Schreiber, who took over as minister as part of the Government of National Unity in June, said that the department has set up a dedicated team to reduce the backlog and has cut through 92,886 applications out of a total of 306,042.
“This is a reduction of 30%. But we must do more because clearing this backlog is the only way to avoid another extension of the concession on visas, waivers and appeals that have already been granted three times,” he said.
One of Schreiber’s first acts as minister of Home Affairs was to extend the temporary concession for foreign nationals awaiting the outcomes of their visa, waiver, and appeal applications.
Long-term visa holders in South Africa have thus been given legal permission to remain in South Africa until 31 December 2024.
The reported number of visas in the backlog is significantly higher than the figures presented by former minister Aaron Motsoaledi earlier this year.
In May, Motsoaledi said that the backlog was at 92,000 visas at the end of January 2024. This means that over 200,000 applications were added to the pile in the months that followed.
The former minister placed the blame on very specific visa categories, such as spousal and family visas, which required the department to engage in a lengthy verification process to ensure that the applications were legitimate.
“Applicants for relative and/or spousal permits wait as long as two years for their visa due to the requirement that their notarial agreements and other documents such as birth certificates, bank statements and marriage certificates submitted as proof of existence of a spousal or parental relationship are verified,” he said at the time.
Schreiber described the backlog as “abnormal”, saying that it needs to be brought under control as soon as possible. The previous administration set a target of clearing it by November 2024.
“This is an abnormal situation, and we must get this problem under control so that extensions are no longer necessary. For this reason, I have asked to be provided with daily reports on the state of the backlog until it is eradicated.”
Presenting the DHA’s Budget Vote in Parliament on Monday, Schreiber said Home Affairs was vital to ensuring that South Africa remains competitive and can generate rapid, inclusive and sustainable economic growth to create jobs.
He committed to executing the reforms established in president Cyril Ramaphosa’s Operation Vulindlela - where the focus for Home Affairs is increasing the availability of scarce skills in the labour market.
Projects already in place under this banner include the critical skills list changes seen over the past few years, as well as the new Trusted Employer Scheme (TES) and remote work visa changes.
The TES will allow major investors and large employers to follow a streamlined process in getting skills into the country with improved turnaround times, while the new remote visa will make it easier for foreign workers to set up and work temporarily from South Africa without falling ill of local tax laws.
However, Schreiber said that for South Africa to be effective in unlocking scarce skills and growing tourism to create jobs, Home Affairs must urgently clear the backlog in the processing of permits.