Fifteen million without legal docs in SA, Parly hears

Cape Argus – 29 Nov 2022

Cape Town - Fifteen million people are living without legal identity documents in South Africa, while 10000 local and foreign people are considered stateless, MPs were told.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) briefed the Home Affairs portfolio committee on these figures along with problems faced by migrants, the opening of refugee offices and backlogs.

Comparatively, there were 3.9 million stateless people around the world, the lawyers said. LHR statelessness project head, Thandeka Chauke, stressed that 10 000 stateless people included South Africans and migrants, and that stateless children for migrants were not assisted by any consulate.

Chauke painted a picture of a department that does not follow court orders, citing a report in their possession about more than 30 fathers (unmarried) and children who were turned away by Home Affairs officials for child birth registration, despite the Constitutional Court’s judgment in Child Law v Minister of Home Affairs that allows single fathers to register their children. LHR posed questions to the committee to ask the department when it appears before MPs.

The lawyers also charged that Home Affairs’ service towards immigrants was “xenophobic”.

LHR’s Lindokuhle Mdabe said there was “systematic” and “structural xenophobia” in how the department dealt with asylum-seekers and refugees.

“I know we might have to debate the lexicon, but that is how the organisation decided to describe the conditions faced by our client communities at Home Affairs,” Mdabe said, adding that there were challenges with Home Affairs’ online system dealing with refugee status.

“We see a lack of access due to a lack of internet access, which is an obvious thing,” he said. “Even if they’ve filed online, they will have to wait for two months to get an interview (with Home Affairs).”

Responding to the Cape Argus on the xenophobia charge, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said: “We were not part of that meeting, but I’m sure the portfolio committee will send the questions to us. We are not going to debate with them (LHR) through the media.”

Given a three-day deadline, Home Affairs spokesperson Siyabulela Qoza had not responded to queries that detailed LHR’s claims, at the time of going to press.

This publication recently reported that the country has an interpreters shortage crisis, which has prompted the Public Service Commission to pressure the government to intervene.

Mdabe asked MPs to push the department on whether it had challenges in documenting child refugees; to detail the issues; how many requests for verification the department has received since introducing its regenaration.comewal system; and why their clients were detained for extended periods. Mdabe said they had had to write to schools and hospitals to indicate that despite the documentation, migrants still had the right to the services.

www.samigration.com

UK Visitor Visa: All you need to know about the visa

The South African | 29 Nov 2022

South Africans who want to travel to the UK as tourists need to apply for a UK Standard Visitor Visa. 

UK Visitor Visa: All you need to know about the visa. 

It is also important to note that the processing time of UK Visitor Visas is currently about six weeks. So, it is important to plan and apply for your Visitor Visa in time. 

SA Migration have answered some of the most Frequently Asked Questions on the UK Standard Visitor Visa below. 

Will I be allowed to work while in the UK on the UK Visitor Visa?

The Home Office is very strict on the rule that you cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person while on a visitor visa in the UK. 

However, they allow some business activities, such as attending interviews, meetings, conferences, etc. We recommend that you speak to one of our consultants to ensure that the work you intend to do falls within the allowed business activities. 

I have a long-term visitor visa for the UK. My daughter is in the UK and having a baby. What is the maximum time I will be allowed to spend visiting my daughter?

You can stay in the UK for up to six months on a UK Visitor visa. Even if you have a two year, five years or ten years long-term Standard Visitor Visa, you are still only allowed to stay in the UK for up to six months at a time. The Home Office strictly forbid repeatedly living in the UK for extended periods via the UK Visitor Visa. 

As we have family in the UK, we are regular visitors. I want to apply for a long-term visitor visa for all our family members. Is it possible to apply for children as well?

Yes, it is possible to apply for children for long-term visitor visas. However, long-term visitor visas will only be valid for up to six months after a child turns 18 years old. One should thus keep the child’s age in mind when applying for a long-term visitor visa. Your SA Migration consultant will advise in every case. 

I will be visiting friends in the UK on my UK Visitor Visa. I also want to check out the job market and switch to another UK visa while I am there. Is this allowed?

Clients often think that they can visit the UK to check things out, decide whether they want to live and work in the UK, and then apply for another type of UK visa while they are there. 

However, It is important to note that one cannot switch to another type of UK visa while in the UK on a UK visitor visa. You have to return to your home country and submit the visa or permit application from there.

It is only in very exceptional circumstances that a person is allowed to switch while on a visitor visa. Please speak to your SA Migration consultant for more advice.  

Can I get married to my British partner in the UK while on a UK tourist visa? 

As a general rule, you cannot get married in the UK on a standard visitor visa. 

If you intend to marry your British or settled partner in the UK, you can apply for a Marriage Visitor’s Visa. The application is similar to a standard visitor’s visa; however, you will have to submit evidence confirming that the wedding will occur in the UK and proof of social- and economic ties to South Africa, among other requirements. 

There are no strict financial requirements, but you will have to return to South Africa after the wedding ceremony. If you want to join your partner in the UK, you will have to apply for a Spousal visa from South Africa. You must keep in mind that you will then have to fulfil the financial requirements at this stage. 

www.samigration.com

UK Visa Application

28 November  2022 -  TPL Media 

How Nigerians can apply for a United Kingdom visa in 2022

It is the desire of many Nigerians to travel to the United Kingdom to work, study, or even have a family vacation. However, without a visa, they are unable to realize their dream. Through this blog, we will explain how to obtain a British visa. Tell us how to obtain a UK visa. If you have any suggestions regarding this blog, please share them in the space below.

Examine the sort of visa you hold.

Utilize the UK Visas Immigration website to determine the sort of visa you must submit and the required documentation.

Each form of visa necessitates unique papers, so examine your visa type thoroughly. If your document is not written in English, you may be required to provide a translation prior to submission.

You must determine whether you meet the conditions to submit an application for the desired visa. If you are unclear about what visa is suitable for you, try our questionnaire Do you require a visa?

Visa types for the United Kingdom in 2022?

In addition to knowing how to obtain a UK visa, it is crucial to understand that there are numerous sorts of visas for visiting the UK, each geared for a specific length of stay. Therefore, let’s examine in detail the various types of visa-

Visitor Visa

A person may apply for a UK visiting visa for a variety of activities, including tourism, business, participation in artistic and athletic events, transit through the UK, private medical treatment, etc. This is the essential class. Request a UK business visa.

Work Visa

Generally, a work visa is required to explore employment opportunities in the UK. Work visas are distinct from business visas and are further subdivided based on the type of work a person wishes to perform in the United Kingdom.

Student visa

Many students from India aspire to study in the United Kingdom. The government of the United Kingdom issues student visas to all international students who wish to study there. There are also three categories of student visas for the United Kingdom: Short Term Study-Visa (for short-term courses and valid for 6 to 12 months), Tier 4 (Child Student), and Tier 4 (students older than 16 years).

Prepare your paperwork for UK Visa

For each document you submit, you must provide both the original and a photocopy.

This document contains a copy of the biodata page of your passport (the page containing your photo). If you do not give a copy of each document, the original document may not be returned to you.

Passport A copy of the visa application form that has been completed and signed

Latest and valid travel documents or passports (your passport must contain at least 1 blank page on both sides so that we can place your visa)

Two-color, passport-sized photos in compliance with our photo specifications.

If you are not a citizen of the nation in which you are applying, you must provide evidence of permission to be there.

An old passport to demonstrate your travel history.

Evidence of your marital status.

Including letters of marriage, civil partnership letters (same-sex marital nuptials), divorce decrees, and death certificates.

Documentation of your present work or studies

Detailed travel plans, if available.

Include the registration fee. Your application cost will not be reimbursed, even if it is denied.

Identification cards, evidence of employment, a letter of invitation from relatives or friends in the United Kingdom, or a proposed itinerary are required for entry into the United Kingdom. Consult the website of the visa office responsible for your nation or region for further details.

Evidence proving you have sufficient funds for your trip to the United Kingdom. Depending on the conditions of your visit, the length of your stay, and whether you will be staying in a hotel or with friends and family, the amount of money may vary.

