SAQA Certificate Waiver Error Corrected: Home Affairs Minister Announces New Technical Directive to Accelerate Work Visa Process for ZEP Holders
In a move aimed at simplifying and accelerating the work permit application process for Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) holders, South Africa’s Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, has introduced a new technical directive.
Correction of Previous Oversight
The new technical directive builds on a previous waiver, established by former Minister Aaron Motsoaledi in 2022, which allowed ZEP holders to bypass certain certification requirements when applying for mainstream work visas.
The waiver, aimed at smoothing the transition from the ZEP program, inadvertently excluded the SAQA certificate requirement from notifications sent to ZEP holders. This oversight created delays and confusion among home affairs officials, hindering the application process.
Minister Schreiber acknowledged this issue and emphasized the need for correction.
“This defeated the purpose of the waiver, as it created a bottleneck with home affairs officials unsure of how to process the applications.”
To address the problem, the necessary amendment was officially published last Wednesday.
Minister Schreiber stated that the new directive is intended to address procedural delays and facilitate a smoother transition for those affected by the phase-out of the exemption program.
A legal opinion further confirmed that this oversight needed to be corrected through a technical amendment issued via a circular,” Minister Schreiber stated.
Correction Aims to Fast-Track ZEP to Work Visa Process
Furthermore, Minister Schreiber emphasized that the correction will facilitate a quicker transition from the ZEP to mainstream work visas for applicants who contribute to the economy and meet legal requirements.
“Thanks to this correction, we hope to speed up the process of migrating away from the ZEP towards mainstream work visas for applicants who contribute to the economy and qualify in terms of the law.
It should be noted that the waiver only enables ZEP holders to submit applications more speedily and does not influence the subsequent outcome of any application. All relevant criteria must still be met for a specific application to be successful,” Schreiber clarified.
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The post South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Announces New Technical Directive to Speed Up Work Permit Process for Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) Holders appeared first on iHarare News.
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