Artisans Critical Skills
Visa & Trade Tests Mystery Solved
On 19 March 2021 in a GOVERNMENT NOTICE
there was published in the appropriate government gazette by the DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND
TRAINING and it was called NATIONAL REGISTER OF ARTISANS REGULATIONS.
2020 SKILLS in terms of the DEVELOPMENT ACT, 1998 (ACT 97 OF 1998)
they published the National Register of
Artisans Regulations 2020,
In this regulations the following
was covered
These regulations:
1 Implement Section 26 C of the
Skills Development Act No 97 of 1998, as
amended in 2008.
2. Establish and maintain the
Register of Artisans in South Africa.
3. Define the requirements and
the process of registering on the Department of
Higher Education and Training (DHET)
Register of Artisans.
4. Enable the DHET to distinguish
for statistical purposes between artisans
practicing the trade in which
they are qualified and those who are no longer
practicing the trade.
5. Enable the DHET to distinguish
and monitor for statistical purposes between
foreign national and South African
qualified artisans in the country.
6. Enable the DHET to determine
the need for and grow the capacity of mentors for
mentoring of artisan apprentices.
7. Assist DHET to determine the
targets for focused artisan training in order to
address the scarcity of artisans
to industry.
8. Does not seek to establish a
professional body for qualified artisans in South
Africa rather work with all professional bodies in
maintaining a register of all
qualified artisans
Over the
past couple of months we have been looking into the issues
around Artisans and Trades category of the Critical Skills Work Visa.
A number of applicants applying under this category had been
receiving a number of rejections when applying for their critical
skills work visa due to the fact that they were not
registered with the Engineering Professionals Council of
South Africa (ECSA). When approached for membership ECSA would indicate
that they do not register artisans or tradesman because their
minimum qualifying NQF is 5 and all artisans where ranked by SAQA as
holding NQF 4 qualifications. After some research and liaising with
officials we have now found the solution to this conundrum.
All
applicants for the CSV visa must register with a professional body
in addition the Department of Home Affairs required every artisan
to be trade tested. This proved to be a challenge since all
of them had been trade tested in their respective home countries and had their
qualifications confirmed and benchmarked by SAQA. Those that
approached the Department of Higher Education`s Indlela National Artisans
Moderation Body were issued with letters that stated that
the provisions of the Act that empowered the NAMB and DHET to keep
a register of Artisans had not been implemented. That letter
was to be used in submitting the application for the visa. But even with this
letter the applications were still being rejected.
"Artisan" means a person that has been
certified as competent to performa listed
trade in
accordance with the SDA.
"Artisan
Learner"
means a learner undergoing a formal learning program which
includes
structured work experience components in a listed trade, and includea
trade
test in respect to that trade.
"DG"
means the Director -General of the Department of Higher Education and
Training.
"Listed
Trade"
means a trade listed in terms of Section 26 B of the SDA and
published
in Government Gazette No 35625 dated 31 August 2012.
"QCTO"
means The Quality Council for Trade and Occupations.
"SAQA"
means the South African Qualifications Authority.
"Qualified
Artisan" in teems
of these regulations means a person who has
undergone
a Trade Test and passed, and is certificated as an artisan in terms of
the SDA
or any other South African Act in a specific listed trade.
"Practicing
Artisan" in terms
of these regu'ations means a person who has
passed a
trade test in a :fisted trade and is using tools, equipment and machinery
to
manufacture, produce, service, install or maintain tangible goods, productsor
equipment
in an engineering and/or technical work environment in the listed trade
in which
he /she is certificated by QCTO or any other legislation ina specific listed
trade.
"Non-
Practicing Artisan" in terms of these regulations means a person who has
passed a
trade test in a listed trade and is not using tools, equipment and
machinery
to manufacture, produce, service, install or maintain tangible goods,
products
or equipment in an engineering and /or technical work environment in the
listed
trade in which he/she is certificated by QCTO or any other South African Act
in a
specific listed trade.
"Foreign
National Practicing Artisan" in terms of these regulationsmeans any
foreign
national artisan who iscertified as an artisan by QCTO or holds a
qualification
issued in the country of origin and the qualification has been evaluated
and
verified by SAQA, who isusing tools, equipment and machinery to
manufacture,
produce, service, install or maintain tangible goods, productsor
equipment
in an engineering and/or technical work environment in the listed trade
in which
his /her qualification has been evaluated and verified by SAQA
"Foreign
National Non -Practicing Artisan" in terms of these regulationsmeans
any
foreign national artisan who is certified as an artisan by QCTO or holds a
qualification
issued in the country of origin, and the qualification has been
evaluated
and verified by SAQA, who processes trade certificate in a particular
trade,
not engaged in the practice of that profession.
From the
above it is clear that the foreign qualified trades person need no longer write
a new trade test in south Africa and this will be a massive help in getting the
appropriate critical skills visa in a quicker manner without having to jump through
more legislative hoops when they were qualified in their home countries.
Please contact
us at SA Migration and let us help you get your accelerated critical skills
visa and permanent residence .
Whatsapp Tel No : +27 (0) 82 373 8415
Tel No office : +27 (0) 82 373 8415
( Whatsapp )
Tel No admin : +27 (0) 64 126 3073
Tel No sales : +27 (0) 74 0366127
Fax No : 086 579 0155
