South Africa has announced plans of overhauling its work visa system as part of an effort to raise $110 billion of investment by 2028.

Addressing the fifth SA Investment Conference, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government would streamline application requirements to reduce the time frames for obtaining a work visa.

“We will introduce a Trusted Employer Scheme for qualifying companies and establish a points-based system to provide more flexible pathways for applicants, in line with global best practice,” Ramaphosa said.
. “We will be expanding the e-visa system to include an additional 20 countries above the 14 that are currently eligible, and will extend it to cover new visa categories such as study, business and intra-company transfer visas,” he elaborated.
Tens of thousands of foreigners working or intending to work in South Africa faced having their visas canceled at the end of March because the authorities were unable to process their applications, Business Leadership South Africa said in a statement last week.
While a last-minute reprieve validated the status of those already in the country, it was of little use to thousands more people around the world waiting for their documents to be processed, the group said.
As of March-end, the Department of Home Affairs was looking at a backlog of 62,692 visa applications.
South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa`s decision to overhaul the work visa system on Thursday was lauded by Indian business conglomerates, who said the move will create more employment and foster a slew of investments in the country.
The India Business Forum, which represents around 150 Indian companies in South Africa, have long bemoaned the delays in obtaining visas.
Over the years,

the Indian missions here have also held discussions with the South African government on this festering issue.

South African businesses have previously complained that the visa regime was an obstacle to attracting investments, including in the tourism industry.
Ramaphosa also announced the launch of a new investment drive through which he expects to garner investments to the tune of R2 trillion over the next five years.
In 2018, Ramaphosa announced a target of raising R1.2-trillion in five years in a drive to create jobs and drive economic growth.

He said so far, the government had attracted R1.14-trillion in investment pledges
“South Africa continues to be an attractive investment destination despite a strained domestic and global economic climate,” Ramaphosa said, adding that there were many challenges caused by “years of under-investment, mismanagement and corruption in our electricity, rail and logistics sectors.”
“These reforms will enable us to attract skills and investment and create jobs while protecting and promoting the employment of South Africans,” he added
Praveer Tripathi, President of the India Business Forum has lauded Ramaphosa`s announcements.
“This is a very welcome step, although we would have preferred a visa on arrival,” he said.
“The President`s call for investors to help create jobs and promote employment for South Africans is also something that most Indian companies who have been here for some time now fully support. Easing the visa regime will help accelerate this even further,” Tripathi added.
www.samigration.com V.4802

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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