The Department of Home Affairs' (DHA) concession issued in December 2024, which allowed applicants who had pending visa and appeal applications, submitted in South Africa to travel and remain in the country with specific conditions, comes to an end on 31 March 2025.

Although some foreign nationals may feel uneasy about the looming deadline, it is widely expected that Dr Leon Schreiber, in his capacity as Minister of Home Affairs, will extend the concession to safeguard valid visa holders against possible consequences regarding their lawful stay in South Africa while they still await the outcome of applications legally and timeously submitted to the Department.

Since his ministerial appointment in June 2024 when the Government of National Unity (GNU) was formed, Schreiber has on two occasions extended the concession to protect affected visa holders.

Jaco Brits, Head of Immigration at Xpatweb, says the Minister's strong track record in this area suggests that another extension may be announced soon, albeit more limited than previous concessions, as the visa processing backlog that initially prompted the concession has nearly been eradicated in the past six months.

The current extension applies to long term temporary residence visa applications legally submitted in South Africa before 18 December 2024. It allows affected visa holders to continue with their activities as per their current visa conditions, and to travel in and out of the country unencumbered, with specific conditions for holders that are not from a visa-exempt country.

The concession was first necessitated in September 2022 due to the backlog in visa application processing at the DHA for submission made in South Africa. It has since been extended four times.

The eradication of the visa backlog, which dated back some 10 years, is to be commended and speaks of the Minister’s responsiveness and willingness to address historic issues at the once embattled DHA.

Earlier this year at an event celebrating this achievement, Schreiber said for years many believed that Home Affairs was beyond redemption, with some people even renaming it to “Hell Affairs”. 

The success with visa processing will help restore the public’s faith that South Africa itself can make progress, he said at the time.

Under Schreiber’s leadership the DHA reached important milestones and introduced several encouraging reforms to the visa regime. He has been consistent about his vision for efficient service delivery by embracing modern technological solutions and improving access to the department’s services.

He has on several occasions committed to positioning the DHA as a powerful engine for economic growth, acknowledging the importance of highly skilled foreign professionals and how they can contribute to the South African economy. 

The extension of the current concession beyond 31 March 2025 will further strengthen this message.

Written by Xpatweb