New UAE visit visa for jobs: Get entry permit without sponsor

Khaleej Times - 25 Apr 2022

The special visa for job seekers provides a win-win situation for all stakeholders related to the job market.

The UAE's new visa rule would assist the government in finding fresh talent, help job seekers save time, and provide companies with increased flexibility in their human resource (HR) practices.

The new type of entry visa, titled 'explore job opportunities', by the government provides easy entry for young talents and skilled workers to explore new job opportunities without requiring a host or sponsor in the UAE.

The change was among many new visa rules approved by the UAE Cabinet. Previously, several hundreds of thousands of employment seekers arrived in the UAE on a visit visa searching for future jobs. Furthermore, it is illegal for companies to employ workers while on tourist visas.

Deepa Sud, the CEO of Plum Jobs, said the UAE government has opened up the country to welcome new talent into the country.“It is evident they are looking for potential talent across sectors. They encourage more people to come here and look for jobs and make the UAE their long-term home. The new visa simplifies formalities.”

She added,“With this, all sectors are set to benefit. New businesses, the telecommunication sector, the immigration department, the Dubai Metro, the real estate sector, airlines, etc. It is a win-win for all parties.”

Sud said in a post-pandemic world; there is a shortage of skilled workers.“Such visas provide the next generation of job seekers a friendly environment to find their niche. It gives them a little more freedom, and since the process is cost-effective and hassle-free, it makes it a lot more effective.”

Commenting on the time constraint and short deadlines job seekers face, Huma Afreen, a human resource specialist at the Transnational Academic Group, said,“In the recruitment cycle, the time has often been a constraint in the past. Having more flexibility toward visa options would help attract many young and skilled candidates worldwide, improving the quality of our talent pool.”

The company facilities human resource requirement for Curtin University, Dubai.“And from a candidate's perspective, the new rules give them sufficient time and flexibility to find a job they are happy with, at the right level, pay and so on,” Huma added.

Athul Mohan, a job seeker currently in Dubai on a visit visa, said,“I came to the UAE for the first time in 2020, and Covid-19 hit. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything at that time. I came back last month to try my luck here again.”

A mechanical engineer, Athul is still on the lookout for a job. He said,“A visa specifically made for job-seeking purposes puts people like me in an advantageous position. Things would be more streamlined, and companies would treat us with better respect.”

www.samigration.com

Teacher shortage to worsen after home affairs cancels Zim exemption permits

Sunday Times Live – 25 April 2022

Almost 200,000 Zimbabwean nationals will be affected and they don’t hold much hope of getting the relevant visa

The pending exodus of Zimbabwean teachers is set to hit South African schools. 

The teachers are part of the 200 000 Zimbabweans who hold the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit. The permits will not be renewed by the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced at the end of 2021 that extensions to the permits would not be granted and the affected Zimbabwean nationals would be allowed until the end of this year to get visas.

He said 178,412 Zimbabwean nationals had been granted exemption permits. They now have to apply for a visitor’s visa or a business, relative’s, spousal, critical skills work or general work visa.

But Zimbabwean teachers holding exemption permits said their chances of getting a visa are slim because their employers have to prove to the department of employment & labour why South Africans with the same qualifications could not be appointed to the post.

Thembi Moyo, 36, a teacher at CityKidz, an inner-city school in Johannesburg, said: “I don’t believe my chances of getting a visa are good. They [the department of employment & labour] will need proof that no-one locally can fill the position.”

There are 12 Zimbabweans, including Moyo, at the school who have either exemption permits, special permits or asylum documents.

Moyo, who has been teaching at the school for nine years, said SA is her second home, adding: “We have a lot of parents who are happy with the Zimbabwean teachers.”

Her colleague, Pretty Ndlovu, 53, who teaches English to grade 5 pupils, said she does not know how she will manage financially if she is forced to return to Zim.

