"Education is social progress, education is growth, education is not preparation for life but life itself"
Immigration
Study Visa
Any student, who is not a South African citizen or a permanent residence in South Africa, must be in possession of a study visa in order to register at the University. It may take up to three months to obtain a study visa and prospective international students are advised to apply as early as possible.
As from May 2014 the new immigration Act requires all international students applying for study permits in South African to apply through VSF Global through online services www.vfsglobal.com/dha/southafrica/.VSF online services includes;
1. Study Visa
2. Study Renewal Visa
3. Visitors Visa
4. Critical Skills Visa
5. General Work Visa amongst other services
All applications for study visas need to be submitted at the South African embassy or consulate for your country of origin. You cannot apply for a new study visa /change of visa within South Africa's borders.
How to apply for a Study Visa
The applicant must first apply and be accepted by the University of choice before they may apply for a study visa. For this, the applicant needs a provisional admission/acceptance letter from the University .Students will not be able to obtain a valid study visa without an admission letter.
Documents required for a Study Visa / Study Visa Renewal
1. An original letter of acceptance from the university
2. A valid passport
3. Proof of comprehensive medical insurance
4. Proof of accommodation
5. A Radiology Report not older than 6 months
6. A medical report not older than 6 months
7. Police clearance certificate issued by the police
8. The student must have proof of sufficient funds to pay for day-to-day living expenses, as well as tuition fees during his/her stay in South Africa.
Work or Business Visa
ENDORSEMENT FOR PART-TIME STUDIES FOR HOLDERS OF GENERAL, CRITICAL SKILLS, INTRA-COMPANY TRANSFER WORK VISAS AND BUSINESS VISAS
Please be informed that with effect from the 1st of May 2015 a holder of a valid temporary residence visa issued for the categories mentioned below will be allowed to register and undertake part-time studies with Institutions of Higher Learning as defined by the Immigration Regulations of the Immigration Act, 2002 (Act No. 13 of 2002) during the validity period of their respective visas.
a. General work visa;
b. Critical skills work visa;
c. Intra-company transfer work visa; and
d. Business visa;
The holders of the above-listed categories of temporary residence visas will no longer be required to submit requests to the Department for “endorsement “of study as a secondary activity. This provision allows for part-time study ONLY. Institutions of Higher Learning registered with the Department of Higher Education are advised not to allow these categories of applicants to study full time on these visas.
The duration of the course/qualification must not exceed the period of validity of the primary visa. A register of such learners must be kept by the institution of learning and be made available to the Inspectorate of the Department of Home Affairs for inspection when required. This Directive replaces the secondary activity endorsements for study as previously provided for in Directive 31 of 2008
To apply for an endorsement, you will have to undertake the following process:
Go to the VFS website www.vfsglobal.com/dha/southafrica/
It will take you to the next page where you will be required to select the following options:
Click "Submit" to complete the transaction.
Create a ‘User Profile’ for new users. If you have an existing account ‘login’
For the appointment take:
Asylum Seeker
He/She is a person who has fled his or her country of origin and is seeking recognition and protection as a refugee in the Republic of South Africa, and whose application is still under consideration.
In case of a negative decision on his application, he has to leave the country voluntarily or will be deported.
Eligibility Procedure: Asylum Seeker
- A section 23 permit
- Any proof of identification from the country of origin
- A travel document if in possession of one
- Applicant’s fingerprints taken in the prescribed manner
- Interpreter if secured (if necessary)
- First interview conducted by a Refugee Reception Officer (RRO) and BI- 1590 form duly completed
- Applicant’s data and image captured in the refugee system
- An Asylum Seeker’s permit (a section 22 permit) is printed, signed, stamped and issued to the Asylum Seeker
Refugee
He/She is a person who has been granted asylum status and protection in terms of the section 24 of Refugee Act No 130 of 1998.
Under the 1951 United Nations Convention, a refugee can be a “convention refugee” who has left his home country and has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or a membership in a particular social group.
Under the same convention, a refugee can also be a person “in need of protection” whose removal to his home country would subject him personally to a danger of torture or to a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.
Role of the Government of the Republic of South Africa
The Government of the Republic of South Africa has an obligation to grant protection to refugees and other persons in need of protection under a number of UN Conventions such as the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
However, Convention refugees and persons in need of protection based on a risk to life, or a cruel and unusual treatment must have faced personally the risk all the way through in the country in question.
Click here to view more information regarding Refugee status
Permanent Residency
General Information
Applications for permanent residency in South Africa are considered in terms of Section 26 (Direct Residency Permits) and Section 27 (Residency-on-Other-Grounds Permits) of the Immigration Act 2002 (Act No 13 of 2002), and read with Regulation 33 of the Immigration Regulations. In terms of granting Permanent Residency Permits, emphasis is placed on immigrants who are in a position to make a meaningful contribution to broadening the economic base of South Africa.
In order to make an application for a permanent residency permit, applicants must first submit representation to the Minister of Home Affairs motivating why he or she should be declared not to be a prohibited person or an undesirable person.
You may be considered a prohibited person if:
You may be deemed to be an undesirable person if:
It is only after the Minister of Home Affairs has declared a prospective immigrant not to be a prohibited/undesirable person, that an application for permanent residency status can be submitted.
Once you have received a positive response from the Minister of Home Affairs, you may submit an application for either a Direct Residency Permit or a Residency-on-Other-Grounds Permit.
Direct residence permits
This category of permit is applicable to foreigners who have been residing in South Africa on the basis of their work permits for a minimum period of five years, their spouses and also to dependents of South African citizens/permanent residence permit holders.
To apply for a direct residency permit you need to complete Form BI-947.
Residency-on-other-grounds permits
This category of permits applies to foreigners who:
You can apply for all Permanent Residency Permits at the Department of Home Affairs, at the nearest office in the South African province in which you intend to live and work. Alternatively, if you are based overseas, you can apply at your nearest South African embassy, mission or cunsulate in the country in which you live.
An attorney, advocate or immigration practitioner can make the application on your behalf (note that the immigration practitioner must be registered with the Association of Immigration Practitioners of South Africa (AIPSA).
Where applicable, a non-refundable fee is payable on submission of your application (spouses as per Section 26(b), dependent as per sections 26(c) and refugees as per Section 27(d) are excluded).
In addition to completing and submitting Form BI-947, you must also provide the following documentation:
Additional documents are applicable to the different immigration categories and these are listed in the permanent residence application Form BI-947.
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