Home-Affairs-Allows-International-Travel-Opportunity-for-Expats-to-help-parents-stuck-in-SA-XP

NEWS | HOME AFFAIRS ALLOWS INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL: OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPATS TO HELP PARENTS STUCK IN SA

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These categories provide concessions towards many situations South Africans find themselves in, and where international travel is an important consideration, there is a special onus on the reconciliation of family members globally.

Getting parent(s) out of South Africa

We have seen an increase concern about the state of readiness of South Africa over the following four to six months as the virus works its way through society. Government’s publicized “peak” is between August or September 2020, with some experts weighing in this may be more end July 2020. The questions remain on how South Africa as a society will deal herewith, adhering to the rules of good hygiene, social distancing and protecting the vulnerable categories.

Many families are undergoing severe distress due to separation and isolation following the travel bans that have been implemented globally. The family reunion category announced by the South African Department of Home Affairs provides the perfect window of opportunity for concerned SAFFA expats abroad to be reunited with their parent(s) and/or grandparent(s) currently stuck in South Africa.

Whether these loved ones are frail, isolated, at risk to the Corona Virus in South Africa and/or if it has always been the plan to relocate them abroad, now may be opportune time to make use of the concessions to get them safely abroad, and with relaxed requirements.

Will parents be safer in South Africa or abroad?

This is the important decision which each family needs to make, and no situation is exactly the same. On the one hand, keeping one’s parents or older generation in a familiar environment is extremely important for some.

Push factors include there being no quality of life where they are effectively in lockdown from the virus, they stay in a society not known for its remarkable degree of adherence to rules and questions on how effective the health system will deal with the pandemic. Some clients have also indicated that they would rather move their parents closer to them and a country which has already passed the “peak” and they foresee a better chance overseas than in South Africa.

Opinions are very much divided hereon, but the Department of Home Affairs should be applauded for recognizing that families with means should be allowed to reunite and there is a benefit to all where parents are safely with the children.

Application requirements

A typical application would require a copy of valid South African passport page, a letter from the country they will be travelling to confirming admissibility, permission for transiting countries, proof of means of travel and the intended date of departure.

The international travel is however subject to South African Department of Home Affairs’s approval and which is required before one may proceed with any travel arrangements. Currently, the complexity of this process is unclear, and albeit one would expect the normal strict Home Affairs protocols to be followed, there will be the normal leniency on properly motivated cases.

Assistance for two or more loved ones

The new dispensation additionally makes provision that a ‘group application’ may be submitted to the DHA should there be more than one relative required to travel out of South Africa. This will thus be a single application and the supporting information/documentation must then be sent for each member of the group.

Where you need more information hereon, have a more complex or sensitive situation which needs assistance, more information is shared on https://site2.xpatweb.com/covid-19-international-travel-for-south-africans/ and please contact travel@xpatweb.com.

Follow Xpatweb on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for further recurring updates.

AUTHOR
Marisa Jacobs - Director

Marisa Jacobs

Director

Do-you-need-a-work-visa-for-your-upcoming-short-trip-to-namibia

NEWS | DO YOU NEED A WORK VISA FOR YOUR UPCOMING SHORT TRIP TO NAMIBIA?

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What is a short-term work permit or short-term work visa?

A Short-Term Work Visa or a Short-Term Work Permit is designed for employees willing to conduct short term work activities in Namibia. It is submitted to the Department of Home Affairs in Namibia and issued for 90 days or 180 days. Extensions of the said visa or permit can be considered should an employee wish to remain in Namibia to finalize his business duties. Extension of the visa or permit are granted for an additional 90 days. Short-Term Work Visas issued with a validity of 180 days are non-extendable. The current processing time for a Short-Term Work Visa or Short-Term Work Permit is 14 to 21 days.

Why should you apply for a short-term work permit or work visa?

Depending on the nature of your activities in-country, you must obtain a work permit prior to entering Namibia and especially before the commencement of work. Employers may be liable to penalties and fines should foreign nationals be found to be working on their premises.  The Department of Home Affairs conducts regular inspections to ensure employers are compliant from an immigration perspective.

What do I need before travelling to Namibia for work purposes? 

Upon finalization of a Short-Term Work Visa or Short-Term Work Permit application, the candidate is issued a letter of approval. At the point of entry, the approval letter or the visa print must be presented to the border control official, who will then duly endorse the same into the applicant’s passport.

What are the requirements for the short-term work permit or short-term work visa?

The Department of Home Affairs requires a few quintessential documents interalia the application process which include a copy of passport, a letter of invitation from the host company, copies of all degrees and qualifications, and a detailed curriculum vitae. All documents must be certified copies of the original for a successful submission to the Department of Home Affairs in Namibia.

As an Immigration specialist we are here to guide you throughout the whole process. Visa and permit service offering dedicated to the unique immigration space of African jurisdictions with extensive experience in handling visa and permit applications across Africa. Our team ensures a hassle-free and smooth application process with the least involvement of applicants and efficiently deals with large volumes in the quickest turnaround time.

COVID-19-UK-Immigration-Update

NEWS | COVID-19: UK IMMIGRATION UPDATE

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The UK government recently announced that the lockdown measures have been eased across England after more than seven weeks of restrictions. The Prime Minister added that it is too early to end lockdown measures because of the danger of a second peak, but small steps can be taken as part of a “conditional plan”.

