Bangladeshi national arrested at OR Tambo International Airport while attempting to leave SA with fraudulent passport

IOL – 14  May  2022

Pretoria - In an ongoing clampdown on the use of fraudulent South African documents, a Bangladeshi national was arrested while trying to leave the country on Wednesday night via the OR Tambo International Airport with a fraudulent South Africa passport.

“We have traced where this passport was issued and which corrupt home affairs official issued it. The corrupt official who issued it is one of those who are on the radar of the department’s counter corruption branch, hence another arrest is imminent,” said Home Affairs Minister Motsoaledi.

Upon further investigation, the department has uncovered that the Bangladeshi national applied for asylum in December 2015, and his application was rejected “because he is definitely not in need of asylum”.

He has been appealing through the “elaborate” appeals system in South Africa ever since.

Motsoaledi highlighted that the Bangladeshi national was found in possession of a travel permit purportedly issued by the “Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh” recently, in April.

“The significance of this is that an asylum seeker cannot have any document issued by the country of origin because they are supposed to have ran away from there. The department of home affairs is extremely concerned about the abuse of the asylum system of our country.

“We will not tire or be dissuaded from fighting to eliminate corruption in all areas of home affairs, whether perpetrated by a foreign national or a South African. We will continue arresting all of them,” said the minister.

www,samigration.com

Expect big travel changes coming in South Africa, including a new ID system

Btechhub – 12/5/2022

The Department of Home Affairs is working on a number of new technologies which it says will help speed up travel times.

In its recently tabled annual performance plan for 2022/2023, the department said this will include the introduction of new biometric solutions at both the country’s airports and land borders.

The country is also introducing new visas and an e-gate systems which are expected to cut down on processing time.

Biometric Movement Control System (BMCS)

The department is in the process of developing a Biometric Movement Control System (BMCS) which will enable the capturing of fingerprint and facial biometric data of all travellers who enter or exit South Africa.

This will be built onto the existing live capture platform and be rolled out at 34 ports of entry across the country, it said.

While the list of identified ports of entry is subject to change, the system is expected to roll out at the major airport and land borders including:

• OR Tambo International Airport;
• Cape Town International Airport;
• King Shaka International Airport;
• Lanseria International Airport;
• Beit Bridge;
• Lebombo (including KM 7 and 4);
• Maseru Bridge;
• Ficksburg;
• Oshoek;
• Kopfontein;
• Caledonspoort;
• Ramatlabama.

E-gates and trusted passenger system

The department is currently piloting e-gates at Cape Town International Airport aimed at improving passenger processing times and experience whilst maintaining the security and integrity of the country’s borders.

The goal is to expand these e-gates to the country’s other major international airports alongside the introduction of a new passenger name record system.

The passenger name record system will be used to identify unknown threats based on passenger profiles, and the advanced passenger processing system is used to identify known suspects (for example, those on stop and watchlists).

For the e-gates pilot at Cape Town International Airport, South African passport holders travelling internationally will proceed to e-gates for self-service immigration clearance where the following is performed:

• Biometric verification;
• Passport authenticity and validity checks;
• Checks against the BMCS risk engine; and
• The BMCS will record the movements of persons on the system after all system checks have been successfully performed.

Home Affairs said that the e-gates project will help address the key issue of traveller identification management, which is at the heart of secure and facilitated travel.

Visas 

The department plans to expand both its traditional visa and e-visa systems in the coming years which will make it easier for tourists and business travellers to enter the country.

It noted that the tourist module of the e-Visa has been activated in 14 countries thus far, including China, India, Kenya and Nigeria.

“The e-Visa system will see tourists and visitors to South Africa applying for their visas online, the applications sent to a central adjudication hub for approval whilst applicants sit in the comfort of their homes. This will result in the issuing of virtual visas,” the department said.

“This paperless virtual visa will combat visa fraud and open South Africa as a desirable destination and the e-Visa system will have huge tourism growth implications for the country.”

As announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his state of the nation address, the department said it will also streamline and modernise the visa application process to make it easier to travel to South Africa for the purposes of tourism, business and work.

