South Africa: Automatic Visa and Waiver Extension Announced
March 30, 2023
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At a Glance
- The Department of Home Affairs has extended the concession for pending long-term visa and waiver applications. Therefore, long-term visa holders who have applied for a visa waiver or have a visa application pending as of March 31, 2023 will be granted a temporary extension until December 31, 2023.
- Applicants who applied for short-term visas with a validity period of less than 90 days and have not received a visa extension outcome by March 31, 2023, must depart South Africa on or before April 30, 2023.
The situation
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has extended a concession for pending visa and waiver applications in order to clear the backlog of pending applications.
A closer look
- Extension for long-term visa holders. Per the extended concession, long-term visa holders who have applied for a visa waiver or have a visa application pending as of March 31, 2023 will be granted a temporary extension until December 31, 2023 (extended from March 31, 2023).
- No extension for short-term visa holders. Short-term visa holders with a validity period of less than 90 days who have not received their visa extension outcome by March 31, 2023 must depart South Africa on or before April 30, 2023 to avoid being declared out-of-status.
Impact
Companies should take note of the extended concession and the 15-month or longer timeframe that it will take the DHA to clear the existing backlog of pending long-term visa and waiver applications.
Background
The visa backlog has been ongoing since the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the DHA implementing a long-term visa and visa waiver validity extension in September 2022. However, the backlog has grown since then, resulting in the further extension.
Looking ahead
To further curb the backlog, the DHA has also implemented changes that will take effect soon, including increasing the expected number of adjudications issued per week, adding adjudicators to the e-Visa hub to assist with new applications, and adding more immigration officers in South Africa and at consulates abroad. These changes are expected to reduce processing times.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected]
