Home Affairs revises immigration rules and opens second round of Trusted Employer Scheme applications. On 9 April 2024, the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi addressed the media in a comprehensive press conference unpacking the withdrawal of the recently gazetted Immigration Regulation Amendments on 28 March 2024. The Department of Home Affairs (“DHA”) faced backlash after publishing the aforementioned regulations a day prior to the closing date for comments. The Minister in his press conference has acknowledged that he was misadvised on publishing the new regulations early an ..read more

South Africa Now Offers a Remote Work Visa for Foreigners The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) on 28 March 2024 Gazetted a set of Immigration Regulations which allowed foreigners to come work and stay in South Africa on a Remote Work Visa.  Following a press briefing by Minister Aaron Motsoaledi of the Department of Home Affairs on 9 April, these regulations have been subsequently withdrawn. However, according to the Minister, the DHA is in the process of finalising the regulations and will gazette a revised version by next week after taking into consideration comments received. RE ..read more

Home Affairs Game Changer for Approved Corporates Kicks-Off this Week The massive backlog in the South African immigration system is widely known and the backlog is increasing. There is a significant cost to South Africa, as foreign capital flows to countries where the work visa system is operational. READ MORE FEATURED IN Trusted Employer Scheme The systematic problems with our work visa system needed an innovative solution and Home Affairs have late 2023 announced a “Trusted Employer Scheme”. In order to qualify, companies needed to meet a number of criteria including capital in ..read more

Positive efforts made by the Minister as he extends ZEP and LEP permits for a further two years Individuals holding either Zimbabwean Exemption Permits or Lesotho Exemption Permits can find reassurance in the recent media briefing and directive issued by the Department of Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. READ MORE Aadil Wadee Immigration Specialist and Admitted Attorney This announcement brings a sense of relief to approximately 54,653 holders of the Lesotho Exemption Permit (LEP) and 178,000 holders of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP). On Friday, 1 December 2023 ..read more

Home Affairs finalises signing of MOU for Trusted Employers within 10 days The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and the dedicated team responsible for the Trusted Employers Scheme showcase the efficiency of the new scheme. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for each approved employer was shared earlier this month on 9 February and within 10 days the counter signed MOU document has been returned to employers ready for the Scheme roll out on 1 March 2024. READ MORE Employers will, by the end of this week, be able to commence the first set of visa applications under the Scheme. This ..read more

Home Affairs Approve 68 “Trusted Employers”, Other Work Visa Applicants Must Expect Delays and High Court confirm the process Xpatweb hosted a webinar for approved DHA Trusted Employers, to work through the special benefits as well as the unique responsibilities of this Home Affairs initiative. Attendees attended a good representation of the 68 approved companies, and everyone expects the Director General to sign the TES “Memorandum of Understanding” for the scheme to operational by latest 01 March 2023. READ MORE FEATURED IN This DHA approval allows the trusted employers to get ..read more

Remote Work and Point Based System: The Department of Home Affairs’ Draft Amendments The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) builds on the recent win of the implementation of the Trusted Employer Scheme (TES) by publishing draft changes to the Immigration Regulations for comment by 29 March. READ MORE Marisa Jacobs Managing Director FEATURED IN These changes implement a number of the Operation Vulindlela recommendations which aims to improve immigration legislation. Noteworthy changes include – Providing work authorization for remote workers in South Africa Point-based system ..read more

Home Affairs Game Changer for Approved Corporates Kicks-Off this Week The massive backlog in the South African immigration system is widely known and the backlog is increasing. There is a significant cost to South Africa, as foreign capital flows to countries where the work visa system is operational. READ MORE FEATURED IN Trusted Employer Scheme The systematic problems with our work visa system needed an innovative solution and Home Affairs have late 2023 announced a “Trusted Employer Scheme”. In order to qualify, companies needed to meet a number of criteria including capital in ..read more

108 Corporates Seek Trusted Employer Scheme Status: 65 Approved, Implementation Imminent A significant milestone unfolds in the corporate realm as the Department of Home Affairs confirms that roughly 108 major corporations pursue trusted employer status, with 65 earning approval and poised for imminent implementation in the coming week. READ MORE This development follows a rigorous evaluation process led by the Department of Home Affairs Corporate Accounts Unit. Marisa Jacobs, Managing Director of Xpatweb sat down with Phindiwe Mbhele, Director of Corporate Accounts at the Department ..read more

Newsflash: Department of Home Affairs Approves First Companies for Trusted Employer Scheme The Department of Home Affairs has given its seal of approval to the first set of companies to be part of the much-anticipated Trusted Employer Scheme. This significant milestone follows a rigorous evaluation process that saw numerous employers vying for a coveted spot in the program. The submission deadline for companies interested in the scheme was set for November 20th, and the response from the business community was overwhelmingly positive. READ MORE Marisa Jacobs Managing Director Th ..read more