South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs presented a series of sweeping enhancements to its Trusted Employer Scheme (TES), a move set to dramatically modernise the country’s corporate immigration landscape.

The presentation was made during a TES stakeholder engagement session on 22 May 2025, where updates were shared with existing TES employers and business representatives. Among the most groundbreaking changes is the move toward a fully digitised visa application process for trusted employers.

“This is a bold and encouraging step that will bring South Africa’s work visa processes on par with, and in some areas exceed, those of many first-world nations,” said Marisa Jacobs, Managing Director of Xpatweb and the Organised Business representative on the Minister of Home Affairs’ Immigration Advisory Board, who attended the session.

“The elimination of in-person visa submissions will remove one of the biggest systemic hurdles faced by employers and expatriates alike. This barrier has been exceptionally difficult to resolve due to its widespread nature, but digitisation provides a practical and scalable solution.”

The new system is said to enable approved employers to submit applications directly online, mirroring the existing Trusted Travel Operator Scheme (TTOS).

The second round of the TES is due to launch in July 2025. This is welcomed as big corporations, which are currently recognised as Trusted Employers, testified to the significant benefits during the first round. Companies saw highly skilled foreign professionals having their visas to work in South Africa approved within days, compared to months, before the scheme was introduced.

Key enhancements and considerations discussed include: 

• Round 2 of the TES will provide a new online portal for submissions.
• TES employers would gain access to submit Critical Skills Visa (CSV), Intra Company Transfers (ICT), and General Work Visa (GWV) applications online, bypassing the need for foreign nationals to apply in person at missions.
• A proposal to continue exemptions from SAQA and DOL requirements for the GWV for TES members, insulating them from the broader Points-Based System, is under review.
• A suggestion will be tabled to allow spouses of TES CSV holders access to work, expanding the attractiveness of South Africa as a destination for global mobile talent.
• The TES will also be extended to include more dedicated support for Permanent Residence applications, waivers, and appeals, to meet adjudication timelines.
• Employers will be invited to sponsor graduates through a R200,000 per annum programme administered by Business Leadership South Africa, aimed at boosting immigration capacity.

Jacobs highlighted the importance of the July intake window, where new employers will have an opportunity to apply for TES status, subject to meeting the Department’s qualifying criteria.

“This development is a game-changer not only for companies already admitted to the TES, but for South African employers more broadly,” she said. “Now is the time for eligible organisations to prepare their application and secure their place within a future-ready immigration framework.”

With the combination of policy reform, digital innovation, and a clear path for public-private collaboration, the Trusted Employer Scheme is being positioned as a cornerstone for unlocking South Africa’s economic potential through skills-based immigration.

Companies who require information about applying to be part of the Trusted Employer Scheme or who are trying to understand how these changes will affect their organisation, should seek assistance from a trusted service provider. 

Submitted by Xpatweb