South Africa’s work visa regime is laborious, lengthy and inefficient. The process deters foreign investment, widens the skills gap and throttles productivity, economic growth and development.
The home affairs and labour departments – the two key players in this bureaucratic obfuscation – seem impervious to how much they undermine the Presidency’s and other government efforts to attract foreign direct investment and grow the economy. Since the cabinet’s 2020 decision to streamline the work visa process, there has been little indication of any movement.
One of the 22 critical skills visa requirements is that the employer must prove that no citizen or permanent resident with the required qualifications, skills and experience is domestically available. The high cost of advertising and other requirements makes this an expensive exercise. Even after a long waiting period, there is no guarantee of success. Reasons for rejections are spurious, often based on ‘missing documents’ that were in fact supplied. Home affairs rejects many visas based on a ‘negative recommendation from the Department of Labour.’ Applicants then have 10 days to appeal, but the only real recourse is an expensive legal challenge.
Even short-term visitor and business visas are a problem. African and international organisations we work with now refrain from hosting events or meetings in South Africa, meaning the country loses revenue from the lucrative event and conference business. South Africa must urgently reduce the time frames and simplify the procedures for obtaining work visas. Online applications should be the norm, but the country’s IT system upgrade has been several years in the works. Immigration regulations should also allow foreign spouses with dependent visas to work in South Africa.