Scribd
Upload
114 views3 pages

How To Apply For Permanent Residence in South Africa

There are seven types of permanent residence permits available in South Africa, including permits for relatives of citizens or permanent residents, spouses or life partners of citizens or permanent residents, those with five years of continuous work, critical skills workers, business owners, retirees receiving R37,000 per month, and those with R12 million in assets. To apply for most permits, basic documents are required like photos, medical certificates, police clearances, birth/marriage certificates, and documents proving eligibility under the permit category. It is recommended but not required to use an immigration professional to assist with applications as the process can be difficult but not impossible to complete alone.

Uploaded by

Muhammad Tahir
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
114 views3 pages

How To Apply For Permanent Residence in South Africa

There are seven types of permanent residence permits available in South Africa, including permits for relatives of citizens or permanent residents, spouses or life partners of citizens or permanent residents, those with five years of continuous work, critical skills workers, business owners, retirees receiving R37,000 per month, and those with R12 million in assets. To apply for most permits, basic documents are required like photos, medical certificates, police clearances, birth/marriage certificates, and documents proving eligibility under the permit category. It is recommended but not required to use an immigration professional to assist with applications as the process can be difficult but not impossible to complete alone.

Uploaded by

Muhammad Tahir
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

HOW TO APPLY FOR PERMANENT

RESIDENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA-


If you’re planning on making sunny South Africa home for the long haul, then you may want to consider
permanent residency. You don’t necessarily need a previous visa to apply, and the freedom and rights
you’re entitled to as a permanent resident far outweigh those granted to temporary residents.

 DIFFERENT TYPES OF PERMANENT RESIDENCE PERMITS IN SOUTH AFRICA-

In total there are seven different types of permanent residence permits in South Africa:

1. Relatives Permanent Residence Permit South Africa: if you’re a biological relative of a South
African citizen or a foreigner with a South African permanent residence permit, then you qualify to
apply for this type of permit. Children who are legally adopted also qualify.

2. Spousal/Life Partner Permanent Residence Permit South Africa: if you’re married to or in a


permanent relationship with a South African citizen or a foreigner with a South African permanent
residence permit, then you qualify to apply for this permit. This category applies to both same-sex
couples and those in heterosexual relationships. If applying for a permit in this category, it’s
necessary to prove that you’ve been married or cohabitating for a minimum of five years.

3. Five Years Continuous Work Permanent Residence Permit South Africa: if you can prove
that you’ve worked continuously in South Africa for five years under a specific type of work visa
and have permanent employment, then you should qualify to apply for this type of permanent
residence permit.

4. Critical Skills Permanent Residence Permit South Africa: if you already hold a critical skills
temporary work visa, can prove you have five years of experience in your field and have a
permanent job offer in South Africa, you can apply for this type of permit.

5. Business Permanent Residence Permit South Africa: if you already have a business
temporary residence visa, can prove that 60% of your workforce is made up of South Africans or
permanent residents, have invested the prescribed amount (R5 million) into the book value of the
business and have met the compliance requirements (i.e. registered with SARS, UIF, etc), then
you may qualify to apply for this permit. Do note: you’ll also need to get the Department of Trade
and Industry to give the go-ahead that your business is in the national interest of South Africa.

6. Retirement Permanent Residence Permit South Africa: if you are planning to retire or chill out
in South Africa and can prove that you receive a life-long monthly income equivalent to R37,000 a
month from pensions, retirement annuities or property rentals, then you qualify to apply for this
permit. Note there is no age minimum attached to this permit.

7. Financially Independent Permanent Residence Permit South Africa: if you have the
equivalent of R12 million worth of global net assets, then you qualify to apply for this permit.
Though, this right comes at a pretty penny: the fee is R120,000.

 PERMANENT RESIDENCE PERMIT WITHOUT EVER HAVING HAD A TEMPORARY


RESIDENCY VISA IN SOUTH AFRICA-

With the exception of business permits, five years continuous work permits and critical skills permits.
Many people choose to file both temporary residence visa and permanent residence permit applications
simultaneously (note: you need to file two separate applications). People do this because temporary
residence visas take a shorter time to process.

 BASIC DOCUMENTS I NEED TO APPLY FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN SOUTH


AFRICA-

 Two passport photographs


 A medical certificate that’s no older than six months
 A radiological certificate that’s no older than six months
 Police clearances that are no older than six months from all countries in which you’ve lived for
more than 12 months
 Birth certificate
 Marriage certificate, if applicable
 Death certificate, if you’re widowed
 Divorce certificate, if applicable
 Eligibility documents (vary depending on permit category)

FAQS ABOUT PERMANENT RESIDENCE AND WORK PERMIT APPLICATION IN SOUTH AFRICA-

 HAVING A CRIMINAL RECORD COULD I STILL QUALIFY TO BECOME A SOUTH AFRICAN


PERMANENT RESIDENT?

Unless you’ve been convicted of a serious crime, like murder, rape or drug trafficking, then, generally, you
still qualify to become a South African permanent resident. For instance, the South African Department of
Home Affairs often does not consider traffic offenses or drunken driving charges reason to deem you an
undesirable person. Note though that any offense that renders the applicant “not of good and sound
character” like the act demands, recorded on your police clearance, means you should seek advice from
an immigration consultant.

 HAVING TUBERCULOSIS (TB) DO I QUALIFY FOR SOUTH AFRICAN PERMANENT


RESIDENCY?

No. TB is considered an infectious disease and deems you a prohibited and undesirable person. You are
not eligible to apply.

 WHERE CAN I APPLY FOR A PERMANENT RESIDENCY PERMIT AND WHAT IS THE
PROCESSING TIME?
You can apply for a permanent residency permit in your country of origin, residence or in South Africa. If
you apply in your country of origin or residence, you must do so at a South African embassy or consulate;
processing time is around 18 to 24 months. If you apply in South Africa, you must do so at a Visa
Application Centre (VAC). These bodies are run and managed by the company Visa Facilitation Services
(VFS); do not apply at a Department of Home Affairs office. In-country processing time is between 18 and
24 months.

 IF I’VE APPLIED FOR A PERMANENT RESIDENCE PERMIT, BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN
OUTCOME ON MY APPLICATION, CAN I LEGALLY REMAIN IN SOUTH AFRICA?

No. In this case, you can only legally remain in South Africa if you hold a valid temporary residence or
work visa. If you do not hold a valid visa while you are waiting on the outcome of your permanent
residence permit application, you will be deemed an undesirable person. This means you can’t collect
your permanent residence permit even if it is approved and that if you leave the country, you will be
banned from entering again according to a time period corresponding to how long you’ve overstayed your
visa. To avoid this, it’s recommended to apply for a temporary residence or work visa renewal while
waiting on the outcome of your permanent residency permit application.

 DO I HAVE TO STAY IN SOUTH AFRICA ONCE I BECOME A PERMANENT RESIDENT?

No. You have complete freedom of movement. In fact, you can even live abroad for some time. You only
need to be present in South Africa once in every three years to maintain your status.

 IS IT TOO DIFFICULT TO APPLY FOR A PERMANENT RESIDENCE PERMIT ON MY OWN,


WITHOUT THE HELP OF IMMIGRATION PROFESSIONAL?

It's difficult, but not impossible. It’s a process that comes with frustrating waiting times and a certain
degree of confusion. For this reason, it’s easier to employ an immigration professional to carry the burden
of application.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy