Applying for a new ID or passport? Heres how you can track your Smart ID card or passport application progress with the Department of Home Affairs simple track and trace system.Track And Trace SMS SystemTo track your application, send an SMS with the word ID,followed by a space and your 13-digit ID number, to 32551. For passport applications, use P instead. Each SMS costs R1. Alternatively, you can call the Contact Centre at 0800 60 11 90.Home Affairs offices operate from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 15:30 pm. They also open on Saturdays from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. On the last Wednesday of each month, they open from 9 am to 15:30 pm.Improved ID Track-and-Trace SystemThe Department of Home Affairs has implemented a nationwide ID track-and-trace system. This system follows every application from submission to delivery. It helps managers monitor productivity and identify issues more efficiently.Enhanced Customer ExperienceThe system, developed by external IT experts and government officials, reduces waiting times and opportunities for corruption. Each official is accountable for every step, ensuring transparency and security. This new process cuts down on the chances of illegal activities, such as fraudulent IDs and altered records.Reducing Processing TimesCurrently, it takes just 14 working days from the date of application to receive your Smart ID. The department aims to streamline these processes, improving turnaround times with better-trained staff and upgraded technology.Did You Know? eHomeAffairs Simplifies ApplicationsThe Department of Home Affairs offers eHomeAffairs, an online platform that simplifies the Smart ID application process. South African citizens born in the country can benefit from this service, which provides several convenient features.Key Features of eHomeAffairsYou can perform the following tasks online:    Submit Smart ID and passport applications.    Make secure online payments.    Book appointments at participating Home Affairs branches.Although you can start the process online, visiting a branch is mandatory. This visit ensures biometric details like your photo, fingerprints, and signature are captured or verified.Easy Registration ProcesseHomeAffairs offers a flexible and secure application environment. To apply:    Create a profile.    Capture your application.    Attach supporting documents.    Make a payment.    Schedule an appointment at selected bank branches or Home Affairs offices.You can also complete your application and save it for submission later. This allows flexibility if you need more time to gather documents or finalise details.Future ImprovementsWhile the system is not yet perfect, officials believe it will significantly reduce queues and enhance customer satisfaction. Home Affairs is committed to addressing bottlenecks and delivering faster results.Citizens who have applied for their Smart ID cards or passports should use the tracking system to confirm their availability.Have You Used The Track And Trace System And Does It Work?

