Home Affairs extends validity period for expired visas

Businesstech  - 04 October 2021

Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi has clarified which services will be available at Home Affairs offices during the country’s adjusted level 2 lockdown, and announced extension dates for various documents.

While Home Affairs offices are operational across the country, some services have been suspended to reduce the number of physical visits.

This is to limit the risk of people infecting each other and the staff because social distancing is difficult when you have a large crowd, it said.

Motsoaledi has subsequently published a national gazette, detailing what services will be available under the extended level 2 lockdown and going forward. These include:

• Births registration;
• Late registration of births;
• Re-issuance of birth, marriage and death certificates;
• Applications for temporary identity certificate;
• Applications and collection of identity cards and documents;
• Applications and collection of passports;
• Solemnisation and registration of marriages;
• Applications for retention and renunciation of citizenship;
• Applications for rectifications and amendments of personal particulars;
• Applications for travel documents for people who plan to travel abroad;
• All back-office support services;
• Visa services in terms of the Immigration Act;
• Online renewal of refugee status and asylum seeker permits/visas.

Extensions and new dates

This applies to all visa and permit holders who applied for the previous waiver, and who have not left the country since the declaration of the state of disaster, and for holders of asylum seeker permits and refugee status which expired during the state of disaster.

He added that the following services will be rendered by the Department of Home Affairs from the following dates:

• Permanent residence permit appeals applications with effect from 1 October 2021;
• Proof of permanent residence permit applications with effect from 1 October 2021;
• Permanent residence permit applications from 1 January 2022.

www.samigration.com