Some parents told GroundUp they had been trying to apply to
schools since applications opened in February for next year. The
deadline was Friday, 15 March.
Parents who spoke to GroundUp said they had been turned away from
Parow West, Parow Inclusive and Parow High because the children
did not have their own documents.
The parents said these schools were requiring study permits in the
child’s name, or proof that an application for one had been made
at Home Affairs.
Western Cape Department of Education spokesperson Jessica Shelver
said schools could enrol learners without documents “but the
parents must provide proof of having applied” to Home Affairs.
“Schools generally work on the rule that if the proof is not
provided within three months, the school may deregister the
learner.”
VAC director Germain Kalombo said that, since some of the children
have South African birth certificates, the schools should have
been lenient and accepted applications while the parents are
working on getting documents.
He said getting documents for the children of refugees could take
a long time.
“Even if they do go for family-joining at Home Affairs they would
stand the whole day in the queue, without getting any help. There
is a backlog at Home Affairs,” he said.
Family joining means granting refugee status (or a similar secure
status) to family members “accompanying a recognised refugee”,
according to the University of Cape Town’s Refugee Rights Unit at
its Law Clinic.
In 2018 GroundUp reported how refugees in Cape Town have been
struggling with the

family-joining process. At the time, the
Scalabrini centre in Cape Town said that since 2013 they’d had
about 530 individuals approaching them for assistance with the
process.
VAC also said that for family-joining Home Affairs wants the
child’s birth certificate from the original country or the natal
clinic card from when the child was born.
For obvious reasons, many refugees would not have these or have
access to these.
PASSOP said parents with Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs), as
well as those with refugee status, continuously faced problems
enrolling their children if the children did not have a permit.
Previously GroundUp reported how a woman had to buy a permit in
order to put her child in school. She was caught between Home
Affairs and the contradictory policies of the education
department. A study permit in the child’s name is required when
submitting an application, but Home Affairs does not issue a study
permit without proof of acceptance at a school.
In February, GroundUp reported on a woman who had been on a ZEP
permit since 2008 who was told by Home Affairs to go to Zimbabwe
to apply for a child-accompanying visa for her child born in South
Africa.
To go to Zimbabwe simply to apply for a visa is an exorbitant cost
for many parents who must also take leave from work.
Home Affairs media manager David Hlabane said: “The matter must be
handled in terms of applicable policies, procedures and
requirements, including for school admission.” V.2819

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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