Visa extension for waiver and visa applicants until 30 June 2022
The Department of Home Affairs has admitted to many delays in the processing of waivers, and visa applications. Previously, temporary residency visa applications took 6 to 8 weeks to process, however, due to COVID, they are taking over 6 months for applications to be finalized.
In an attempt to address the impact of these delays, and lack of service, the Department announced, on the 1st of April 2022, that there will be a further extension of pending applications until the 30th of June 2022.
Applicants whose waiver applications are still pending:
Foreign Nationals whose waiver applications are still pending are granted a blanket temporary extension until the 30th of June 2022, in order for the Department to process these applications and for the applicants to collect their outcomes and submit applications for appropriate visas.
Applicants whose visa applications are still pending:
Foreign nationals who are awaiting the outcome of the visa applications are granted a blanket temporary extension until the 30th of June 2022 of the current visa status. Therefore, if your visa has or will expire, it will still be valid up until the 30th of June 2022, as per the newly issued letter from the Department of Home Affairs.
Those who wish to abandon their visa applications and depart from South Africa when able to do so will be allowed to exit a port of entry before or on June 2022 without being classified as undesirable. Applicants are not allowed to engage in any other activities other than what the visa conditions provide for. Applicants with pending long-term visas applicants who originate from countries that are exempt from the port of entry visa requirements and who wish to travel over the upcoming festive season in April 2022, may do so by presenting their VFS receipt on arrival back at the port of entry for admission Into South Africa and to collect their visa outcomes. However, those applicants with pending long-term visa applicants who originate from Countries that are visa restricted would require a port of entry visa and their VFS receipt In order to be re-admitted into South Africa.
Should you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Visa Immigration SA