The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has created a one-stop shop for business applications to give effect to the recommendations of its visa reform initiative.
The one-stop shop, which is known as the Trusted Employer Scheme (TES), was created with the view to streamlining the visa regime and a speedy processing of visa applications. The Trusted Employer Scheme was launched on the 11th of October 2023. To qualify for membership, an employer, investor, or business needs to demonstrate that it has the financial strength to employ a foreign national, that it runs training programmes for South African Citizens and that it is a good corporate citizen.
It is one of the latest developments in the review and streamlining of South Africa’s visa regime to attract skills for the South African economy and to promote tourism.
“With the Trusted Employer Scheme, the 22 weeks’ average visa process will be reduced to an average of 20 days thereby making it easier for employers to plan their recruitment and on-board expats into local operations within a shorter time. This is one scheme that will allow South Africa to more easily attract skills and manage immigration, particularly in the processing of applications for senior executives, technical personnel, corporate employees and investors. This will happen while we continue to observe and respect existing immigration laws,” said Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.
The TES brings the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, Department of Employment and Labour and Department of Home Affairs under a single system to finalise applications for companies that apply for critical skills through the TES.
Within the new scheme, business will qualify for priority processing of their visa applications due to the reduced requirements and supporting documents, in contrast to the previous process.
A total of 108 qualifying companies have submitted representing a diverse set of sectors including commerce and finance, consultancy, energy (power generation and renewable energy), services and advisory, automotive, advanced manufacturing, resourced based industries, food and beverages. Thus far the department has approved 68 applications.
All local applications will be processed through the Corporate Accounts Unit which was established in February 2010 to facilitate work visa applications for large companies and corporations. Applications submitted abroad will also be expedited due to the reduced requirements.
The Trusted Employer Scheme is one of the eight recommendations that were initiated by the Department in partnership with the Operation Vulindlela team as part of the work visa review that was conducted to identify inefficiencies in the visa application process. Since the review, the Department has implemented;
- the introduction of a Trusted Employer Scheme (TES), this scheme was introduced in October 2023;
- streamlining documentation requirements and adjudication processes, radiology report requirements have been removed, requirement for professional body registration for lecturers have also been removed and police clearance is only required for 12 months where an applicant has stayed;
- modernising IT systems and introducing automation. More recently the department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and a secure IT system will be provided for the Trusted Employer Scheme;
- expanding human resources capacity in the Immigration Services Branch, the department has submitted a revised business case to National Treasury (NT) and is working on a partnership with the private sector to expand capacity for Immigration Services. Details of this partnership will be announced soon;
- upgrading the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) database;
- updating the Critical Skills List more frequently, with the updated Critical Skills list published on 3 October 2023. This was after it was revised in February and August 2021 and will be regularly updated to consider new emerging skills;
- the point-based system on the awarding of certain types of visas was included in the published Draft Second Amendment of the Immigration Regulations, 2014 on 08 February 2024 for public comments;
- the introduction of new visa categories to cater for remote workers and start-ups. These visa categories are in the gazette published in the Draft Second Amendment of the Immigration Regulations, 2014 on 08 February 2024 for public comments.
“We have prioritised implementation of the recommendations of the Operation Vulindlela Report, including introducing a Trusted Employer Scheme, fully convinced that they will usher in a new and improved way of dealing with visas. Interventions in this regard include the Remote Working Visa and the point-based system on the awarding of certain types of visas,” said Minister Motsoaledi.
Members of the public and stakeholders are encouraged to submit written comments on the Draft Second Amendment of the Immigration Regulations, 2014. The closing date for submission of public comments is 29 March 2024.
Interested people can access the gazette on the link below:
Media Enquiries
Thabo Mokgola – 060 962 4982 (Spokesperson for the Minister of Home Affairs)
