Important visa extension for foreigners living in South Africa

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has extended its visa concession by 15 months to 30 June 2027, allowing affected foreign nationals to remain in the country legally while application backlogs are being cleared.

Foreign nationals in South Africa have faced uncertainty while awaiting the outcome of their long-pending visa, waiver, and appeal applications.

Now, they have been granted welcome and unexpected relief by the DHA, allowing them to remain in the country under the concession for a further 15 months.

On several previous occasions, the DHA extended the visa concession for six months at a time, bringing renewed uncertainty among those affected every time the deadline approached.

Applicants affected are now protected until 30 June 2027. The DHA announced the extension on 30 March 2026, less than 24 hours before the current concession was set to end.

The visa concession was first introduced in 2022 to protect lawfully present foreign nationals from falling into undesirable status or from overstaying their visa conditions while the DHA cleared the visa processing backlog.

In his announcement, Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said the department has made significant progress in addressing historic backlogs in its visa and permit regime.

The department’s focus on developing and implementing the innovative Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system has required a significant allocation of time and resources.

The ETA has already been launched to a limited audience and is expected to be expanded in the near future to enhance operational efficiencies.

“The department recognises South Africa is a popular destination of choice for many,” Schreiber explained in his announcement.

“Given this high interest and the interventions of the department to cleanse the stigma of corruption in this area, not all applications submitted to the department have been able to be finalised timeously.”

Affected submissions include waiver, visa and appeal applications. Xpatweb’s head of immigration, Jaco Brits, welcomed the extension.

“We are thankful for the concession as it creates certainty for our clients affected by pending outcomes. This will safeguard many families impacted,” Brits said.

He congratulated the DHA on the progress made in implementing ETA and on the important work so far to eradicate corruption.

The immigration industry had anticipated further relief to prevent lawfully present foreigners from contravening their visa conditions when their documents expire, while outcomes from the DHA remain pending.

Legal status protected until 30 June 2027

According to Immigration Directive 7 of 2026, all affected parties will be able to stay in South Africa legally until 30 June 2027.

Several temporary measures will also apply with effect from 1 April 2026. First, waiver applicants can leave and re-enter South Africa without penalties.

This will enable the department to process the applications, allow applicants to collect their outcomes, and, if successful, subsequently submit applications for appropriate visas.

Those applicants who wish to abandon their waiver applications may leave permanently on or before 30 June 2027 without being declared undesirable under the Immigration Act.

On the other hand, non-visa-exempt nationals will need a port-of-entry visa to return. Visa applicants with pending long-term visas must stick to their existing visa conditions.

Those who need to travel while awaiting the outcome of their long-term visa application will be allowed to depart and re-enter South Africa up to and including 30 June 2027 without being declared undesirable.

Non-visa-exempt nationals will also require a port-of-entry visa to return. Applicants with pending appeals are not permitted to engage in any activity beyond what the current visa conditions allow.

They will be able to travel and return to South Africa without penalties. These applicants must carry proof of appeal (a rejection letter and a submission receipt) when travelling.

The concession applies only to applicants who were legally admitted to South Africa and who submitted an application in South Africa through VFS Global.

It does not extend to applicants for Permanent Residence (PR) Permit applications or to affected parties who are still awaiting outcomes for their PR applications.

These applicants must maintain their valid temporary residence status in South Africa at all times while awaiting their outcomes.

The latest extension provides important continuity, allowing the DHA additional time to finalise outstanding applications while ensuring that affected individuals are not unfairly prejudiced by administrative delays.

Brits said that by allowing eligible applicants to remain in South Africa while their applications are being finalised, the concession plays an important role in maintaining stability for both individuals and employers.

“The continued extension of the concession reflects an ongoing commitment to balancing immigration control with the country’s broader economic needs, while affording fairness to affected applicants,” he said.

While the extension provides the necessary relief, applicants and employers are encouraged to remain proactive and familiarise themselves with the updated conditions.