“Our country is not financially stable. I am a widow and if I go back, where will I start from? How will I survive? I don’t blame the SA government. Maybe they are running out of resources but they think we, as foreigners, are grabbing up the jobs of locals.”

www.samigration.com

Here’s how many skilled South Africans are getting residency in New Zealand

Businesstech - 25 April 2022

New data from Statistics New Zealand shows the number of South African nationals who have gained residency in the country has risen sharply in recent months as global lockdown restrictions ease.

The statistics body’s data shows that the number of South Africans who were accepted on business or skilled residency visas increased to 4,395 in December 2021, up from as few as 30 visas in September 2020 at the height of the Covid pandemic.

Similar jumps were seen in other visa categories and for other countries – indicating that New Zealand cleared a backlog in applications as travel restrictions were eased.

Around 1,580 South Africans gained residence in March 2022, indicating that some normalisation has begun to take place – although this is still well above the average 500 monthly residencies recorded pre-pandemic.

New Zealand is historically a popular destination for emigrating South Africans – typically only behind the United Kingdom and Australia. A 2021 United Nations migration report recorded approximately 73,850 South Africans living in New Zealand as of 2020 (5.3% of New Zealand’s migrant stock).

South Africans choose to move to New Zealand for numerous reasons, most notably because it is deemed safe, child-friendly, and has job opportunities.

Historically these South Africans have entered the country on residence and work visas, however, the data shows that there has also been an increase in student visa arrivals in recent years.

The New Zealand government forecasts that it will need approximately 47,000 additional workers a year well into the coming decade.

“The majority of the new jobs will be in highly skilled occupations, and it’s expected most will have to be filled by people from overseas countries – including South Africa,” it said.

“Job openings will grow for virtually every kind of work. But the largest increases will be in business services, construction/utilities, health care/social assistance and education.”

However, the country is also in the process of reviewing its general immigration policies as the country sees more workers than its infrastructure can currently accommodate.

“Immigrants make a positive contribution to New Zealand, bringing diversity and much-needed skills. As taxpayers, immigrants also have a positive impact on the Government’s finances,” the country’s productivity commission said.

“Yet, New Zealand has struggled for a long time to absorb and accommodate more people well. Infrastructure and housing supply has not kept up with rapid population growth, creating pressures that affect the wellbeing of both migrants and New Zealanders.”

www.samigration.com

South Africa plans to start tracking emigration – here’s where people are moving

Businesstech - 25 April 2022

The South African government plans to change its data collection systems to get a better idea of how many skilled South Africans are leaving the country.

The proposal, which is included in the Department of Employment and Labour’s latest National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP), notes the country has seen an outflow of valuable skills in several sectors.

It added that the emigration of skilled South Africans has not been addressed efficiently through any specific policy, and constitutes a growing problem in certain sectors.

The updated data-tracking will also allow the government and public to have reliable, up-to-date data on flows and stocks of highly skilled South Africans employed abroad and on sectors and occupations particularly affected by attrition to emigration or remigration, it said.

Historically, the Department of Home Affairs and Statistics South Africa has not published information on the number of people emigrating. However, the United Nations does keep data on migrant stock and where South Africans have emigrated.

According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ 2020 International Migrant Stock report, by the end of 2020, 914,901 South Africans were living in other countries and territories, up from 786,554 in 2015.

Three times as many people emigrated from South Africa between 2015 and 2020 – over 128,000 people – than between 2010 and 2015 (43,000 people), the data showed.

Wealthy more likely to leave 

FNB’s latest property barometer for South Africa shows that around 8% of people are selling their homes with plans to leave the country. Notably, the data shows that wealthier South Africans – even those in upper-middle-income brackets – are more likely to sell up to emigrate.

As many as 14% of home sellers in the R2.6 million – R3.6 million house price bracket are selling to emigrate, with this figure dropping to 11% in the R3.6 million+ house band.  Emigration-related sales increased steadily between 2015 and 2019, rising from 5% of total sales in 2015 to a record-high of 13.4% in Q2 2019.

