A white South African couple living in Sydney seeking a protection visa are begging the Australian government not to deport them over their fear of "persecution".
They've even gone as far as to call returning home a "death sentence".

Their pleas come as many white South Africans, and those of racial minorities, have been invited to apply for the refugee resettlement programme in the US, under President Donald Trump's Executive Order.

SA COUPLE BEGS AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO LET THE STAY
In 2018, Charné-Lee Gunning and Ivan Strauss arrived in Sydney, Australia, as visitors. They applied for protection visas but were denied. They've since appealed the decision.

Speaking to Sky News, Estimating Manager Charné-Lee said of her adoptive country: "We feel at home here. We feel safe. I can't begin to explain how grateful we are for the few years we've had".

Charné-Lee and Ivan – an air conditioning technician – claim that they both were victims of violent crimes, implied on the basis of their race, in South Africa. They are awaiting news on whether they will be granted protection visas and, ultimately, permanent residency.

"I feel like that would be our death sentence. Especially with what is going on in South Africa at the moment", the South African woman added.
If their protection visas are declined, they would be given 35 days to return home.

According to authorities, the couple could seek another avenue of staying in Australia. This includes the 482 Visa, also known as the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa, which permits employers to hire overseas workers based on their skills.

WHAT IS A PROTECTION VISA?
An Australian protection visa is granted to individuals who claim they are at risk of harm and persecution in their country of birth.
Applicants, classified as "refugees", must prove that their fears are legitimately based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a social group.

According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs, applicants must also prove the following:
• There is no safe area in your country
• There is no other safe country in which you can live,
• You haven't committed any serious crimes.

Under the protection visa, applicants can live, work, and study in Australia. They are also permitted to sponsor eligible family members for permanent residence through the offshore Humanitarian Program.

Like the US refugee resettlement programme, there are conditions, such as being refused a protection order if you intend to travel to your home country, even to visit family members.

If you are granted a protection visa, you will not be able to travel to the country you have sought protection from without permission from the Australian Government. You will need permission even if your family lives there.

If your South African Spousal Visa has expired — you could be in serious trouble with Home Affairs. Here's what you need to know:
The Risks:
x You become undocumented and may face fines, arrest, or even deportation.
x You could be declared an “undesirable person”, banning you from re-entering SA for up to 5 years.

The Solutions:
- Renew early — ideally 60 days before expiry.
- If already expired, you may need to apply for a good cause or waiver.
- Gather proof of your ongoing relationship (photos, joint accounts, lease agreements).

Important: If your visa expired because of delays, missing documents, or a personal crisis — you may still have legal options to fix it.
Contact SA Migration today for expert help before it's too late!
WhatsApp: +27 82 373 8415
info@samigration.com
www.samigration.com
#SpousalVisa #ImmigrationSouthAfrica #VisaRenewal #SouthAfricaVisa #LifePartnerVisa #VisaHelp #HomeAffairs #ImmigrationLaw #GetLegal

If you're the spouse or life partner of a South African Business Visa holder, the Immigration Act allows you to apply for authorisation to work in that business - but it's not automatic!

Here's how it works:
- You must hold a valid Spousal or Life Partner Temporary Residence Visa.
- Apply to Home Affairs to add work rights linked specifically to your partner's business.
- The authorisation will state you can only work for that business, not elsewhere.
- No need for a separate work visa - but you can't just “start working” without approval.

Tip: Get the conditions endorsed in writing before you begin. This protects you from compliance issues during inspections.
Working without proper authorisation can put your visa - and the business - at risk.

Contact SA Migration for expert help with your application:
WhatsApp: +27 82 373 8415
info@samigration.com
www.samigration.com
#BusinessVisaSA #SpousalVisa #LifePartnerVisa #WorkRights #ImmigrationSouthAfrica #VisaHelp #SouthAfricaBusiness #ForeignSpouse #ImmigrationLaw

US President Donald Trump's administration has paused most visa services at the Harare embassy, citing high overstay rates by Zimbabwean visitors.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
- The US has stopped most visa applications at Harare embassy over high overstay rates.
- Zimbabwe's B1/B2 visa overstay rate is 10.57%, or 709 people.
- Critics say the move will hurt students and global partnerships.