“A comprehensive review of the work visa regime is currently underway and includes exploring the possibility of new visa categories that could enable economic growth, such as a startup visa and remote working visa,” it said.

www.smigration.com

Look what immigration police officers were doing in Diepsloot last night

Opera News – 12 May 2022

With our any reasonable doubt, fear or favour, it is clear now that operation Dudula had made the sleeping departments to wake up with immediate effect and start working.

Fe weeks ago in Diepsloot, Gauteng province, Operation Dudula engaged with a war between them as South Africans and foreigners.

This is were more than eight people lost their lives. Different ministers such as Minister of South Africa Police service, General Bheki Cele and Minister of home affairs in the republic of South Africa, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi had to visit that township to have some community meeting with South Africans.

Now immigration police have been deployed in that Township, working alongside police of the republic of South Africa, checking documents and arresting all those who don't have papers.

www.samigration.com

Operation Vulindlela: Too early for congratulations, says business

Fin24 – 12 May 2022.

• Government says eight of its 26 Operation Vulindlela reforms are completed. 
• The aim of the reforms is to improve the investment environment.
• But business warns that even successful reforms are still tied up in red tape.

Operation Vulindlela - the joint delivery unit in the Presidency and National Treasury established to speed up economic reform - has made some progress, says Business Unity SA (BUSA), but the impact is limited as reforms remain trapped in red tape. 

There is a broad consensus that the business environment requires structural reforms to encourage new investment. The unit has five objectives, with specific reforms linked to each.

The objectives are to:

• Stabilise the electricity supply;
• Reduce costs of digital communication;
• Create a sustainable water supply;
• Introduce competitive and efficient freight transport; and
• Establish a visa regime that attracts skills and grows tourism.

The unit published a report on Monday showing that of the 26 reforms it tracks, eight are complete, 11 are on track, five are a cause for concern, and two are facing serious implementation problems.

But organised business has warned that ticking off reforms on the list does not mean the blockage has been resolved. 

CEO Cas Coovadia in a statement on Monday said:

"We believe Operation Vulindlela has done excellent work and we note the reforms marked as 'completed'…However, Operation Vulindlela is not mandated to ensure different departments in government use the reforms to implement necessary actions to enable the private sector to drive business."

Coovadia pointed to the lifting of the licensing threshold for embedded electricity (or self-) generation projects from 1 MW to 100 MW as one where - despite the change to the regulators - projects were still stuck in the works due to red tape imposed by the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa). As an alternative to licensing, Nersa has registration requirements that are so onerous that projects cannot move ahead. 

Since August last year when regulations changed, only four of 58 projects, mainly from the mining industry, have been registered. 

"We welcomed the announcement by President Ramaphosa of the raising of the ceiling to 100 MW. However, private sector generators of power are still hampered by inappropriate processes and regulations in Nersa, which make it difficult to act on the reform. We find similar issues with the critical skills list and other reforms. The issue is thus the capability and commitment of government departments to clear red tape hampering business leveraging off the reforms," he said.

The critical skills list is issued under the Immigration Act and provides people with "critical skills" to apply for a visa. But the list has been criticised for being very limited, for instance, it does not acknowledge a shortage of medical skills. 

The list approach is also highly restrictive and skilled immigration is unlikely to open up based on this policy approach. Vulindlela has on its list a complete overhaul of skilled visa policy, a reform that the progress report says is "in progress and on track".

On the list of completed reforms are:

• The raising of the licensing threshold to 100 MW;
• The successful adjudication of a new round of bids from independent power producers in bid window 5;
• The announcement of bid window 6;
• Preparations by municipalities to procure their own independent power;
• The establishment by Eskom of an independent power transmission company;
• The publication of the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill to enable the emergence of a competitive energy market;
• A successful auction of broadband spectrum; and
• The reinstatement of reports that monitor water quality. 

