Foreign workers in South Africa with expertise deemed vital to the
economy are worried that authorities will reduce the number of
critical skills eligible for work permits, a move they say could
force some of them out of the country as early as April.
Immigration lawyers say a shortened list of critical skills
circulating among foreign workers, marked “draft confidential” in
a copy obtained by Reuters, is being rushed through without
adequate consultation, a suggestion dismissed by the government.
Some foreigners suspect the apparent move to curb expatriate
employment terms reflects a growing climate of economic
nationalism unfavourable to the hiring of non-South Africans.
Access to skills and jobs are delicate issues in a country where
millions of poor blacks still live in grim townships a quarter of
a century after the end of apartheid.
With unemployment at more than 27%, political sensitivities about
gaping inequality are particularly acute ahead of national
elections this year.
The draft list of eligible occupations deemed in short supply is
being finalised after pledges by President Cyril Ramaphosa to
revamp immigration laws as the most industrialised African economy
looks to boost investment.
Bonang Mohale, chief executive of Business Leadership SA, an
association dealing with government and labour, said the draft was
“much shorter and restrictive”, removing some sectors like
architecture and reducing others like life and earth sciences.
“South Africa suffers from a gross skills shortage, so all of
these reductions are not helpful,” he said.
Lawyers say the draft table of required expertise excludes key
skills South Africa lacks, including corporate general managers
and artificial intelligence engineers.
“This is the first time we will have a revised critical skills
list since 2014 and we don’t know how they came up with this list
and who they consulted with,” immigration lawyer Stefanie de
Saude-Darbandi told Reuters.
Substantial cost
“This list could be implemented as early as April, potentially
affecting thousands of foreigners in country.”
Appealing against visa rejections in court could take years, at
substantial cost to applicants and families, she said.
The Department of Home Affairs, which overseas immigration, said
consultations continue. Acting director general Thulani Mavuso
said some economic sectors

wanted certain skills included in the
list while others argued “we have these skills in abundance and
you are depriving SouthAfricans of jobs”.
Mavuso said the draft list should be finalised by April before
taking effect immediately once signed by the minister.
Foreigners are increasingly fretful. A German woman granted a
critical skills visa as a corporate general manager in 2016 is
challenging the subsequent rejection of her renewal application.
“It gets very frustrating to have to fight every time you get a
visa,” said Anne, who works at an IT consultancy in Cape Town,
declining to give her full name for fear of reprisals.
Cape Town’s burgeoning tech sector, which attracted new investment
from the likes of Amazon and Huawei , has formed a special task
team lobbying government to include AI engineers and corporate
general managers.
Long delays and arbitrary rejections of critical skill visas in
the ICT sector are prevalent and could worsen should the new list
be approved, said businessman Pierre le Roux.
Domestic talent
“In our company alone 30% to 40% of the applications in the ICT
sector didn’t get their critical skills visa or it was delayed for
months,” said le Roux, a director at technology service provider
Moyo.
The Institute of Information Technology Professionals of South
Africa (IITPSA) sees a continuing “steady stream” of critical
skills applications for ICT job-seekers at South African
embassies, mainly from Africa but also India.
Yet some argue that a reliance on foreign expertise can undermine
the development of domestic talent.
Adrian Schofield, an IITPSA programme consultant, described
critical skills visas as a two-edged sword, saying they provided
short-term solutions while removing “the incentive to invest in
local education and training” for South Africans.
Still, foreigners with top skills have influential admirers.
Finance minister Tito Mboweni said efforts to attract skilled
foreigners needs strengthening as visa rejections had fuelled
perceptions that SouthAfrican officials are xenophobic.
“We need to redouble our efforts to attract highly-skilled people
to South Africa,” Mboweni told parliament. V.2773

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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