Leon Schreiber extends temporary concession for foreign nationals

In his first official act as the new minister of home affairs just one day after being sworn in, Leon Schreiber has extended the temporary concession for foreign nationals who are awaiting the outcome of visa, waiver and appeal applications. 

The new expiry date for the concession, which applies only to foreign nationals who have been legally admitted into SA, is December 31 2024. 

The concession is only applicable to applicants who have submitted their applications via visa processing agency VFS Global and who can produce a verifiable receipt for such application against the VFS Global tracking system. 

“This extension safeguards applicants — including those who are contributing to SA through their scarce skills — from suffering adverse consequences or being erroneously declared undesirable while they await the outcome of applications submitted to the department,” Schreiber said in a statement. 

The processing of some of these applications has been delayed as the department works on reducing backlogs. While the department has made progress in this regard, there is still a backlog in various visa and permit categories.

The statement said Schreiber’s decision to avert adverse consequences for applicants who sought to obtain lawful visas to contribute to SA, either through their skills or as tourists, “signals the minister’s commitment to improving the visa system to make SA a more attractive destination for international investment, tourism and job creation”.

“While it will take time to achieve this vision in full, the decision to extend the temporary concession serves as a signal of intent to reinvigorate the department of home affairs and position it as a vital economic enabler,” the statement said. 

Schreiber has also committed to avoiding a repeat of the situation when the previous concession expired before the extension was announced. He gave the undertaking that any further extension, modification or amendment to the terms of these concessions would be communicated in writing before the new expiry date of end-December. 

In terms of the new dispensation, visa applicants whose waiver application outcomes were still pending on June 30, are granted a further temporary extension until end-December. 

Those who wish to abandon their waiver applications and depart from SA will be allowed to exit at a port of entry before or on December 31 without being declared undesirable in terms of the Immigration Act and its regulations. The same will apply to visa holders who need to travel. They will be able to exit and re-enter a port of entry. Non-visa exempt applicants who travel out of the country with a waiver application receipt are required to apply for a port of entry visa that will allow them re-entry into SA. 

Visa holders who have applied for long-term visas — visitor’s visas, business visas, study visas, relative’s visas and work visas — and whose application is still pending at end-June are granted a further temporary extension until end-December of their current visa status. Applicants are not allowed to engage in any activity other than what the visa conditions provide for. 

Similarly, these visa holders who wish to abandon their visa applications will be allowed to exit at a port of entry before or on December 31 without being declared undesirable. Those who need to travel but are awaiting the outcome of a long-term visa application will be allowed to exit and re-enter at a port of entry up to and including December 31 2024 without being declared undesirable. 

Visa holders who have appealed a negative decision on an application for long-term visa are granted a temporary extension until end-December of the current visa status.

The same conditions about leaving SA or for travel will apply. 

“All appeal applicants are required to produce a copy of the rejection letter with a receipt for the appeal application on departure and re-entry into SA. Non-visa exempt appeal applicants who travel out of the country with an appeal application receipt are required to apply for a port of entry visa which would allow them re-entry into SA,” the statement said. 

Short-term visa holders issued a visa for 90 days or less, who have applied for a renewal, but have not received their visa renewal outcome, must make the necessary arrangements to depart from SA within 90 calendar days from the date of expiry of the principal visa to avoid being declared undesirable.   

ensorl@businesslive.co.za