The two biggest problems are in the energy sector. The first is the so-called emergency power procurement or risk mitigation procurement, which is bogged down in litigation and compliance issues around local content. The second is Eskom’s goal to reach a 70% energy availability factor, which has not come close to materialising.

www.samigration.com

South Africa Working Visas

South Africa seeks highly skilled individuals to live and work in SA.

SA Migration Services will provide professional assistance to arrange your work visa for you if you qualify.

Work Visas are regulated in terms of Section 19, Regulation 18 and items 18 (1), 19(2), 20, 21 and 22, of Schedule A.

There are three common types of Work Visas:

• General Work Visa
• Inter Company Transfer Visa
• Critical Skills Visa

General Work Visa

Under the General Work Visa there are very strict requirements. The South African government, although trying to promote work and trade in South Africa, recognize the need to give South Africans the chance to obtain employment ahead of any foreigner.

You will have to prove that you are the only person who can fill that position and that no other South African can play that role. This is done by placing an advert in a national newspaper advertising the position.

A Department of Labour report would need to be obtained.

You will also need to have a job offer/contract from your future employer.

The most important part of the process is skills assessment by SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority) in SA which evaluates your formal qualifications and compares them to a SA qualification. This process is mandatory and for this we would need your academic transcripts and award diplomas. Note under the regulations provision is made for the recognition of work experience in the absence of formal qualifications and this therefore makes provision recognition of prior work experience (RPL).

This is a paper based system which merely compares the foreign qualifications and arrives at an equivalent qualification in SA, and if qualified in SA then no SAQA needed.

Next your employer has to prove that you are the only person that can fill the position and no other South African can fill that role. This is done by placing an advert in a national newspaper advertising the position.

Please note the work Visa is issued in the name of the employer so the person is tied to the employer. If they change the job they will require a new work Visa.

There is some good news for people who are qualified through work experience only and they can qualify if they don’t require formal qualifications, ie SAQA.

Inter Company Transfer Visa

An intra-company transfer work Visa may be issued by the Department to a foreigner who is employed abroad by a business operating in the Republic in a branch, subsidiary or affiliate relationship and who by reason of his or her employment is required to conduct work in the Republic.

An important factor is that the applicant has to have been employed with the company abroad for a period of not less than 6 months.

The Intra company transfer is not designed to be a long term visa. The idea is to bring in foreign workers employed by the company abroad with a branch or subsidiary branch here in South Africa; they work or conduct training for four years, and then return home.

This Visa does not require the hassle of proving the company could not find suitable applicants and it does not require the hassle of verifying an applicant’s formal qualifications. It is based purely on employment. If you are a company that needs to transfer in foreign employers, please contact us and we will make this go as smoothly as possible.

It is important to note that this category of work Visa cannot be granted for more than four (4) years and this type of Visa is not extendable.

Critical Skills Work Visa

The Critical Skills Visa South Africa is for skilled workers whose occupation is on the Critical Skills Visa List for South Africa. This list reflects the occupations that are in demand in South Africa.

The newly published "Skills or qualifications determined to be critical for the Republic of South Africa in relation to an application for a Critical Skills Visa or Permanent Residence Visa"

This category of work visa may be issued to an applicant who falls within a specific professional category or specific occupational class determined by the Minister by notice in the Government Gazette. This is done after consultation with the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Trade and Industry.

If an applicant falls within one of the professional categories listed on the critical skills list and also has the appropriate post qualification working experience in that profession then such applicant may qualify to apply for this category of work Visa.

The applicant also needs to where applicable register with the relevant South African professional accreditation body regulating that industry as stipulated by Minister of Home Affairs. Such body must also confirm the applicant’s skills, qualifications and working experience.

Furthermore, such applicant’s qualifications need to be evaluated relevant to a South African level. An applicant for a Critical Skills Visa may enter South Africa on such visa without having secured a job offer first. It is, however, required of the applicant to confirm employment with the Department of Home Affairs within a period of one (1) year upon arrival in South Africa, failing which, the Visa would automatically lapse.

The Critical Skills Work Visa is tied to an individual and not to an employer so under this Visa a person can leave from one employer to the next without obtaining a new work Visa.

www.samigration.com