The short answer
To be on the safe side, perhaps it would be wise to apply for temporary visas for the family, as well as permanent residence for the whole family, you included.

The whole question
I hold a temporary visa. Can I apply for permanent residence from my home country so that I can apply together with my family? Does my family need to have temporary visas first or can they just apply for permanent residency at the same time as me?

The long answer
In answer to this question: Can my accompanying family apply for permanent residence with me at the same time? samigration . says the following:
“Yes, as long as the applications of the whole family are submitted at the same time then the immediate accompanying family of foreigners applying for permanent residence may apply together. Should the applications not be submitted at the same time, the accompanying family will need to wait for the successful outcome of the main applicant’s permanent residence application to be in a position to apply for permanent residence as his or her immediate family. The foreign spouse of a permanent resident applicant is only eligible to apply for permanent residence having been espoused for at least 5 years.”

As a temporary residence permit has to be renewed online at VFS Global, 60 days before it expires, Sa Migration adds, “In the first instance, it is possible in most cases, for the individual to apply for permanent residency at the same time they apply for temporary residency. The Department of Home Affairs currently has a backlog of permanent residency applications and therefore the processing of these can take anywhere between 12 and 30 months. However, in many cases the permanent residency will be issued before the temporary residency expires, therefore negating the issue of an expired temporary visa.”
As you know, a temporary visa holder can apply for permanent residence after five years of staying in South Africa on the basis of a work permit. It is possible to apply for permanent residency) from outside South Africa as well as within South Africa.

But as Home Affairs says that the permanent residency permit “is also applicable to spouses and dependents of South African citizens/permanent residence permit holders” (my emphasis), it is not clear to me whether the accompanying family must first apply for temporary visas or not. To be on the safe side, perhaps it would be wise to take Intergate Immigration’s tip and apply for temporary visas for the family, as well as permanent residence for the whole family including the main holder of the temporary visa at the same time.

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Are you looking to expand your business, invest in a new market, or simply experience the vibrant culture of South Africa? Look no further! Our team is excited to introduce you to the various visa options available in South Africa, tailored to meet your unique needs and goals.

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Long-term net migration to the UK fell by 50% in 2024, official data showed on Thursday, as fewer people arrived on work and study visas after rule changes to cut the number of arrivals.

Net migration — an estimate of the number of people migrating to Britain minus those leaving — dropped to 431,000 from 860,000 in 2023, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

The data will offer some relief to Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who earlier in May promised to reduce migration significantly over the next four years, under pressure from Nigel Farage's right-wing, anti-immigration Reform UK party.
Starmer became prime minister in July 2024. The Conservative Party, in government before Starmer's election, said the decrease reflected changes to visa rules they brought in.

The government welcomed the drop and said changes announced earlier this month would drive net migration lower.
The ONS said the change was driven by lower immigration from countries outside the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. In recent years this category has included high numbers of people from India, Nigeria and Pakistan.

“We are seeing reductions in people arriving on work- and study-related visas and an increase in emigration over the 12 months to December 2024,” the ONS said.
It noted international students who came to the UK in large numbers when Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions were lifted were now leaving the country as their visas expired.

Data released by the ONS last year showed net migration reached a record high of 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
Anger over immigration — by legal and illegal means — has dominated the UK's political agenda for more than a decade, driving its vote to leave the EU in 2016 and pushing successive governments to find new ways to cut the numbers.

Nevertheless, with an ageing population and skills shortages across the economy, Britain's economy still relies heavily upon migrant workers.
In March, UK budget forecasters cited an expected slowdown in net migration as a factor driving a reduction in its economic growth forecast for 2025.
Thursday's data showed a 49% fall in immigration for work and a decrease of 17% in those seeking to study. The number of dependents from both categories also dropped sharply.

In 2023, the Conservative government raised the minimum salary threshold for foreign skilled workers and made it harder for workers and students to bring their families with them.

A new digital visa scheme piloted by the home affairs department has drawn more than 11,000 tourists from China and India to South Africa in three months, with officials hailing it as a breakthrough for tourism and job creation.

Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber announced that since the launch of the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) in late February, a total of 11,144 tourists have obtained digital visas to visit South Africa.
The scheme, which operates in partnership with 65 tour operators, is aimed at addressing the long-standing visa challenges faced by travellers from two of the world's most populous countries.

“It is important to note that TTOS is still just a small-scale proof of concept,” said Schreiber. “But after three months of operation it is already clear that it has been a resounding success.”
According to the minister, the initiative has seen consistent growth in visa applications, with the daily average increasing from 50 in March to 135 in April and 210 in May.

“These are tourists who otherwise would not have come to South Africa, given the challenges previously experienced with obtaining visas for tour groups from China and India,” said Schreiber.

Operation Vulindlela, which monitors progress in key structural reforms, found one job is created for every 13 tourists visiting the country. Based on this ratio, TTOS has already helped create an estimated 857 new tourism jobs since February.
Previously, tourists from China and India were required to travel long distances to apply for visas, often receiving outcomes too late to travel. Under TTOS, visa outcomes are delivered digitally within hours through a secure online platform.

Schreiber highlighted that last year's total number of tourists from China to South Africa stood at just more than 30,000, making the 11,000 brought in through TTOS in only three months “almost a third of all tourists from China who visited South Africa last year”.
“The success of TTOS demonstrates the enormous growth potential we can unlock by rolling out a digital-only visa platform — not only for group travel from these 65 partners but for every tourist in the world.

The minister confirmed plans to expand the scheme with a second intake of tour operators and rollout of a broader Electronic Travel Authorisation system later this year.

“This system will digitalise and automate tourism and short-stay visas, enabling every tourist on earth who wants to visit South Africa to instantly and securely obtain a digital visa,” said Schreiber.
“Not only will this eliminate fraud and inefficiency, but, as TTOS demonstrates beyond doubt, it will amount to the single biggest reform to boost job creation in the tourism sector in decades.”

The short answer
You need to find some proof that you were born in South Africa and that at least one of your parents was South African.

The whole question
My friend does not have a birth certificate, so he cannot get an ID. He has no parents or family to vouch for him, and the school that he went to says all the records got destroyed when they rebuilt. He wants to get married, so what can he do?

The long answer
Does your friend have any documents at all about his birth – a clinic card? The name of the clinic? The year? And any documents about the death of his parents? Did he have a guardian or foster parent that brought him up? The name of his school? He should try to find whatever he can by way of documents to prove that he was born in South Africa and that at least one of his parents was South African, as that would prove that he is South African and is entitled to an ID.

Because he will need a birth certificate to apply for an ID, he should apply for a birth certificate in late registration of birth. It is a long and difficult process, especially as his parents are no longer alive. As he is older than 15 years, he would need to provide the following documents to Home Affairs (DHA):
Obviously, he won’t have all these documents, but he must scrape together whatever documentary proof of his existence he has, and his application must still be accepted and considered by Home Affairs in terms of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA). This Act says that everyone in South Africa is entitled to administrative action that is lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair.

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Contact SA Migration today to schedule a free consultation. With 25 years of experience and full compliance with the Department of Home Affairs, Labour, SAPS, and Courts, we’re here to ensure your success.
📞 WhatsApp: +27 82 373 8415
📧 Email: info@samigration.com
🌐 Website: www.samigration.com
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