• The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs is not entirely happy with newly appointed Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber`s decision to extend the temporary concession for foreign nationals awaiting their visas.
• Several MPs serving on the committee raised concerns about capacity to ensure that undocumented individuals are deported.
• The committee also wants home affairs officials to join operations targeting spaza shops engaged in illicit activities more frequently.
Extending the visas of foreign nationals already in South Africa shifts focus and resources away from the needs of citizens. This is according to the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs after newly appointed Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber`s decision to extend the temporary concession for foreign nationals who are currently awaiting the outcome of visa, waiver and appeal applications.
According to Schreiber, the extension safeguards applicants - including those who are contributing to South Africa`s economy through their scarce skills - from suffering adverse consequences or being erroneously declared undesirable while they await the outcome of applications submitted to the department.
But the committee has raised concerns about capacity. These concerns were captured in the committee`s report on the department`s budget and plans for the 2024/25 financial year.
`The extension of the visas is for people who came legally into the country. It is either that they applied to move to other visas or were extending their stay. There was concern [whether] the BMA [Border Management Authority] or the DHA [Department of Home Affairs] had the capacity to ensure that [foreign nationals] leave or are deported from South Africa.
`The BMA stated that its work was at the border environment and once a person was in the country illegally, it was the responsibility of the immigration inspectorate. There is a need for additional staff in both cases, but this must also be supported by improved surveillance technology,` the report reads.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Schreiber was adamant that the measure would aid the economy.
`Without this concession, international tourists and

workers who contribute to our economy would have been punished if their documentation expired while they awaited the outcome of home affairs processes. This would be unfair and irrational and discourage investment, tourism and skills transfer,` he said in the post.
According to the Department of Home Affairs, the extension applies to:
• Visa holders who have applied for waivers and whose applications are still pending as of 30 June;
• Visa holders who have applied for long-term visas - including study, business, relative visas and work visas - and whose applications are still pending as of 30 June; and
• Those who have appealed a negative decision on their long-term visa applications, including study, business, relative visas and work visas.
Another concern for the committee was the escape, in March, of 69 undocumented immigrants who were being detained at the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp, awaiting deportation.
`The DHA reported that the National Treasury was investigating the contract of the service provider,` the report says.
During the sixth administration, the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs raised the matter of naturalised citizens who were unable to apply for smart ID cards.
The committee also raised the issue of loss of citizenship by South Africans who have taken a second nationality.
The committee indicated the need for the department to join more joint law enforcement operations targeting spaza shops engaged in illicit activities in Johannesburg, given the potential health risks of these operations.
`The DHA reported that in the sixth administration, the then minister of home affairs convened a meeting with all stakeholders on the issue of spaza shops. The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs was tasked with the development of by-laws in this respect, and the by-laws are now out for public [comment]. The passing of the DHA Bill would also allow for after-office hour shifts to join evening operations,` the committee said. V.5486

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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