The United States government has temporarily halted visa applications by Zimbabweans at its Harare embassy as part of a bid to curb overstaying.
A notice on the embassy's website stated that the administration of US President Donald Trump had paused all routine visa operations beginning on Thursday, with the exception of most diplomatic and official visas.

"The Trump administration is protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process.
"We are always working to prevent visa overstay and misuse," the notice stated.

According to a memo sent by the US Department of State and seen by Semafor, a senior official highlighted Zimbabwe's B1 and B2 visa overstay rate of 10.57% or 709 Zimbabweans.

The B1 visa is for individuals seeking to enter the US temporarily for business, while the B2 visa is for tourism, pleasure or medical treatment.
The official reportedly also raised concerns about overstay rates on student visas and Zimbabwe not agreeing to a so-called safe third country or third country national agreement that would permit asylum seekers to pursue their claim from a nation they previously travelled to.
Zimbabwe has been reeling under targeted US economic sanctions for the past 20 years. The sanctions were imposed in the early 2000s over human rights violations by the Zanu-PF government.

This pause on US visas at the Harare embassy comes just days after the US government also announced that some foreign citizens could be subject to bonds of up to $15 000 for visits on business or tourist visas.
On Tuesday, Zambia and Malawi were the inaugural entries on a list of countries that would be subject to the bonds.
Political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya described the move by the US as unfair.

Ngwenya said:
We know that Trump is on a cruise in terms of immigration policy, but global relationships are more important. This will really affect the exchange programmes for students.

"This is really a bad move, especially for students, because as Zimbabwe we benefit a lot from global partnership. I believe this thing should be reversed as soon as possible."

"On the other hand, we might be partly to blame because you would realise that when our citizens go to the United States they don't come back. But on this latest move, the US has to be lenient, especially to students," Ngwenya added.

In the past, prior to the amendments to the Immigration Act, it was possible for an illegal foreigner to “legalise” or “regularise” him/herself from within South Africa by making payment of the requisite fine. This is no longer the case and we are constantly encountering foreigners who find themselves illegally in South Africa with little hope of rectifying their situation.

The current dilemma

In many cases, these illegal foreigners elect to depart South Africa and contest any ban issued to them from outside of the country. This involves the submission of an overstay appeal to the Department of Home Affairs (“DHA”). A number of foreigners, however, simply have too much invested in South Africa and are unwilling to depart the country for fear of incurring a ban that may or may not be overturned.

What your options are

Where an illegal foreigner wishes to “legalise” him/herself from within South Africa, he/she must meet certain criteria in order to do so. For the sake of clarity, “legalising” a foreigner entails applying to DHA for authorisation for the foreigner to remain in South Africa whilst submitting a visa application and awaiting the subsequent outcome. The “legalisation” does not provide the foreigner with the rights attributed to the holder of a specific visa until such visa has actually been issued to the foreigner.

How to get started

In order to qualify for “legalisation”, an illegal foreigner must satisfy DHA that: he/she was unable to submit a visa application timeously for reasons beyond his/her control and; that he/she is now in a position to do so. The latter requirement will be met by providing DHA with proof of a completed visa application containing all the requisite documents. The former requirement, however, is slightly more problematic.

The question of what the phrase “for reasons beyond his/her control” refers to is not clearly answered in the Immigration Act, but it is generally accepted that these reasons include medical grounds and errors on the part of DHA. For example, where an Applicant has applied for a visa timeously, but DHA have subsequently lost the application and the foreigner’s visa has expired in the interim. All of this information will need to be provided to DHA in the form of written representations called an authorisation application. Such applications are commonly referred to as “good cause applications” by DHA officials.

Authorisation applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis and there is a degree of discretion applied by DHA in considering whether additional factors should be taken into consideration. A prominent factor taken into consideration will be whether the foreigner in question is married to a South Africa citizen or has South African children.

A Successful application

If such an application is successful, the foreigner will be provided with a Form 20 (also known as a letter of good cause) which authorises the foreigner to submit a visa application by a prescribed date. This authorisation lapses as soon as an outcome is received in the visa application. If the outcome is negative, the foreigner will need to depart South Africa immediately.

🚗 Call to Action:

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.

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