The Department of Home Affairs says it will leave no stone unturned in uncovering `dubious` visas and permits, such as permanent residence and special citizenships, which were granted irregularly.
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi had resolved to review some of those permits that were issued over the years, especially permanent residence visas, the department said. It added the decision was informed by a trend emerging from the outcome of numerous investigations it had undertaken over the past two years, especially those involving prominent people.
The announcement came after Motsoaledi`s interview with SAfm`s Bongi Gwala in which he said Enlightened Christian Gathering leader Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary, were in South Africa illegally. He added the couple had entered South Africa for the first time on 6 September 2009 at the Beitbridge border post and were issued with visitors` visas. `We don`t stop people from visiting our country. Visitors` visas have a time frame - you can stay for 90 days or 30 days … because you`re a visitor,` Motsoaledi said at the time. However, while Bushiri was in South Africa in 2014, 2015 and 2016, he registered companies with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, emerged.
Motsoaledi said this was not allowed in terms of the conditions of the visitor`s visa. He said in 2012, Mary had entered the country through the OR Tambo International Airport, where she produced an alleged fraudulent permanent resident`s permit, which was issued on 1 February 1997. `Now, if you came to South Africa for the first time on 6 September 2009, how can you already have a permanent residency dating 1997?` However, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria suspended the department`s permanent residence notice against Bushiri and his wife until they pleaded in their criminal trial, City Press reported. The couple has since fled South Africa.
On Wednesday, the department said: `In the coming days, the minister will unpack the full details of his intervention which he

decided on late last year. `The department will leave no stone unturned in uncovering dubious visas and permits, such as permanent residence and special citizenships, which were granted irregularly.`
Meanwhile, Motsoaledi welcomed acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka`s report on the implementation of the Citizenship Act. `As such, the minister has instructed the director-general of the department to start preparing the action plan which should be submitted to the Public Protector indicating the timelines of implementing the recommendations of the Public Protector,` the department said. `Likewise, the minister will submit his own action plan as directed by the Public Protector.` On Monday, the Public Protector`s office ordered the director-general of home affairs to take action against officials involved in the naturalisation of Ajay Gupta and his family for their failure to exercise due diligence by verifying the accuracy of the information contained in the motivation for early naturalisation. Gcaleka had investigated an alleged violation of the Executives Members` Ethics Code and SA Citizenship Act by former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba.News24 previously reported that in 2018, it emerged Gigaba had approved the early naturalisation of Ajay Gupta`s family despite him refusing to let go of his Indian citizenship. Gigaba had on a number of occasions publicly stated Atul Gupta was not a South African citizen. He then corrected himself and said Atul was a citizen, and it was Ajay Gupta who had not been naturalised. Gcaleka`s reported stated Gigaba had exercised his discretion and did not abuse his power in the process. She, however, found him in breach of the Executive Members` Ethics Code with regards to him failing to table the names in Parliament of persons who were granted South African citizenship under exceptional circumstances.
www.samigration.com V.3443

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.

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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.

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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.

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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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