This type of South African long-term relationship visa is available to individuals in legally recognized relationshipships and allows them to apply for either a temporary residence visa or permanent residence, depending on the duration of the relationshipship.

An application for a temporary residence long-term relationship visa requires that the relationships have been in a documented relationship for at least two years. Foreign nationals who are relationships of South African citizens or permanent residents may apply for permanent residence if they have been together for five years or more, in accordance with the Immigration Act.

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What is a waiver?

The immigration act in South Africa grants the Minister of Home Affairs the authority to waive specific requirements of the act. When a requirement is waived, an individual or corporation is exempt from that requirement. Simply put, the minister can waive a specific requirement if there is a “good cause.” Your waiver application must be well-justified to convince the Department of Home Affairs to grant the exemption. The applicant must provide sufficient evidence to support the waiver request, and the Department of Home Affairs will decide whether to approve or deny the waiver.

Types of South African Visas: When to Apply for a Waiver

1. Business Visa: Apply to reduce the investment amount requirement of R 5 million if you receive a positive outcome from the Department of Trade and Industry.

2. Family Visa: When unable to obtain a police clearance certificate.

3. Labour Certificate: Apply to waive the Department of Labour certificate.

4. Corporate Visa: A business may apply for a blanket waiver for the same requirement.

5. Temporary Residence Visa: If unable to travel back to your country of residence to apply.

Undesirable Persons and Visa Appeals

If declared an undesirable person and banned from South Africa, you must apply to have your name cleared before returning. For more context, refer to my article, “What is the penalty for overstaying in South Africa.” If your visa is rejected, you will need to go through the visa appeal process in South Africa.

How to Get a Waiver Letter in South Africa

Option 1: Write the Letter Yourself

You can write the waiver letter yourself and include it in your application. Here’s how:

• Use formal language.

• Choose your words wisely.

• Acknowledge the reader and thank them for their time.

• Proofread your letter.

When detailing your reasons for the waiver, ensure they are valid, stick to the facts, avoid irrelevant topics, steer clear of complaints, and ensure your letter is easy to understand.

Option 2: Use an Immigration Consultant

An immigration consultant can handle everything for you. They have experience with applications and numerous waiver templates. They understand the process and know how to draft the letter for you to maximize your chances with the Department of Home Affairs. The cost varies depending on whether you use an immigration consultant or lawyer.

How Long Does a Waiver Take to Get Approved?

The waiver process in South Africa can take 7-12 months, so apply before your visa expires. You must have valid temporary residence or status in South Africa to apply. Submit your waiver through VFS in South Africa, and schedule an appointment on their website to submit your application.

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Home Affairs is appealing an interdict protecting ZEP holders

An interdict protecting ZEP holders is being challenged in the Supreme Court of Appeal. Archive photo: Tariro Washinyira

• The Supreme Court of Appeal will on Tuesday hear the Department of Home Affairs’ appeal against an interdict protecting ZEP holders.

• The interdict was granted in June 2023 in a case brought by the Zimbabwean Immigration Federation (ZIF).

• Home Affairs argues that the ZEP system was always meant to be temporary and that the minister could decide to end it.

• But the ZIF says that terminating the ZEP will cause irreparable harm to hundreds of thousands of people.

The legal saga over the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) returns to court on Tuesday as the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) hears the Department of Home Affairs’ appeal against a ruling that temporarily protected ZEP holders from arrest and deportation.

The interim interdict, granted in June 2023 in a case brought by the Zimbabwean Immigration Federation (ZIF), shielded all ZEP holders — about 178,000 people — while the legality of the permit system’s termination was being challenged.

The validity of the ZEP was last year extended to November 2025.

The Department of Home Affairs is asking the SCA to set aside the interim relief granted to the ZIF, effectively reinstating the department’s ability to enforce immigration laws against ZEP holders until the wider legal questions around the permits are resolved.

In its court papers, the Department of Home Affairs argues that the matter should be considered moot because there’s already a separate high court ruling, in a case brought by the Helen Suzman Foundation, that declared the minister’s decision to end the ZEP system unlawful and set it aside. The department is also appealing that ruling.

According to the department, the permits were always meant to be temporary and subject to the minister’s discretion. It argues that requiring the minister to maintain the ZEPs until Zimbabwe’s economic conditions improve would amount to an indefinite obligation not supported by the law.

In response, the ZIF argues that the department’s appeal fails to take into account the severe human consequences of terminating the ZEP system. These consequences go to the heart of constitutional rights and cannot simply be brushed aside.

