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• Capitec and TymeBank customers can temporarily use a low-cost bank account with another major bank to renew their passports or get a Smart ID card from a bank branch. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and major banks first rolled out this option via the eHomeAffairs portal and select bank branches in 2016. The facility has expanded to about 30 locations, including branches from Absa, Discovery Bank, FNB, Investec, Nedbank, and Standard Bank.... Read more...

• Regulation 30(2j of the Regulations deals with the authorisation for an illegal foreigner to remaln in the Republic pending an application for status. The procedure for issuance for the aulhorisation (on DHA-1759) (Form 20) should be as follows: When an illegal foreigner whose visa has expired and ¢could not apply in time as provided for in Ihe Regulations for extension or renewal of his or her visa at the Visa Facilitation Service Centre, due to circumstances beyond his or her control, he or she should be referred to the Inspectorate (at any Home Affairs Office) to determine whether or not good cause exists as to why he or she could not apply on time.... Read more...

• Table Of Contents 1. What It Means to Be a South African Citizen 2. Benefits of South African Citizenship 3. South African Citizenship by Descent 4. Who Qualifies for South Africa Citizenship by Descent 5. South Africa Citizenship by Descent: Requirements 6. How to Apply for Citizenship Through Descent 7. Getting a South African Passport 8. Other Paths to Citizenship in South Africa 9. Dual Citizenship 10. South Africa Citizenship by Descent: The Wrap-Up 11. FAQs... Read more...

• The gridlock affecting work-permit applications in South Africa is limiting expansion by German companies in the country and threatening operations that support 100,000 jobs, an industry association said. While South Africa is taking steps to improve an approval system and make it easier and quicker to get permits, the snarl-up that was exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic has limited the entry of skilled workers into a country that has a dire shortage of them. Between 2014 and 2021 only 25,298 skilled-worker permits were approved by the country, which has a population of 60 million.... Read more...

• In exciting news for digital nomads, South Africa will launch a new digital nomad visa featuring two categories: a remote working visa and a critical skills visa. These visas aim to attract remote workers and skilled professionals globally as part of South Africa’s efforts to position itself as a global hub. Once put into action, this move will establish the country as only the fifth African nation offering this kind of visa to people who spend long periods working in different countries.... Read more...

• Nigeria’s economy, which ranked as Africa’s largest in 2022, is set to slip to fourth place this year and Egypt, which held the top position in 2023, is projected to fall to second behind South Africa after a series of currency devaluations, International Monetary Fund forecasts show. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook estimates Nigeria’s gross domestic product at $253 billion based on current prices this year, lagging energy-rich Algeria at $267 billion, Egypt at $348 billion and South Africa at $373 billion.... Read more...

• We asked the major contestants of the 29 May elections about immigration. Illustration: Lisa Nelson Today’s questions and answers to the major political parties deal with immigration. We emailed our questions to the ANC, DA, EFF, IFP, FF Plus, ActionSA, PA, MK Party, and RISE Mzansi on 13 March and sent follow-up queries to those who did not respond. Some have still not responded. Answers are very lightly edited for grammar and typos. Does your party support continued extensions of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP)?... Read more...

• I recently renewed my passport at Home Affairs in a bank branch and was very impressed with the service and quick turnaround time. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and major banks first launched the option to do Smart ID card and passport applications via select bank branches in 2016. It has slowly grown to around 30 locations, including branches from Absa, Discovery Bank, FNB, Investec, Nedbank, and Standard Bank.... Read more...

• The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has spent over R412.95 million in legal fees since the start of the 2018/19 financial year - with over R117.69 million of this spent between 1 April 2023 and 29 February 2024. This was revealed by the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, in a recent written response in parliament. DHA has seen an exponential increase in the amount that it spends on litigation, with the current amount for 2023/24 (note these figures are until the end of February, several months short of the full financial year) nearly 16 times that of the amount spent in 2018/19.... Read more...

• Short on time? Here are the highlights: • Following recent announcements from British Columbia and Ontario, Nova Scotia becomes the latest Canadian province to declare how its quota of study permit applications for 2024 will be distributed across sectors and institutions • As in Ontario, private institutions and language schools stand to be the most negatively affected by the distribution arrangement, but some public universities will also see significant reductions in study permit applications • All Canadian provinces have now distributed their allocation of study permit applications for 2024, and all are now also issuing provincial attestation letters (PALs)... Read more...