By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Department of Home Affairs has again issued a last-minute reprieve, extending a blanket concession for long-term visa or waiver applicants awaiting decisions on their applications.
The directive was issued to the Home Affairs head office and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s Consular Services and Visa Facilitation Centres (VFS) to communicate this decision.
The decision means visa applicants are permitted to legally remain in South Africa until the end of the year, pending the finalisation of their applications.Those travelling on passports issued by countries that are not visa-exempt, are required to apply for a visitor’s visa to return to South Africa until their applications have been finalised.
This as the department attempts to address the impact that processing backlogs are having on applicants.
The DHA said the concession will last until the end of this year and applies only to applicants who have submitted an application via Visa Facilitation Centres (VFS) before or on 31 March 2023.
The concession does not apply to those holding short term visas.
“All visitors on short term visas whose validity was issued for less than 90 days are excluded from the concession and are required to depart before or on the date of expiry of the validity period of their visas,” the department said.
More information is available under the notices tab on the DHA’s website on www.dha.gov.za.