The British visa office in Nigeria can provide additional information.

If you transmit papers in a language other than English, you must include a full translation that we can independently verify.

Each translation document must contain:

Date of translation; translator’s full name and signature; translator contact information.

Submit your application for a United Kingdom visa with Gov.uk.

Submit online

Visit the UK Visas and Immigration website to apply for your visa when you are ready.

Ensure you keep a complete record of your travel history, including supporting documentation for each trip.

If you are applying for a visa on behalf of your family or other relatives, you will also need their personal information and travel history.

Pay the required visa fee

After submitting an application and choosing an appointment, you must pay for a visa.

This must be done online as part of your submission to Gov.uk.

If you do not possess a credit or debit card, you can choose a person to pay on your behalf.

Or, some visa application centers offer this service for a cost.

Determine whether the visa application center you select offers services.

Select your service

Choose Your UK Visa Application Service for 2020: After paying the visa fee, a reference number will be issued. It begins with GWF. Once you have the number, you can use a range of by TLS to customize future visits to the visa submission center.

Upload your supplemental files

Upload your supporting documents for United Kingdom for free. Visa for Nigeria

Official website allows you to submit papers supporting visa applications and personal information digitally, from the comfort of your home, school, or business, eliminating the need to mail vital paperwork to UK Visas and Immigration.

Important Links

Visit the UK visa application center for Nigeria

Attend your appointment

You must attend an appointment to apply for a visa. You cannot send someone to represent you.

Arrive fifteen minutes early

If you are applying for a visa through “Access UK,” you must present the following documents. Please bring the first page of your visa application form if you submit it through the Visa4UK website.

Please bring a valid passport or other travel document with at least one blank page on both sides.

Please upload your documents privately or, if you have paid for our document scanning help service, bring your original documents or high-quality photocopies to the visa application facility;

You will be required to provide fingerprints and photographs at the visa application center. This practice is known as the gathering of biometric data.

A digital finger scanner will collect 10 fingerprint samples, and you will snap a photo. The digital finger scanner does not utilize ink, liquid, or chemicals and will not leave any traces on your finger.

Your images will be shot with your whole face in view, and you are not permitted to wear sunglasses or normal glasses or cover your head, unless for religious or medical reasons. Your face must be free of hair that obscures your eyes.

Ensure that your fingertips are devoid of any decorations, injuries, scratches, or other marks that could compromise your ability to give good finger scans.

If you are applying for a visa for a kid under 5 years old, they must be present when you submit the visa application file, but their biometric information will not be collected.

Your visa application cannot be processed without Biometric data information.

Track the status of your submission

If your decision has been returned to the visa application center, you will receive an email. If you cannot readily access e-mail or desire more detailed tracking information, you may also select optional enhancements and receive SMS updates sent directly to your mobile device.

Return to the visa application center to get your paperwork.

After a decision has been made about your visa application, you can collect your documents at the visa application facility.

Choose whether to collect the documents yourself, send representatives to retrieve them, or have them sent by courier.

Bringing documents in person; carry a receipt issued by the visa application center and a government-issued identity card.

Send representatives to obtain your documents; they must bring a signed power of attorney, the receipt issued by the visa application center, and government-issued identification.

Visit frequently for further Visa Application Updates for the United Kingdom.

UK Visa Status

How to Obtain a British Visa After submitting the necessary documents, the applicant has the option of receiving them by mail or visiting the VAC to collect them in person. While completing the visa application form, the applicant may enter a valid mobile number and/or email address to get notifications regarding the visa application.

UK Visa Application FAQ

How can I obtain a British visa from Nigeria?

You can obtain a UK visa from Nigeria.

Filling Out the Application

Pay for Britain Fee for Visa Processing

Schedule an Interview Appointment

Move Your Documents

Move Your Documents

Timing of UK Tourist Visa Processing

Travel Insurance for the United Kingdom

What types of UK visas are there?