The ZIF argues that it is common cause and undisputed that “ZEP holders would likely be deported in the absence of an interdict preventing such deportation” and that “for ZEP holders that are married to South Africans there would be a breakup of families in violation of their rights to family life and dignity.”

They contend that even without deportations, the sudden shift from lawful residency to undocumented status strips permit holders of basic protections. It places jobs, access to education and family stability at risk and opens people to the daily threat of arrest, harassment, or detention.

ZEP holders face irreversible harm, the ZIF argues. Many would not qualify for any other visa, despite having lived, worked, and built families and businesses in South Africa for over a decade.

These are not hypothetical concerns, they say. When the ZEP system was initially terminated, thousands of people were left scrambling to apply for exemptions they were unlikely to qualify for, with no realistic chance of their applications being finalised in time. That uncertainty continues to this day and remains a real and ongoing threat to livelihoods, safety, and dignity.

They claim the department relies on technical arguments to justify ignoring these impacts, but that doesn’t excuse the abrupt and damaging way the policy was ended or the lack of meaningful alternatives for those affected.

The ZIF also rejects the department’s claim that ZEP holders could have applied for other visas instead of relying on court protection. They argue that these alternatives were either unavailable, impractical, or too slow.

The ZEP scheme was created precisely because most permit holders did not qualify for mainstream visas and the department admitted as much in its own court filings, they argue.

South Africa encourages permanent residency if you are serious about staying in South Africa on a long terms permanent basis there are many categories you can apply under.

Hold a General Work Visa for five years and have a permanent job offer.
Hold a Relative’s Visa sponsored by an immediate family member.
Hold a Critical Skills Visa and have 5 years relevant work experience.
Be in a proven life relationship relationship for five years
Be married to an SA relationship for at least five years.
Have held Refugee Asylum Status for five years.
Hold a Business Visa.
Receive a monthly income of R37,000 through Pension or Retirement Annuity
Have a net asset worth of R12m and payment to Home Affairs of R120,000

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Parliament’s portfolio committee on higher education and training has requested that all 26 institutions of higher learning submit updated statistics on employment of foreign national academics.

This follows outrage over the Central University of Technology (CUT) revealing that it employs more foreign academics than South Africans during their meeting with the committee in April.

In a letter dated May 2, 2025, addressed to Minister of Higher Education and Training Nobuhle Nkabane, the committee requested that all universities make submissions on the matter by May 21.

The committee wants institutions to provide “detailed background about how many foreign nationals are employed at each university; when were they appointed in their current jobs; breakdown by faculty, department, and administration; country of origin of the foreign academics, including their qualifications”.

Last month the CUT came under fire after it disclosed 15% of its workforce consists of foreign nationals while only 1% of faculty positions are occupied by South Africans from Asian, coloured and white communities. The information prompted public discourse and led to debates about employment equity at institutions of higher learning.

The committee believes that new data is required because the last report was released in 2019.

The Report of the Ministerial Task Team on the Recruitment, Retention and Progression of Black South African Academics, released by the higher education department says the national average for international academic staff across the 26 universities was 11.2% in 2017.

While the overall percentage of international permanent instructional/research staff at universities is 11.5%, varying across ranks, with the highest percentages occurring at senior lecturer (13.3%), associate professor (18.5%) and professor (17.4%) levels.

At the time, CUT was just above the average with 11.8% international academic staff. Wits University employed the most foreign nationals at 25.1%, with UCT and University of Fort Hare (UFH) placed second and third respectively.

The study, however, stresses that further steps should be taken if the reliance on international recruits is a result of inability or reluctance to recruit and retain South African academics.

At least 34% of the international academic staff in South African universities were from Zimbabwe and Nigeria, with Zimbabweans accounting for 25%.

“For UFH and University of Venda, large numbers of the international academics are from Zimbabwe and Nigeria, while UCT and Wits appear to be able to attract academic staff from a much wider range of countries,” the report reads.

The report acknowledges that international staff representation adds immense value, but representation needs to be truly broad rather than predominantly from a few countries.

“When the main reason for international staff recruitment is not a purposeful and reasonable internationalisation agenda, but rather a result of an inability to attract, recruit or develop local academics, then the challenges need to be fully understood and addressed,” it reads.

It then raises concerns about recruitment practices that result in disproportionate representation of international staff from one country in specific departments at some universities.