DHA update
The Department of Home Affairs had an update recently:
As of this week the DHA is not issuing Form 20′s anymore. Clients awaiting the outcome of their applications and require to travel, need to do the following:
- Contact their Administrator to advise of the travel dates
- The Administrator will then supply the client with the receipt which will have been stamped by DHA and the comment “application still in process” will be added by DHA
- Clients need to show this receipt at the airport when leaving the country
- When re-entering the country clients need to again show the receipt together with the repatriation receipt and will be allowed back into the country
This makes it all the more complicated once again. Be very careful if you plan to travel in between applying for and receiving your immigration permit to South Africa.
Without a Form 20, you have to stay in South Africa until you get your immigration permit
Immigration South Africa News and Information
I applied for a permit and I am still waiting for it. But in the meantime 90 days expire on my passport expire on 31/12/10. I want to go home then and return early january. Will I be able to return. Will I need to go to DHA and advise of travel dates and get a receipt. How much will it cost to get this receipt. Will I have problems when I return early january
Depends where you are from. Yes, you will need a receipt, and should have been given one when you applied (?).
Otherwise you could just enter the country on a tourist VISA?
I am sorry I should have mentioned I am zimbabwean…./I have got a receipt for the permit application BUT when I return early January will I be given another 90 days stay since it will be a new year (while I wait for my permit). Two weeks ago I went home and when I came back to sa I had a hard time at the boarder as I was told that the receipt is not proof that I will get a permit but just acknoledgement that I have applied for one. I was then only given a two weeks stay so I hope January will be considered a new year and a further 90 days issued. That way maybe I would have my permit by then.
l need to travel to Zim but l am still waiting for my permit should l travel with my receipt which they gave me at Dha,l am not going get any problems if l travel
As far as we know, with your receipt you will be fine.
Who is the “Administrator” that you must contact to advise of travel dates?
We are not Home Affairs. You will have to contact them.
hi
i am a british born perminent resident in south africa, my girlfriend and i are thinking of relocating back to south africa, we currently live in england, could you plese advise us on the procedure that we need to follow to get my girlfriend perminent residency, we are looking at getting married soon would that help in her applicatio…thank you, could you please reply by email
Hi Stephen
If you are a Permanent Resident and she is British, you would need to get a Life Partner Permit (LPP).
Being married or being partners is the same in terms of immigration to South Africa. However, you have to be together for 5 years to qualify for permanent residency, and when you marry, that tenure starts from 0 again.
Please send us an email if you wish to immigration@immigrationsouthafrica.org.
What is the source for this information? I am exactly in this situation but the people at the regional office in springs have no idea about it. I would like to quote the source when I go there.
Hi Jason
What information? The blog post or the above comment? What situation – needing a Form 20 or an LPP?
Let us know on immigration@immigrationsouthafrica.org.
It awesome how these department works. Some of its branches have no clues whatsoever
Hi, I applied for a permit on the 30th – 12 – 2010 during the amnesty which was given to all Zimbabwean citizens who wish to work, study or do business in R.S.A but I’m getting very worried because ever since that day I haven’t received any notification concerning my application.Will you kindly advise me what should I do to be up dated about the developments.I submitted at Market Street in Johannesburg.
Thanks.
M.Nkomo
We are not Home Affairs and cannot check anything. However, surely your application is there and they are just slow.
I was referring to the possibility to travel with the submition receipt, before there was an outcome on the application. I phoned home affairs at OR Tambo Airport and they said there “shouldn’t” be a problem, they were a bit clueless. I asked at Springs regional office and they advise was not to mention that I had applied for a permit renewal and I may get a tourist 3 month permit when I return (shocking!!). It seems that the information is in bits and pieces everywhere and H affairs officers don’t really know how it works. I might be lucky or I might be not. I don’t want to be deported on return (as I live here in RSA). That was the reason I wanted to know the source of the info, about the procedure to get the receipt stamped and so on, so I have something to back me up in case they give me trouble.
Hi there
My girlfriend is here in SA from USA on a visitors visa. Her visa expires March 22 and we are getting married (gay couple) on March 18th. I would just like to know what do I have to do to make sure she can legally stay here. Do I need to extend her visitors visa, apply for temporary residence once we’re married? I’m afraid we have time to get everything done before March 22nd. Can someone please advise me on how to proceed? Is there anything I can do before we get married March 18th??
Thank you
You will need to get a Life-Partner Permit, please email us on how to do this.
I am a South African citizen and would like information for a friend in Nepal who is considering immigrating to SA. What are the procedures, costs etc??? I look forward to hearing from you
Lots of information on this website and lots of ways to immigrate to South Africa. Send a more detailed request to immigration@immigrationsouthafrica.org.
I got a Quota Work Permit last week but with wrong conditions.. It didn’t show the category i should work under but just to say “to work for XYZ company” of course I moved from this company long back and their letter was just for the sake of proof of experience, one of the requirement needed. Home Affairs Department needs to train its staff. Its a mess, surely.
That’s wrong for sure! What a mess!
I’m still struggling to sort out this issue.. I visited the office of application and they told me to fill a “change of conditions” form which they submitted again to Pretoria. You think this is the way of doing it?
I am Sudanese national and I would like to go to SA for live and work, what are the procedures followed to obtain permits for that?
thanx.
Hi,
Can anyone tell me where work permits get issued? Does it get issued at the home affairs office where one apply for?
thanks
It will be issued to you there, however it is all prepared and handled in Pretoria in a central hub.
my girl friend was with me here in ghana last year december until january 2011 so she invited me for holidays but now am no more working and she has invited me over to south africa for a visit for only 30 days.pls help i bought the ticket already but not enough money to show at the embassy to get my visa but she says she can take care of everything so wht documents to submit?
I called the DHA today and I was told that I can’t leave the country without forfeiting my renewal application, when the old study permit has already expired.
I applied for a work permit and my family’s spouse on 12 august 2011. I am still waiting for it. i had work permit for 3 year which is expire on 21 august 2011so reapply for work permit.But now I want to go home in India then and return early january. Will I be able to return. Will I need to go to DHA and advise of travel dates and get a receipt.
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good day
iam stiil waiting for my study permit to come out nd i need to travel out of the country.can i use the home affairs application receipt and when i come back i wont get problem at the airport since iam from a free exempt visa country?please help it is urgent.thanks
Good day,
my mom is visiting South Africa, she entered on the 2nd of April she got visa for 3 months, then she went to Home Affairs extende her visa which should be another 3 months, there was a mistake done and she has got her extention only for a month. She applied for corection which she is still waiting for, she called and they told her they are busy with it, but now she is leaving South Africa with expired visa, but home affairs are still busy with her corection, they told us she cant be in SA more then 6 months. Will they make her a problems at the border? Please i would like to ask what is she has to do now? Thank you very much