Types of British Visa

Visas for the Family

Family Reunion Visa Ancestry Visa Settlement Visa

Returning Resident Visa

Transit Visa Investor Visa

Entrepreneur Visa

Graduate Entrepreneur Visa Work Visa Study Visa

Visitor Visa

Marriage Visa

Tourist Visa

Medical Visa

Spouse Visa

How long can I visit the United Kingdom without a visa?

Under the United Kingdom’s new points-based immigration system, you can continue to visit the country without a visa. In most situations, you can remain for up to six months.

Can I acquire a UK Visa on Arrival?

No, there is no Visa on Arrival option for Nigerian passport holders coming to the United Kingdom at this time.

www.samigration.com

10 best places to retire in the world (including South Africa)

Lastly, Uruguay is famous for its beaches, beef and brilliant soccer, but it’s making a name for itself as a hotspot for retirees, too. It’s one of the few South American countries with an easy application process for visas and residency permits. Cost of living is notably low, while the quality of lifestyle is high.

This is my South Africa. This is my home. This is a place worth fighting for.

Daily Maverick | 28 Nov 2022

My South Africa is about its incredible people, the sights, sounds, music, smells and tastes. The stuff you only find here and nowhere else.

My South African is about a new democracy still struggling to find its feet and its voice. The heroes of the past and the activists of the present. The builders, not the breakers.

My South Africa is abundantly rich under the soil and above it. In minerals, in resources, in spaces and places, in fertile land. In people. The stuff the world wants and that we have.

My South Africa is about kindness, warmth, ubuntu. Generous people. Creative people. People who want crime to stop and to move from hope into a better reality. The ever-patient parents who just want their kids to be safe. Who themselves want to be safe.

My South Africa is the music of Hugh Masekela, Johnny Clegg, David Kramer, Brenda Fassie, Miriam Makeba, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and more. Much more. The clicks, the clacks, the rhythm, the minstrels, the drums and our unique beat. The sounds you only really hear here. That come from here. That tell our story.

My South Africa is braaivleis, bobotie, bunny chow, koeksisters, chakalaka and umnqushu. Jungle Oats and Maltabella. Mielies. Pap en wors. Our flavours. Rotis, melktert, potjies. This is home. Our food.

My South Africa is the World Cup-winning Bokke, our Wafcon-winning Banyana Banyana, the brilliant Proteas, our ever-hopeful Bafana Bafana, our Olympian swimmers and gold medallists, our incredible Blitzbokke. A barefoot Zola, a diminutive Baby Jakes, an incredible Caster. Our fate-defying heroes on the field and off.

My South Africa is a home to world class businesses in banking, finance, technology, mining, agriculture, automotive and manufacturing. Medical, the first heart transplant. A continent-leading infrastructure that now needs saving and repairing, and begging to be fixed.

My South Africa is the bush, the wide-open plains, the crashing ocean and deep, unique smell of our sea air, because of our kelp. The mountains and our trees. Our lions, giraffes, elephants, lions, leopards and cheetahs. Our warthogs and aardvarks. The animals who chose this land and stayed. The animals that people come from all over the world to see.

My South Africa is one of Struggle heroes, a people who said no to tyranny, a people who want a better life. A people who want jobs. A people who want a government that cares. Truly cares. One that solves unemployment through job creation. And restores and returns hope to our wonderful people. Ever-patient. Resilient and creative. Restless.

My country is about all of this – and more. My South Africa, a place that embraced my Lithuanian great-grandfather when he stepped off a boat in 1897 when his own country rejected him, and his new country embraced him.

My country, where my Polish grandmother arrived in 1930 not speaking a word of English, while her family who stayed behind were murdered by the Nazis and their neighbours. 

A place of acceptance, diversity and multiculturalism.

A place where we found a new start, new beginnings. Our home for 125 years. A place that’s in my blood, my cells, my nose, my ears, my sight and touch. This is my South Africa.

And as I woke up this morning – for all her challenges, for all her struggles, for all we still need to do, to fix, to build, to fight against, to stand for, to create and save – I woke up happy to be here. To be home, my home, our home.

A place worth fighting for. A place rich in opportunity. For all of us. Each of us who call this our home.