• The US has added further exemptions for foreign travellers looking to enter that country amid its ongoing travel ban.
• Under the National Interest Exceptions protocol, certain visa holders and exchange visitors may travel to the US.
• This applies to specialised teachers and au pairs in South Africa.
• It also includes immigrant and fiancé(e) K-1 visas, which require a US citizen sponsor.
The United States has expanded its list of National Interest Exceptions (NIE), which effectively exempt certain South Africans â€` with specific skills, jobs, and visas â€` from its ongoing travel ban.
It’s been three months since US President Joe Biden closed the country’s borders to travellers from South Africa. The decision to restrict travel was associated with fears around the 501Y.V2 variant of Covid-19 first detected in the Eastern Cape.
Due to international concerns around the local prevalence of the 501Y.V2 variant â€` which is more transmissible and tougher to vaccinate against â€` South African travellers have become tightly restricted.
But while other countries have only afforded exemptions to returning citizens and permanent residents, the US has continuously updated its NIE list for purposes related to humanitarian travel, public health response, and national security.
Shortly after the travel ban was imposed on South Africa in January, the US Bureau of Consular Affairs announced that H-2A visa holders â€` defined as non-immigrant certification for temporary workers performing agricultural services â€` would be included as an NIE.
This exemption was particularly positive news for South Africans, who account for the highest number of H-2A visa holders outside of Mexico.
South Africans holding valid immigrant or fiancé(e) K-1 visas are now allowed to enter the US. This applies to foreign citizens who are sponsored by direct relatives living in the US or by a prospective US-based employer. It also permits a foreign-citizen fiancé(e) to travel to the US and marry his or her US citizen sponsor within 90 days of arrival.
Visa applicants have, however, been warned of backlogs at embassies and consulates.
“The Covid-19

pandemic continues to severely affect the ability of embassies and consulates around the world to be able to resume routine visa services,” says the US Bureau of Consular Affairs in response to ongoing lockdown restrictions.
“Combined, these restrictions have reduced appointment capacity during the pandemic, which has created a significant backlog of both immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants awaiting a visa interview. The provision of services to U.S. citizens abroad is the first priority of consular sections abroad.”
Other exemptions are also afforded to certain non-immigrant “Exchange Visitors”.
Au pairs who are able to provide specialised care for minor US citizens with particular needs â€` medical, special education, or sign language â€` have also been added to the NIE list. This also applies to au pairs who take care of children whose parents are either frontline healthcare workers or medical researchers involved in work around Covid-19.
South Africans who are successfully enlisted in bilateral exchange programmes which are “designed to promote US national interests” will be allowed to enter the US. This programme must be endorsed by the US government at either federal, state, or local government level.
Similarly, interns and trainees on US government agency-sponsored programs are now also exempt from the travel ban.
Specialised teachers, who hold a degree-equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree in either education or the academic subject field in which they intend to teach, can also enter the US’ teacher programme which will exempt them from the ban.
Applying teachers will need to have at least two years’ experience and must “possess sufficient proficiency in the English language”.
South Africa isn’t the only country which is currently being subjected to US travel restrictions. The ban, and associated NIE exemptions, currently apply to travellers from China, Iran, Brazil, the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
www.samigration.com V.3524

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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