How long will I have to wait?
The Department of Home Affairs aims to process immigration applications within six to 12 months. However, problematic applications can take up to 18 months to process.
How much will it cost?
Immigration application fees - these are non-refundable - are subject to change. Check the relevant Home Affairs web page
Will I have to attend an interview?
Yes, once you have completed all the required documentation, you will have to attend a personal interview by a member of the Department of Home Affairs (if you are applying in SA) or the Department of Foreign Affairs (if you are applying outside SA).
What if my application is rejected?
Reasons for the rejection of your application will be supplied in writing, along with
details of your right to appeal against the decision, and the time-frame and procedures for an appeal, should you wish to make one.
What if my family or spouse does not want to immigrate to SA?
If this is the case, then you will not normally be allowed to immigrate to South Africa. Immigration applications are considered on the basis of a family unit. If you're divorced or legally separated, you will have to submit proof of this, and state the conditions of your divorce/separation.
If you are separated or estranged from your spouse, your application will not normally be considered. However, if you've been separated or estranged for longer than five years, your application will be considered if your partner submits a sworn affidavit or solemn declaration that he or she is aware of your application, has no objection to it, and is satisfied with the maintenance arrangements, if any, that the two of you have made. He/she will also have to acknowledge that, if he/she wishes in future to immigrate to South Africa, his/her application will be considered purely on its own merits.
How long do I have before I must enter SA?
Once your immigration permit has been granted, you have six months in which to take up permanent residence. If you do not enter the country with the intention of settling permanently within the prescribed period, and you do not apply for an extension, your permit will lapse and may be withdrawn. If you apply for an extension, cognisance will be taken of the reasons for your request and of any assets already transferred to and productively invested in South Africa. Extensions are granted for periods of six months at a time.
I'll be back soon - will I need a re-entry visa?
If you are in South Africa on a valid permanent residence permit, and you leave the country temporarily, you - and your dependents, if any - will NOT need a
re-entry visa, so long as your permit remains valid. This holds even though your permit may have "single entry" endorsed on it.
What if I settle in another country after obtaining an immigration permit?
- Generally, once you've obtained your immigration permit, if you leave the country for a period of five years or longer, you stand to lose your right to permanent residence. However, you should explain your situation to the Department of Home Affairs at the earliest opportunity - the Department will then be able to determine what effect your period of absence from the country will have on your permanent residence status.
- If you work for a South African company and the company sends you abroad, your permanent residence status will not be affected.
- If you're working on a contract basis and plan to spend more than five years abroad, you should notify the Department of Home Affairs timeously.
- If you're married to a South African citizen or permanent resident, your permanent residence status will not be affected so long as you remain married.
Can my immigration permit be withdrawn?
Yes. Your immigration permit can be withdrawn, among other reasons, if:
- Any information supplied in your application is found to be incorrect; or
- You change your occupation within three years of being granted permanent residence without being granted permission to do so by the Department of Home Affairs; or
- You obtained your permit on the basis of a marriage entered into less than two years prior to the date of issue of the permit, and the marriage is terminated less than two years subsequent to this date, unless you can persuade the Department that the marriage was not contracted for the purpose of securing permanent residence.
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