Current Status of SA Immigration Policy

The South African government is seeking to address the unintended consequences and mitigating factors relating to the implementation of the immigration legislation. It also hopes to place a greater emphasis on immigration compliance as a whole.

The South African Finance Minister, in his annual Budgetary Policy Statement in October 2016, referred to improving South Africa’s immigration policy, stating that “immigration reforms to speed up visa processing and boost tourism are under consideration.”

The Minister of Immigration has also recently deployed additional staff at South African Ports of Entry and has stated that the Department of Home Affairs is expected to increase its staff capacity for the 2018/19 financial year. This increase in staff capacity is expected to strengthen compliance measures.