Article Posted: 21 April 2022 by Grant Buckle
As part of President Ramaphosa’s R2 trillion investment target, the president undertook to streamline and visa application process and reduce the timeframe for obtaining visas.
This has resulted in some immediate and welcome changes to the visa application process.
On the 11th of April 2023, The Minister of Home Affairs, issue an Immigration Directive waiving the requirement for Radiological Reports for temporary residence visas as well as permanent residence applications. The specific visa types that no longer require radiological reports are long-term visitor’s visas, study visas, treaty visas, business visas, crew visas, relative visas, work visas, retired person visas as well as exchange visas.
Strictly speaking, the only temporary residence application that still requires a radiological report is a corporate visa in terms of Section 21 of the Immigration Act of 2002. It’s unclear whether this is an oversight or an intentional omission.
All types of permanent residence applications have had their radiological report requirements waived.
The Minister also relaxed the requirements for police clearance certificates for temporary residence and permanent residence applications. Police clearance certificates are only required from countries where the applicant has resided for 12 months or more within the last 5 years and only after turning 18. Previously, police clearance certificates were required for every country the applicant had resided in since turning 18.
Both these changes will go a long way to streamline the visa application process.
Here is a link to the directive itself: