Authored by: Marisa Jacobs, Director at Xpatweb
The Coronavirus outbreak has impacted many foreign nationals finding themselves at the end of the validity of their Intra Company Transfer Work Visas or Short-Term Visas and in need to travel back to their home country to apply for new visas to extend their stay. In response to growing reports about the severity of the virus, The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) in February issued a Directive for Chinese Nationals allowing them to renew their visas in SA in the short term. Since the issuance of the directive, more countries have become affected and which has consequently resulted in increasing travel restrictions; as we are now at ‘Global Pandemic’ level. Consistent with this Directive, we would not be surprised if the DHA extends this temporary concession to cover all Eastern countries in line with the Directive issued for Chinese nationals. The current Directive accordingly permits Chinese nationals who are still within South Africa, to extend their stay on a short-term temporary basis until 31 July 2020. This Directive further includes the following qualifying criteria -
Whilst there are many foreign nationals and employers who hold the view that a work visa process is a daunting process, this is simply not true. The problem cases are mostly attributable to the incorrect process being followed, protocols not observed and in isolated cases certain Department of International Relations staff, who are not correctly following the process. These perceived obstacles are easily overcome with a properly motivated business case and following the correct channels. The DHA holds wide discretionary powers to serve the interests of all South Africans, and with the imperative of keeping South Africa safe and protecting foreign investments; this quick ‘thinking on their feet’ shows that South Africa becoming more investor friendly, a move we applaud. Click here to view the current Directive applicable to Chinese nationals. ENDS MEDIA CONTACT: Rosa-Mari Le Roux, 060 995 6277, rosa-mari@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za ABOUT Xpatweb: HOLISTIC EXPATRIATE SOLUTIONS The Xpatweb group has been in existence for over 14 years and includes over 90 professionals, including immigration specialists, mobility practitioners, tax practitioners, attorneys, and chartered accountants. They offer holistic, client-centric, and fully compliant expatriate and work visa solutions. Clients can expect an exceptional end-to-end service that starts with an initial technical meeting to discuss any past challenges, a recommended optimal solution, and the creation of a roadmap and protocol for service delivery. They also offer an on-premises immigration audit service to confirm expatriate employees hold legally obtained, valid visas, and that their duties align with their visa conditions. In addition, their unique online immigration tracking system helps you to easily manage and track expatriate assignees across the globe, is fully customisable and dashboard-driven, and provides a secure repository for storing assignees’ documents. For more information on Xpatweb please visit: Website: http://www.xpatweb.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/work-permit-south-africa/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/xpatweb/
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