How and where does SA Migration get involved ( where do we make money ) 1)New Refugee Applications  New Comers2)Rejections  Manifest Unfounded 3)Abandoned Asylum Seeker4)Judicial Review for Final Rejection and / or Order to Leave 5)Indefinite Refugee Application6)Permanent residence via Indefinite Refugee Status Definitions of commonly used terms2.1 Asylum: Refugee status recognised in terms of the Refugees Act 130 of 1998 (the Refugees Act). It is the legal protection granted by the Government to someone who has left their home country as a refugee. 2.2 Asylum seeker: An asylum-seeker is someone who claims that he or she is a refugee, but whose claim has not yet been definitively evaluated by the relevant government agencies. 2.3 Economic migrant: An economic migrant is an individual who leaves their country due to economic hardship. Such an individual does not, on economic grounds alone, qualify for refugee protection.2.4 Foreigner: In terms of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002 (the Immigration Act) a foreigner means an individual who is neither a citizen nor a resident, but is not an illegal foreigner.2.5 Illegal foreigner: An illegal foreigner means a foreigner who is in South Africa in contravention of  the Immigration Act and includes a prohibited person. Illegal foreigners therefore constitute a limited category of people. An illegal foreigner is either a prohibited person or a person who comes into the country or who tries to enter without any permit or any consent or authorisation.2.6 Internally displaced person: Internally displaced persons are persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalised violence, violations of human rights or natural or human made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognised State border. Unlike refugees, IDPs have not crossed an international order to find sanctuary but have remained inside their home countries. Even if they have fled for similar reasons as refugees (armed conflict, generalised violence, human rights violations), IDPs legally remain under the protection of their own government  even though that government might be the cause of their flight.2.7 Lindela: The Lindela Repatriation Centre is a detention centre for undocumented migrants. It is situated in Krugersdorp, Gauteng.2.8 Migrant: A migrant is a person who moves from one place to another in order to find work or better  living conditions. A migrant is a person who, for reasons other than those contained in the definition  of refugee, voluntarily leaves their country in order to take up residence elsewhere. 2.9 Prohibited person: A prohibited person is someone who, in terms of section 29 of the Immigration Act, does not qualify for a temporary or permanent residence permit because of infection with an infectious disease; anyone against whom a warrant is outstanding or a conviction has been secured in South Africa or a foreign country with which South Africa has regular diplomatic relations in respect of genocide, terrorism, murder, torture, drug trafficking, money laundering or kidnapping; anyone previously deported and not rehabilitated by the Department; a member of or adherent to an association or organisation advocating the practice of racial hatred or social violence;and anyone who is or has been a member of or adherent to an organisation or association utilising crime or terrorism to pursue its end. 2.10 Refugee: Refugee status is not a status that is granted by states. It is rather recognised by them.  person is a refugee within the meaning of the 1951 Convention (and in the South African context, section 3 of the Refugees Act) as soon as he or she fulfils the criteria contained in the definition. This would occur prior to the time at which their refugee status is formally determined. Recognition of his  or her refugee status does not therefore make him or her a refugee but declares them to be one. He or she does not have refugee status because of recognition, but because he or she is a refugee. 2.11 Refugee Appeal Board: The Refugee Appeal Board is the board established by section 12 of the Refugees Act. The RAB responsible to hear and make decisions of failed asylum seekers applications, wishing to appeal the decision of the RSDO. In terms of section 13 of the Refugees Act, the Board is made up of a chairperson and at least two other members. 2.12 Standing Committee for Refugee Affairs: The Standing Committee is established by section 9 of the Refugees Act. It is an independent committee which must function without bias and must be independent. It consists of a chairperson and a number of other members as determined by the Minister. The powers and duties of the SCRA, which include amongst other things formulating and implementing procedures for granting asylum and reviewing decisions of RSDOs, are set out in section 11 of the Refugees Act. 2.13 Refugee Reception Office: A Refugee Reception Office is an office established under section 8(1) of the Refugees Act. It is the office which processes applications for asylum, accepts or rejects such applications and at which asylum seeker permits are renewed. Each RRO must consist of at least one Refugee Reception Officer and one Refugee Status Determination Officer. 2.14 Refugee Reception Officer: A Refugee Reception Officer is the officer employed by the DHA and who is situated at a Refugee Reception Office. Such an officer is referred to in section 8(2) of the Refugees Act. The Refugee Reception Officer conducts the first interview with the asylum seeker on lodgement of an application for asylum. 2.15 Refugee Status Determination Officer: The Refugee Status Determination Officer an officer employed by the DHA and who is situated at the Refugee Reception Office. Such an officer is referred to in section 8(2) of the Refugees Act. The RSDO conducts the second interview with an asylum seeker prior to the expiry of his or her section 22 permit. Following an adjudication process, the RSDO makes a decision to grant or reject the application for asylum. 2.16 Section 22 permit: An asylum seeker permit issued in terms of section 22 of the Refugees Act pending the outcome of an application for asylum in terms of section 21(1) of the Act. 2.17 Section 24 permit: A permit issued to a formally recognised refugee after asylum is granted by an RSDO. 2.18 Section 27 certification: A certification process done by the SCRA, on application by a refugee, to certify that the refugee will remain as such indefinitely. Such certification is required for a refugee to apply for permanent residency. 2.19 Undesirable Persons: An undesirable person is a foreigner declared undesirable in terms of section 30 of the Immigration Act by the Department of Home Affairs who or is likely to become a public charge; anyone identified as such; anyone who has been judicially declared incompetent; a rehabilitated insolvent; anyone who has been ordered to depart from South Africa; anyone who is a fugitive from justice; and anyone with a previous criminal conviction without the option of a fine forconduct which would be an offence in South Africa.

