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Reprieve for international students as Home Affairs extends study visas

Source: Times Live, 08/11/2016


Reprieve for international students as Home Affairs extends study visas
given a reprieve by the Department of Home Affairs and will not be
declared undesirable persons following a blanket extension of their
study visas to March 31‚ 2017.
The extension applies to all international students in possession of
such documents and who are registered in the country`s tertiary
institutions.
"The extension applies to all study visas with an expiry date of‚ or
prior to‚ December 31 2016‚ and it is on condition that the date of
departure from South Africa is not later than 31 March 2017‚"
department spokesman Thabo Mokgola said.
"The requirements prescribed in Regulation 27(a) and (c) of the
Immigration Regulations are also waived so that the affected students
are not declared undesirable persons when departing from the republic
after the expiry of their temporary residence visas. Those students
will therefore not be deemed to have overstayed.

Officials at
ports of entry will be informed accordingly‚" said Mokgola.
Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said his department had to
intervene in the interest of students‚ "mindful of the situation in
tertiary institutions and the imperative for all students to complete
their academic year."
Gigaba had received representations from tertiary institutions and
stakeholders on the matter.
- TMG Digital/BusinessLIVE


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