Major visa changes for South Africa

South Africa’s Trusted Employer Scheme (TES) will introduce a fully digitised visa application process and other significant reforms to streamline work visa approvals, ease employer burdens, and attract global talent.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Njabulo Nzuza explained that, according to the 2022 Operation Vulindlela Work Visa Review Report, South Africa’s work visa policies provide a strong foundation for enabling skills to enter the country.

“However, the work visa review has shown that the unpredictable nature of visa adjudications reduces how well existing policies can serve their intended function,” Nzuza said.

The Operation Vulindlela Review proposed several interventions to address this challenge, including the Trusted Employer Scheme.

“A Trusted Employer Scheme system allows a country to more easily attract skills and manage immigration, particularly when they process high volumes of applications.”

“Operation Vulindlela recommended that South Africa should introduce a trusted-employer scheme to allow employers to be vetted and approved in advance and reduce the administrative burden for visa applications.”

Nzuza said that, under a trusted-employer scheme, an entity looking to employ skilled foreign labour would undergo a review.

This will assess its fitness to import skills against established criteria, such as compliance with tax rules and labour regulations.

The trusted employer would then have access to an easier route for employing a determined number of skilled foreign nationals from outside the country. They would also be subject to reduced requirements for each visa application.

A presentation was given during a TES stakeholder engagement session on 22 May 2025, where updates were shared with existing TES employers and business representatives.

Marisa Jacobs, managing director of Xpatweb and the organised business representative for the Minister of Home Affairs Immigration Advisory Board, attended the session.

Jacobs explained that among the most groundbreaking changes is the move toward a fully digitised visa application process for trusted employers.

Modernising immigration

“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,” Jacobs said.

Eliminating in-person visa submissions will remove one of the biggest systemic hurdles employers and expatriates face.

“This barrier has been exceptionally difficult to resolve due to its widespread nature, but digitisation provides a practical and scalable solution.”

The new system enables 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 recognised as Trusted Employers testified to the significant benefits during the first round.

Companies saw highly skilled foreign professionals’ visas to work in South Africa approved within days, compared to months before the scheme was introduced.

Key enhancements and considerations discussed for the next phase of the TES include several significant developments.

Round 2 of the TES will introduce a new online submission portal, allowing TES employers to submit Critical Skills Visa (CSV), Intra-Company Transfers (ICT), and General Work Visa (GWV) applications online.

Jacobs explained that this change would eliminate the need for foreign nationals to apply in person at South African missions.

Additionally, a proposal is under review to continue exemptions from South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and Department of Labour (DOL) requirements for the GWV for TES members.

This will shield them from the broader Points-Based System. Another recommendation aims to allow spouses of TES CSV holders to work in South Africa, thereby enhancing the country’s appeal as a destination for globally mobile talent.

The TES will also be expanded to offer more dedicated support for Permanent Residence applications, waivers, and appeals to help meet adjudication timelines.

Employers will also be invited to sponsor graduates through a R200,000 per annum programme managed by Business Leadership South Africa, which aims to increase immigration processing capacity.

Jacobs stressed the importance of the July intake window, where new employers can 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 TES is positioned as a cornerstone for unlocking South Africa’s economic potential through skills-based immigration.

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