The Ministry of Interior issues a work permit or temporary work visa. Applications for temporary residence visas are processed and completed at the Overseas Office of the Ministry of Home Affairs. You do not need to make any travel arrangements until your visa has been approved. The Secretary of the Interior may publish a list of material qualifications in the Federal Register.
You must provide proof of eligibility to apply for a Critical Skills visa. Sometimes, a multinational company may transfer existing critical employees from a foreign branch to its branch, subsidiary, or affiliate in South Africa. These employees must apply for an intra-company transfer work permit.
You should first check if you are eligible for a work visa. To do this, go through immigration. During this screening, the immigration consultant will ask a few pertinent questions. All of these questions relate to the South African work visa eligibility criteria.
What are the South African work visa requirements?
If you do not meet all the requirements, you will not be able to apply for a work visa (or work permit).
South Africa has four work visas that allow temporary stays. Each visa has its requirements. Below we share the criteria for each visa that distinguishes it from others:
1. General Work Visa
The South African government’s top priority is the protection of the South African workforce. With this, the government wants to ensure that citizens or residents cannot fill positions held by foreign workers.
Therefore, the main criteria for general work visas are:
Employers must demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable steps to attract South Africans before offering jobs to foreigners. The application must include the original advertisement for posting the vacancy. Other key criteria for a General work visas are:
Must receive a valid job offer and employment contract. Both parties must sign these documents. The agreement must include the following:
- Compensation.
- Holiday entitlement.
- Working hours.
- Notice period.
- This position must meet specific requirements of immigration law
- The application must be accompanied by confirmation that you have the required qualifications certified by SAQA.
2. Critical Skills Work Visa
The Critical Skills Work Visa is based on a list of occupations where skilled workers are urgently needed in South Africa. Therefore, the main requirements for a Critical Skills visa are:
- Profession and qualifications must be on the South African Critical Skills List.
- Job postings are also required to apply for a Critical Skills Work Visa.
3. Internship Transfer Work Visa
The Internship Transfer Work Visa is used by foreign companies wishing to send employees to a South African branch: Branch; Partner. Or Subsidiary. During the secondment period, he may not exceed four years. Work visas for domestic transfers are only issued for a maximum of four years.
The main requirements for a Visa are:
- As a worker, you may only be employed in certain occupations and duties for which you have been issued an intra-company transferee work visa.
- South African companies must demonstrate adequate plans to transfer skills from visa holders to their South African colleagues.
Foreign companies:
- Must demonstrate that their employment contract with the foreign company is valid for at least six months. Ensure the company directs you to a branch, subsidiary, or affiliate in South Africa.
- Prove that his stay in South Africa will not exceed four years.
4. Corporate Worker Visa
A corporate worker visa allows a company to employ a specified number of foreign workers in specified positions for a specified period. For example, using an employee visa, an engineering company allows him to employ 200 civil engineers. Civil engineers obtain individual company qualifications. These certificates allow engineers to enter and work in South Africa.
The most critical requirements for foreign applicants are:
- An employer must have an employment visa.
- Applicants must Perform the functions specified in the corporate worker visa.
- Applicants must Pay a repatriation bond or provide a guarantee from your employer.
What are the requirements for applying for a work permit?
As already explained, a residence permit allows permanent residence. To apply for a work permit, you must meet specific requirements.
1. Regular Work Visa
You must have held a Regular Work Visa for five consecutive years.
2. Critical Skills Work Visa
You may be eligible for permanent residency if you:
- Five years of continuous employment.
He already has five years of experience in an area considered a crucial skill in South Africa. You can apply for permanent residence right away. You do not need to apply for a residence permit first.
3. Intercompany Transfer Work Visa
You can apply for permanent residency only if you have held a work visa for five years.
Therefore, you cannot apply for a work permit solely because you have an intra-company transfer work visa. This visa is valid for up to four years.
You must have held another work visa for at least 12 months to obtain permanent residency. Combine this with a four-year work visa for intra-company transfers, and you can apply for permanent residence.
Where are you applying?
The initial application for a temporary residence visa: at the embassy or consulate of the applicant’s country of origin or home country.
Permanent Residency Application: From South Africa
Assistance with Work Permit Application
When applying, he has two options:
- Applying on your own
- Working for yourself
- Working at an Immigration Company.
How long does the application process take?
Our team will work with you to complete your application as quickly and efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, once your application has been submitted to the Home Office, it is no longer in our hands.
However, as a general guideline, it takes him 8-12 weeks to process an application for a temporary stay. There are cases. Applications for permanent residency currently take up to two years to come to fruition.
