Business has welcomed the far-reaching visa reforms gazetted on Wednesday by home affairs minister Leon Schreiber which clarify how the points system for granting critical skills and general work visas will work.
Schreiber has also gazetted requirements for remote working visas as well as the waiver of the requirement for certificates from the department of employment & labour for the critical skills and general work visas and a partial waiver of the requirement for a SA Qualification Authority (Saqa) certificate for both visas at the time of application.
Business Unity SA (Busa) acting director of social policy Sanelisiwe Jantjies said the new points based system for general worker visas was very welcome and should result in a much smoother process.
“A lot of the changes that are being put in place and which are immediately implementable are very, very business friendly and we welcome them. We also commend the department of home affairs for moving so swiftly. We are quite pleased and excited,” she said.
Jantjies said business had achieved about 80% of what it wanted with the remaining 20% being concerns that needed to be addressed.
There were several issues that business would need to get clarity on from the department of home affairs.
It was not clear, Jantjies said, what would happen to individuals who had been issued with general work visas before the gazetting of the reforms and who might not qualify under the new system should they want to renew them. This could have a negative effect on business.
She cautioned that the new points system would have a dramatic impact on lower paid jobs where many existing work permits had been issued to date. Many employers had employed foreign nationals in less skilled jobs.
“What is not clear is whether an individual who has previously qualified before these regulations were gazetted would have to approach the department of employment and labour for a certificate or approach the department of home affairs for a waiver of such a certificate to apply for a general work visa,” she said.
It was also not clear whether applications already submitted would be assessed using the new points based system.
Another issue requiring clarification was that many professional bodies will only grant a professional certificate — required for a critical skills visa — if Saqa certification has already been obtained. But the department of home affairs has granted a waiver of the Saqa certification on application (proof of application would be required and a visa for one year would be granted pending Saqa certification).
“We are not sure whether professional bodies will be required to revise their policies or if there was another way to get around the problem,” she said.
Tourism Business Council SA CEO Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa said “the simplification of the visa application process, with more relevant and streamlined criteria for those still requiring visas to SA is a major and progressive step forward. This can only lead to an increase in tourist numbers, and it is something that should be applauded.
“This initiative positions us as a more competitive destination by making travel easier.”
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