A very warm welcome to Moving South Immigration! Moving South Immigration, a boutique immigration firm, offers a personalized immigration service to private individuals as well as corporate companies. With an immigration background of more than 14 years, our firm offers tailor-made solutions to ensure a smooth immigration journey to applicants and their family members as this can be quite challenging at times. To receive up-to-date news on South African immigration, visit our website www.movingsouthimmigration.com to subscribe to these updates. We look forward to engaging with you! Meet Sue Sue-Allan Mehl started her career as a school secretary in the small town of Ceres. She moved to Cape Town at the age of 22 and with her administrative qualifications and background, worked at various personnel agencies. Her first introduction into the immigration world happened when she was appointed as the receptionist of IBN Immigration and Solutions. Sue-Allan became very interested in the field of immigration and in 2008 she joined the Immigration team where she could continue her passion in helping people. Sue-Allan’s love for people combined with her meticulous work ethic impressed management immensely and she was appointed Head of Immigration in 2010 where she exclusively assisted multinationals and corporate firms with their immigration needs. She also became a registered Immigration Practitioner and is a member of FIPSA since 2016. Our Services We assist with tourist visas, relatives and spousal visas, all work-related visas, study visas, business visas (business owners) and retirement visas. We equally offer these services for all permanent residency categories as well as Appeals and Waivers.

In November 2021, Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi, announced that the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) Dispensation programme will terminate on 31 December 2022. ZEP holders in South Africa would have until this date to change to a mainstream visa, providing they qualify for these visas. ZEP holders must ensure they comply with the requirements and provisions of the South African Immigration legislation. Unfortunately those who do not qualify for a mainstream visa will have to leave South Africa or be deported. All the mainstream applications must be submitted, in person, at the VFS office in South Africa. We urge ZEP holders, who did not start the visa process yet, to reach out to us on www.movingsouthimmigration.com , via telephone +27 73 535 7534 or email sue@movingsouthimmigration.com to check your eligibility.

Central Adjudication decision In February 2022, the Department of Home Affairs announced that the delegation of adjudication powers will be shifted to the Head Office in Pretoria to minimize the inconsistency within all South African missions abroad. This meant that all long-term visa applications would still be received by these missions, but to be forwarded to Head Office for review as well. Part of the decision was that all short-term visa as well as study visa applications will remain at the missions to be processed. Little did we know what chaos would follow. We are in the month of August with very little outcomes to show since the centralization process commenced. Applicants as well as employers are still anxiously awaiting visa outcomes of applications submitted earlier this year. Spouses cannot join their loved ones in the Republic (unless they submit here) and individuals cannot yet enjoy their retirement in South Africa which they worked so hard for. Previously, processing times were between two (2) and eight (8) weeks - a far cry from the outrageous processing times being experienced currently. With the new processes in place, it has also added further strain on the already overloaded processing teams in Pretoria - which in turn causes a huge delay to the adjudication times of visa applications submitted within South Africa. An unfair, but possible recommendation for future applications At this stage, our strong recommendation would be for applicants and employers to establish a long lead-time with regards to a move to South Africa eg. a 8-12 month expat plan. We are aware that it might not be the most ideal plan, but it would certainly be better for planning purposes. Employers with an immediate need for assignees may look at the Section 11 (2) visa option for 90 days. It must be cautioned, though, that this short-term work visa cannot be used in lieu of preparing the paperwork for a long-term work visa. Please feel free to reach out to us via our website on www.movingsouthimmigration.com to subscribe for the latest updates and possible alternative routes or contact us on +2773 5357 534 or sue@movingsouthimmigration.com to discuss visa options and the timelines attached to these applications.

Overview It is often assumed that when one gets issued with a visa or permanent residence (PR), all is good, and one can simply get on with life. We are here to caution both applicant and employer that you need to pay close attention to the conditions attached to the visa and permanent residence as well as the paperwork that you submit with your applications. Here are a few examples of conditions attached to a visa and PR application Employer Undertakings – to notify Home Affairs when an employee left their employment Employer Undertakings – to notify Home Affairs when an employee is no longer employed in the same capacity or position Schools – to notify Home Affairs if the student deregistered, failed to register or when the student completed his or her studies Spouses and own business owners would be issued with conditions attached to their permanent residence in South Africa Conclusion ALWAYS check the conditions on your visa (sticker) and permanent residence (PR) certificate upon issuance. It may save you the costly inconvenience of getting your visa or PR cancelled. It is very important that these conditions be adhered to. For more information about compliance of visas and permanent residence, visit our website on www.movingsouthimmigration.com or contact us on +2773 5357 534 or sue@movingsouthimmigration.com