The above measures have also impacted the UK Immigration Authorities as well as their diplomatic missions abroad, and visa application centres, who are the decision-makers in the adjudication of various non-migrant and migrant visa categories for foreign nationals. The pandemic itself and control measures against it continue to impact on UK immigration matters as well as global immigration authorities and policies.

The UK Home Office announced that any persons inside the UK who are prevented from leaving due to COViD-19 whose visas are due to expire before 31st of July 2020, such persons can have their visas extended to the 31st of July 2020. They must follow a special process to request for an extension with the Coronavirus Immigration Team.

Expatriates currently in the United Kingdom

UK Visa and Citizenship Application Centres and Service and Support Centres remain closed due to

the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who can extend their status in-country, should lodge an online application and wait for an available appointment at a UK Visa Application Centre when the Centres re-open, the relevant date thereof is yet to be announced officially. An individual’s immigration status will not be negatively affected as a result of them not being able to attend an appointment.

The UK Immigration Authorities have stated that individuals in the UK whose visas are expiring and cannot return to their country of origin due to travel restrictions, can have their visas extended until 31st July 2020.  Expatriates with visas due to expire would need to complete an online application to request for an extension of their visa until 31st May 2020, if expiring before then and they are unable to extend in-country.

Expatriates currently outside the United Kingdom

The UK Immigration Authorities continue to accept online applications for new and extensions of non-migrant and migrant visa categories. However, as of today, all UK Visa Application Centres across the globe are closed. English Testing and Tuberculosis Testing Centres are also affected. Applicants are advised to submit their Visa Application Forms and book a Visa Appointment when Visa Centres re-open.

Tier 2 migrant visa category holders

The UK Immigration Authority, the UK Home Office, has issued guidance confirming that Tier 2 Migrants, which inherently have a “no recourse to public funds” condition in their immigration status in the UK, are now eligible to receive funds through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, also known as Furlough. Thus, employers can temporarily reduce the pay of sponsored employees to 80% of their salary or £2,500.00 per annum. As such, Tier 2 Migrants can be furloughed without impact on their immigration status should a reduction of pay be required to maintain operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Foreign missions

Foreign embassies and missions are currently closed until further notice. However, depending on the country, the embassy and consulate may be reached by telephone or email.

International-Travel-for-SA

NEWS | INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL ALLOWED FOR SOUTH AFRICANS

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Categories

The main categories which will be allowed are work, study, family reunion, to take up permanent residency and for medical reasons. These are indeed the most important categories and make provision for most cases where international travel is an important consideration.

Requirements

The requirements include a copy of a valid South African passport, a letter from the country you will be travelling to confirming your admissibility, permission for transiting countries, proof of means of travel and the intended date of departure.

Home Affairs Approval

The international travel is subject to Department of Home Affairs approval, which is needed before you can proceed with your travel arrangements. At this stage the complexity of this process is unclear, albeit that one would expect that the normal strict Home Affairs protocols will be followed.

Group Arrangements

The new dispensation makes provision for a single Department of Home Affairs application for a group and the supporting information must then be send for each member of the group.

Issued by Marisa Jacobs, Director of Xpatweb

For enquiries please contact marisa@xpatweb.com.


 AUTHOR

Marisa Jacobs
Director

Survey-Highlights-Visa-Risk-for-Expats-Due-to-COVID-19-XP

NEWS | SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS VISA RISKS FOR EXPATS DUE TO COVID-19

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The survey gives a sense of how the lockdown is impacting expat workers and new assignees who were due to enter SA. More than 150 JSE-listed and large multinational companies operating across Africa participated in the survey. According to the survey, 37% of the participants have new assignees that were due to enter the country during the first quarter of 2020. They are waiting for the lockdown regulations to be lifted in order to enter SA.

These expats will then need to obtain work visas from 34 different SA embassies around the world. Top of the list of countries from where the assignees will be coming from is Germany, Zimbabwe, China, India and Spain. Embassies that will also be kept busy include Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Serbia, New Zealand and the US.

Interestingly, 84% of the participating companies indicated that they are not affected by revoked visas.  When the Department of Home Affairs issued its first directive – just before the lockdown and the travel ban – it stated that certain visas issued to people from high risk countries would be revoked.

The Department has further clarified that only visas issued to people from China and Iran, and who had not yet activated their visas at the time of the travel ban, would be revoked. Xpatweb has confirmed this position with the Department.

Expats who had an existing visa and went back to their home countries would be able to re-enter SA with their existing visa when travel ban is lifted. They were concerned that their visas would be revoked and that they would have to re-apply. That is however not the case. These assignees will be able to enter SA again at a later date using their existing visas.

Companies seem to be dealing differently with the start dates of assignments where assignees had not yet entered SA at the time of the travel ban being imposed. In the case of an intra-company transfer, assignees are in many cases simply remaining in their current role with the foreign entity with a delayed assignment start date to be confirmed until the travel restrictions are lifted.

There is certainly going to be a mismatch between the work visa issue dates and the actual assignment start dates.

In the case of new assignees who have already resigned from a previous position, companies may request that these expats start working from abroad until the borders open again.

According to the survey 9% of expats either resigned their position or declined a position due to the coronavirus outbreak. Employers have indicated that their preferred recruitment destination to have these positions filled is internationally (30%) compared to locally (20%).  Another 20% said they will look both locally and internationally

It is important to remember that the work visa does not become active on the day it is issued. It only becomes active once the expat travels through a border and it is loaded onto the Department’s track-and-trace system.

We trust that the Department will be quite lenient and understanding because current circumstances are beyond anybody’s control.

AUTHOR

Marisa Jacobs
Director