On 1 December 2023, the former Minister of Home Affairs (Minister), Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, announced his decision to grant an exemption to foreign nationals in possession of either a Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) or a Lesotho Exemption Permit (LEP). At a glance On 1 December 2023, the validity of Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEPs) and Lesotho Exemption Permits (LEPs) was extended from 29 November 2023 to 29 November 2024.All ZEP and LEP holders are accordingly allowed to continue working and residing in South Africa until at least 29 November 2024, unless they obtain new exemption permits that will allow them to reside and work in South Africa as if they were permanent residents until 29 November 2025. It remains to be seen whether current Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, will extend their status after 29 November 2024.In terms of the announcement, the Minister extended the validity of ZEPs and LEPs for an additional period of 12 months i.e. from 29 November 2023 to 29 November 2024, which decision was gazetted on 4 December 2023. The purpose of this extension was to allow holders of a ZEP or LEP an opportunity to apply for a new exemption permit that would be issued with an expiry date of 29 November 2025.All ZEP and LEP holders are accordingly allowed to continue working and residing in South Africa until at least 29 November 2024, unless they obtain new exemption permits that will allow them to reside and work in South Africa as if they were permanent residents until 29 November 2025.What this means for employers is that should ZEP or LEP holders not have applied for and obtained an extension of their respective permit, they will not be legally authorised to work in South Africa after 29 November 2024 unless they fall withing the category of ZEP holders who have pending waiver and visa applications.It remains to be seen whether current Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, will extend their status after 29 November 2024.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has introduced a rule to deliver the outcomes of visa waiver applications digitally via email, marking a significant step towards the department of Home Affair`s (DHA) digital transformation.This initiative follows Schreibers recent alert regarding the critical condition of the department, which he has flagged as a national security issue.In his address to Parliaments portfolio committee on Home Affairs last week, Schreiber emphasised the pressing need for a thorough digital overhaul within the department.He pointed out that the problems confronting the DHA extend beyond administrative concerns and reflect a more profound systemic crisis.The minister called on Parliament to back the proposed digital transformation as an essential step to ensure national security. Schrieber said the first phase of this rollout targets holders of Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs), who will now receive their waiver application outcomes digitally, effective immediately. Over time, this digital-first approach will be extended to other applicants within the visa and permit regime. This means that applicants will no longer need to visit a DHA branch to collect physical, paper-based copies of their waiver letters. Instead, they will receive digital waiver letters in PDF format through email, which can be used to submit mainstream visa applications, he said.While this step on its own may be a small one, it is still meaningful as part of our larger quest to clamp down on corruption and enhance efficiency of services by transforming Home Affairs into a digital-first department. This simple embrace of a digital approach to processing waivers has also significantly accelerated our work to clear the permitting backlog that dates back a decade, which started out at over 306,000 unprocessed applications.According to Schreiber, the digital transformation has already led to the effective processing of 60,582 outstanding ZEP waiver applications, many of which date back to 2022.Another 22,529 ZEP waiver applications are set to be processed soon, further reducing the backlog and freeing up valuable resources in a department that has been financially gutted to the point of having only 40% of the staff resources. This step illustrates our absolute determination to use technology to do more with the little we have, he said.Dwayne Esau, spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs, reassured applicants about the new process.We understand that some applicants might be wary of receiving their outcomes digitally via email, but we want to assure them that this method is secure and reliable. However, for those who still prefer to collect hard copies of their ZEP waiver letters at branches, that option remains available.

The short answer
Here is how to apply for a critical skills visa.

The whole question
I have been an asylum seeker for 13 years.
I saw an article on GroundUp that asylum seekers can apply for permanent residence or other forms of permits.  I have a certificate in telecommunications.
How do I go about this?

The long answer
The Constitutional Court ruled in 2018 that any foreigner, including refugees and asylum seekers, could apply for temporary or permanent residence, and that this could be granted if the person fulfilled the requirements of the Immigration Act.

A person applying for permanent residence can apply from inside the country; a person applying for temporary residence has to apply from outside of the country, but you can get an exemption from this by applying to Home Affairs. (This is called a Waiver of Regulation 9(5)). VSF Global, the company that processes applications for Home Affairs, says that it will immediately accept submissions at all their offices for exemptions from having to apply for temporary residence from outside the country. A temporary residence visa includes a study visa, a business visa, a critical skills visa and a spousal visa. All of these will have different qualifications.
To apply for Temporary or Permanent Residency, you need to have the following documents ready:
•    Proof of residence or spousal citizenship in South Africa
•    Government issued Marriage Certificate (if you are married)
•    A letter of support from the partner that holds citizenship/permanent residency
•    Proof of current mental records and well-being
•    A completed temporary or permanent residency application form

To apply for a critical skills visa, you need to apply online through VFS Global.
You will need to prove that you qualify for the critical skills visa by showing that your occupation is on the critical skills list.

This is what is on the critical skills 2019 list under Information Technology and Communication:
CISCO Solution Specialist Network Analyst CISCO Engineers Integrated Developers (PHP, Perl, Java ) System Integration Specialist Data Centre Operations IT Security Specialist Enterprise Architecture Microsoft System Engineers AV Specialists (Anti-virus) Network Specialist (Security) Database Specialists Desktop Support Engineer Network Controllers Solutions Architects in Telecommunications and ICT 5.

You will need to submit a birth certificate, a medical certificate and a radiological certificate (to prove that you don’t have TB). Both the medical and radiological certificates must not be older than six months.

Your passport must be valid for 30 days after your current permit expires.
VSF will submit your application to Home Affairs and they will process it, which is supposed to take about eight to ten weeks, though it could well take longer. You will be notified by VSF to collect the outcome.
If you succeed, the critical skills visa will be valid for up to five years, though you will have to find employment within the first twelve months and notify Home Affairs of this. Once you have completed five years of employment, you can apply for a permanent resident visa.