Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the call for the relaxation
of strict visa travel requirements.
Johannesburg - Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the Brics
Business Council a major boost when he supported their call for the
relaxation of strict visa travel requirements between the member
countries.
The Brics Business Council through its chairperson Dr Iqbal Survé made
the call this week in which he urged all heads of state including
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa to open door for businesses
in these different countries to travel and do business in their bids
to enhance trade and investment among the Brics countries.
Business Council also made calls for easy access for short-term
tourism and other non-business purposes as well as study and work permits.
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Putin was quick to endorse the call in which he urged the Brics
national ministers responsible for the different portfolios’ in their
governments to seriously consider the proposals. The Russian President
also gave weight to the regional establishment of the New Development
Banks in all the Brics countries and said his own country had already
created favourable environment for the bank to operate without any hinges.
All heads of the states were in agreement about the challenges of the
4th industrial revolution and for all member states to share ideas on
how to deal with the “unknown challenges”.
Ramaphosa said the surge innovation has the potential to dramatically
improve productivity and to place the entire countries on a new
trajectory of prosperity.
He also said that the industrial revolution had the potential to solve
many of the social problems the countries face, by better equipping
them to combat diseases, hunger and environmental degradation.
“However, unless it is approached in a collaborative

manner,
underpinned by a developmental agenda, rapid technological change
could merely serve to entrench existing disparities and between the
countries,” Ramaphosa said.
He further said “through our collective effort, by working together, I
am certain that we will be able to confront the challenges and seize
the opportunities that this new age of development presents.
“We proceed from the understanding that this is not simply a digital
revolution, but a fundamental shift in the way people live, work and
relate. It is a phenomenon that cuts across all industries and
technologies,” he said.
This was endorsed by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi who warned
that the fourth industrial revolution would have an impact on the
lives of all the people in the world.
“We must have the people and human value at the heart of our economic
development as the industrial revolution will have far reaching impact
on small economies like that of us,” Modi warned.
He appeared not dampened by the prospect of the industrial revolution
but said that there was a greater need for Brics countries to change
their curriculum’s in schools and universities to meet the challenges
of the revolution by introducing new technologies.
Modi also urged the Brics leaders to share ideas to fight cyber crime.
Ahead of the signing of trade and investment agreements, President
Ramaphosa consolidated a call by Putin for the Brics countries to
adopt a people’s to people component which would be inclusive of
sporting and cultural exchanges between each other.
Ramaphosa said all five of them had agreed on different types of
working relationship in the field of film, cinema and museums. V.2355

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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