The visa backlog at home affairs is causing serious headaches for people looking to travel or work in South Africa.

Marisa Jacobs, Managing Director of Xpatweb, said that the Department of Home Affairs’ decision to withdraw the central adjudication system has led to a major visa backlog, with the minister of home affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, saying that the backlog stands at over 60,000.

The minister has, however, announced a new visa cession extending to 31 December 2023.

Jacobs gave details about who qualified for the new visa concession:

Applicants whose waiver application outcomes are still pending as of 31 March 2023 are granted a temporary extension until 31 December 2023.
Applicants whose visa applications (long-term visa holders) are still pending are granted a temporary extension until 31 December 2023.
Short-term visa holders whose visa validity was issued for less than 90 days, and who have not received an extension by 31 March 2023, must depart on or before 30 April 2023, to avoid being declared undesirable.
However, others are not covered by the concession:

Any pending applications at Embassies.
Limited cover for short-term visa holders.
ZEP holders, even where there is a pending application.
However, she said that the concession was ambiguous in some cases. She added that those who are covered by the concession and plan to travel outside of South Africa should bring their VFS Global receipt and concession letter to avoid any issues when they return to the country.

When it comes to those whose application is urgent or overdue, she said that they can consider legal action to speed up the process.

She added that her company was successful when it escalated its clients’ urgent applications to the High Court â€` if the urgency was supported by facts.

Considering the difficulty in getting long-term mainstream visas in South Africa, Marissa said that individuals and businesses should establish a well-defined strategy

and roadmap to deal with their applications, as it will help them in the application process while also covering those who have already been granted an extension from any unexpected requests.

Could soon get better

Jacobs and Eden Ben-Attar from Xpatweb previously said that the work visa system in South Africa is currently the worst it has ever been.

“Other countries get certain visa categories issued at record speed and with high proficiency. The current system places foreign investors in a difficult spot, as they need to be prepared for a frustrating process and a bit of a fight to get their visa,” said Xpatweb.

The major backlog in work visa applications has made South Africa a less attractive destination to much-needed skilled workers.

Although the government tried to launch an initiative in 2022 where the head office would manage the work visa approvals instead of embassies to ensure consistency in documentation and address corruption, Xpatweb said that it appears to have failed.

“Various directives were issued in this regard and to the point where the work visa adjudication process was handed back to Embassies on new submissions. The embassies have not taken back the Head Office submissions during the directive period, so these remain with Head Office according to the certain embassies,” said Xpatweb.

However, following consistent concern over the failure of the Department of Home Affairs, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that government will overhaul the visa system.

In May, Operation Vulindlela, an initiative between the Presidency and National Treasury to drive policy implementation, published a detailed report on how to improve the visa regime.

The Department of Home Affairs has also set out an implementation plan that will ensure that the implementation plan is adopted. V.4842

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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