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International students granted visa waiver

Source: Jabulile S. Ngwenya – IOL News, 12/11/2015

Pretoria - International students studying in South Africa can breath
a sigh of relief after Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba announced
on Thursday that his department would waive visa regulations for those
whose visas have expired.

The waiver is applicable to international students whose visas expired
at the end of October and were due to expire at the end of
November.

Gigaba`s announcement came after consultations he had with the
International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA), which was
liaising with universities to identity students affected by the
regulations.

The waiver came as a solution to assist students, who would have been
unable to write their examinations, or have been "declared undesirable
when leaving the country on expired visas" said Home Affairs
spokesperson Mayihlome Tshwete.

The waiver, said Tshwete, means that these students would be allowed
to stay in the country until December 31.

He added: "Any student who intends to return to South Africa in 2016
for study purposes will have to follow the usual process of either
applying for a renewal of their visa or apply for a study visa in
their country of origin, whichever is applicable."

Tswete said once the IEASA has provided the department with a list of
bonafide students who were applicable for the waiver, they would
proceed with granting these students the waiver.

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