This number subsequently dropped to around the 8% mark in 2021 due to a confluence of factors, including international restrictions and a strong property market. However, this is up a percentage point compared to the Q2 2020 report.

www.samigration.com

Easiest country to emigrate to from South Africa in 2022

24 April 2022 – Political Analysis  

There are a number of factors to consider when you are deciding on an easy country to emigrate to from South Africa in 2022.

Overview

Many South Africans look into emigration opportunities in 2022 and in the years past. No matter what the reasoning behind your decision is, emigration is a big decision and there are various aspects about different destination countries that you will have to consider in order to establish what the easiest option for you would be.

Reasons for migrating

Many South Africans consider emigration a way to find cultural enrichment, a more stable social, political, and economic atmosphere, and because of an overall lack of opportunities in terms of work and education in South Africa.

As much as there are factors about life in South Africa that push some expats away, there are also aspects about life in other countries that seem to pull people from across the globe to those countries. This may include aspects like a safer living environment, a more relaxed lifestyle, and affordable education and health care.

Easiest country to emigrate to from South Africa in 2022

Regardless of what your push or pull factor is for considering migrating to another country, this move will inevitably be a complicated process and you should carefully contemplate the culture of a potential life and lifestyle in the new county that you are moving to.

Some of these considerations are the visa application process, the adjustment to the social and cultural environment, the adjustment to the weather conditions, the general living costs and conditions, the social and municipal systems, and the varying social aspects of day-to-day life in this new country.

There are a number of countries that are popular amongst South African expats for an array of reasons, including the above-mentioned aspects. Some of the countries that are considered relatively easy to move to from South Africa include, but are not limited to:

• Mauritius
• The United Kingdom
• Australia

Moving to Mauritius from South Africa

Mauritius is one of the most popular countries for South Africans to emigrate to. One of the reasons that makes Mauritius an easy choice is the fact that it is so close, in proximity, to South Africa. Mauritius being so close means that you can easily move back-and-forth between the two countries to settle any affairs or even to visit friends and family.

The visa process to emigrate to Mauritius is also fairly simple and there are visa options for South Africans who want to secure their residency permits in Mauritius, such as the new Premium Long-Stay visa and through various investment opportunities.

The Mauritian lifestyle also attracts many retirees, business owners, and workers, because it seemingly offers such a relaxed lifestyle with a growing economy and a beautiful natural landscape.

Moving to the United Kingdom from South Africa

Emigration to the United Kingdom (UK) seems appealing to many South Africans, because the country has excellent education and healthcare systems and is one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

However, when you are not a tourist and if you are considering permanent residency in the UK as a South African, there are a few visa options you can consider, including the Ancestry visa which is easy to apply for if you have a UK-born grandparent, and the Skilled Worker visa which works on a point-based system.

Some factors that make emigration to the UK relatively easy for South Africans is the fact that English is their lingua franca and is spoken just about everywhere in the country. Furthermore, there is a large network of South African expats already living in the UK, which should help you find your feet and adjust once you have emigrated.

Moving to Australia from South Africa

Australia is another country that has become quite popular to emigrate to from South Africa. Once you have moved to Australia, the adjustment should be a fairly easy process, as there is a stable economy, a high quality of life, and, similarly to the UK, a common national language – English. The similar weather conditions and lifestyle also make the adjustment and move from South Africa a lot easier for most people.

There are various methods by which South Africans can go about getting visas to emigrate to Australia, but some of the easiest visas to apply for are the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), and the Skilled Work Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 491).

Final thoughts

Whether there are factors pushing you away from life in South Africa, or factors attracting you to a different country, emigration is a big decision. This is why it is important to consider aspects and cultures of day-to-day life in popular countries such as Mauritius, the UK, and Australia, to determine what the easiest and best-suited option would be for your lifestyle and needs.

www.samigration.com