🇿🇦 Work & skilled workers

The immediate change is the withdrawal of the 28 September directive, not a replacement statutory rule. The Department has said it will develop a new operational approach that complies with the Constitutional Court's order while responding to the capacity, staff-safety and public-order difficulties that arose during implementation. The withdrawal does not give refugee reception offices permission to disregard the Court's judgment. In its statement of 8 October, the government's Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration explained that the ruling prevents asylum applications from being rejected at the initial stage solely on the procedural grounds addressed by the Court. It also emphasised that applicants must still undergo the formal refugee status determination process. The government has stated that fraudulent, abusive, unfounded or otherwise ineligible applications may still be rejected through established legal procedures. People who do not qualify for protection may remain subject to lawful immigration enforcement after the relevant process has been completed. What remains unresolved is how the Department will organise intake in practice. The withdrawal statement does not explain whether revised appointment arrangements, additional processing capacity, new screening procedures or other administrative measures will be introduced. Information not available from verified sources.

Asylum seekers and refugees, previously located outside the Department of Home Affairs' office on Che Guevara Road in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, are being relocated to the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp, Gauteng. This follows engagements and agreement with affected communities. Law enforcement officers will escort the relocation, and the government will continue discussions with UNHCR about possible resettlement elsewhere.

The Department of Transport has completed the cancellation of dormant TRNs that could not be verified. The process was: The Department of Transport published an official notice on 7 August 2026. The notice targeted dormant TRNs issued between 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2023. Holders were given 30 working days to make representations. TRNs for which no representation was received, or which could not be verified, were subject to cancellation. The government confirmed that all dormant TRNs that could not be verified were cancelled on NaTIS by 4 September 2026. The measure is part of intensified enforcement under the government's Five-Point Plan on Migration Management.

South Africa has proposed amendments to the immigration-fee regulations. The amendment was published as Government Notice 7834. It appears in Government Gazette 55209. The proposal is part of the Department of Home Affairs' process for changing the fees prescribed under the Immigration Act. The proposed fees should not yet be treated as final fees. Existing fees continue to apply until the amendment legally takes effect.

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has extended a temporary concession for foreign nationals in South Africa until 30 June 2027. This concession grants temporary legal protection to those whose visa, waiver, or appeal applications are experiencing delayed processing.

The concession is extended until 30 November 2026, or until a ceasefire is declared and normal travel to the affected region fully resumes, whichever happens first. Eligible long-term visa holders can apply for a visitor's visa before expiry; visitor-visa holders who have reached their maximum validity can apply for the same visa for up to three additional months; and holders of expired temporary residence visas can submit renewal applications without first obtaining a Form 20. Eligible people with pending applications who cannot leave because of the conflict should not be declared undesirable for the resulting overstay.

The Critical Skills Work Visa is issued in accordance with the critical skills list, which was developed in conjunction with the occupations in high demand and scarce skills lists of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). It aims to assist the government in achieving National Development Plan (NDP), Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP), New Growth Plan (NGP), National Infrastructure Project, Strategic Infrastructure Projects, and Key National Strategic Projects.

The new rules establish: • A specific foreign income threshold for individuals applying for the remote work visitor visa. • Clarification on when local tax registration becomes mandatory for remote workers operating under this visa.

Current rules for this policy, plus every recorded change.

Current rules for this policy, plus every recorded change.

Current rules for this policy, plus every recorded change.

Current rules for this policy, plus every recorded change.