Did you get a job offer from a South African company? Congratulations are in order, but before you celebrate, make sure that you learn more about the process of applying for a work visa for South Africa.
Working abroad can be full of surprises and adventure. However, it also involves the logistics of getting yourself a valid work visa. Fortunately, getting a South African work visa is fairly straightforward. In this article, we review the different types of visas, the required qualifications, and where to direct your appeal.
We discuss the following topics to help guide you through the process of getting a work visa:
• Working in South Africa
• Who needs a work visa in South Africa?
• Types of work visas in South Africa
• General Work Visa
o Requirements for the General Work Visa
o How to apply for the General Work Visa
o Costs for the General Work Visa
o General Work Visa length
• Critical Skills Visa
o Requirements for the Critical Skills Visa
o How to apply for the Critical Skills Visa
o Costs for the Critical Skills Visa
o Critical Skills Visa validity
• Intra-company Transfer Work Visa
o Requirements for the Intra-company Transfer Work Visa
o How to apply for an Intra-company Transfer Work Visa
o Intra-company Transfer Work Visa costs
o Validity of an Intra-company Transfer Work Visa
• Corporate Work Visa
o Requirements for the Corporate Work Visa
o How to apply for a Corporate Work Visa
o Corporate Work Visa costs
• Work visas in South Africa for students
• Work visas in South Africa for self-employed individuals
• Volunteering and work experience in South Africa
• South African work visas for family members
• Appeals about work visas in South Africa
• Useful resources
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Planning to move to South Africa on a work visa? SA MIGRATION Immigration Solutions is a leading Africa-focused immigration agency offering multilingual visa and permit services. With personalized support, expert consultants, and global reach, they ensure peace of mind for expats and businesses alike.
Working in South Africa
The Department of Home Affairs makes decisions on South African work visas. Although it has its own quirks, the immigration requirements are fairly similar to many other countries. In order to get a South African work visa, most people need a job offer in hand already; for exceptionally qualified candidates, there is the option to apply for a Critical Skills Work Visa, which allows successful applicants to look for jobs in South Africa after moving to the country.
Although there are no firm numbers on how many work visas are issued annually, South Africa does host almost three million immigrants and 75% of these immigrants hail from the African continent (primarily Mozambique, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe). Europe is the second-largest source of immigrants in South Africa, mostly from the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. It’s important to remember that the treatment that African immigrants receive, both by locals as well as from immigration officials, is far different (and generally worse) than the treatment received by non-African immigrants. Although South Africa does not have employment quotas based on employment categories, the government is seriously discussing this system as an option.
Who needs a work visa in South Africa?
Generally speaking, anyone who is not a citizen or a permanent resident of South Africa needs a South African visa in order to work in the country. There are some limited exceptions to this, including heavy-duty vehicle drivers from other southern African countries, anyone working for either the Southern African Development Community or the United Nations, or foreign military members entering on the invitation of the South African National Defence Force.
The South African government maintains a list of visa-exempt countries and professions. Make sure you consult it to see if the exemptions apply to you.
Some applicants may find it easier to obtain a visa depending on their skillset and whether they already have a job offer in place. Others, often from African countries or with less skilled or semi-skilled work backgrounds, may find it much harder.
Types of work visas in South Africa
According to the Department of Home Affairs, there are four main types of South African work visas. They are as follows:
• General Work Visa
• Critical Skills Work Visa
• Intra-company Transfer Work Visa
• Corporate Work Visa
Other, less common types of work visa include:
• Treaty Visa
• Volunteer Visa
• Academic Sabbatical Visa
• Research Visa
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