Work in the Gauteng province will also be carried out over the weekend
of 14 �` 15 July 2018, which means no office in Gauteng will experience
disruption.
System upgrade phases
System upgrade: Phase 1
• Birth registration for children 0 to one year will be
automated, meaning that clients will no longer complete paper forms
for birth registration. This will be more convenient for clients, and
will reduce opportunities for corruption and fraud.
• Marriages and deaths: This entails reprints of marriages and
death certificates for clients that are already registered in the
national population register (without filling paper forms).
• Printing of parents’ details in passports: Once Home Affairs
has completed the upgrade and fully implemented in identified offices,
the details of parents will be printed in the children’s passports. In
this way, the department will have delivered also on the earlier
Cabinet concession of easing travel with children.
Schedule of Implementation
Monday, 16 to Tuesday 17 July: Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal &
participating banks.
Wednesday 18 to Thursday 19 July: Limpopo, North West & Eastern Cape.
Friday 20 July: Mpumalanga, Free State & Northern Cape.
Further details of subsequent phases will be announced in due course. V.2321

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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