# No record of me being in South Africa



## NoAngel (Jan 25, 2014)

Hi
I visited my fiancé in South Africa from Australia in October 2013 for 3 weeks my travel visa was valid until the 24th January 2014, I came back to South Africa on the 5th December 2013 to be with my fiancé as he is applying to come to Australia for work for 2yrs, at the airport they stamped my passport and put the same expire date in which I didn't notice until a week ago. 

I thought it automatically started a new 90 days, my error. I went to home affairs office in springs over a week ago with all my documents to apply to extend but after the three hour wait the lady checked my passport on her computer and told me there is no record of me re entering the country and made a joke that I could do what I wanted as I'm not here. How can I be in this country and not be on the system?

I have googled trying to find the right authorities to contact but I've not had much luck and when I finally got hold of springs office manager on the phone he said he wasn't in the office and the right authorities need to be contacted but I wasn't told who to contact.

Any advise would be much appreciated I'm at a loss on one hand awesome I'm not "here" no visa dramas, but what happens in the future when I travel home to Australia and then want to return to South Africa. Our future plans are to live in South Africa.


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## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

I would play safe and not overstay.... I am not sure how HA operates ( not!)
Personally find it quite distressing that people cannot do their work or do not care to provide the public with proper service.

Currently, Australian and New Zealand passport holders do not need visas to visit South Africa if the purpose of the visit is for holidays and the duration of the intended stay is for 90 days or less.


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## 2fargone (Jun 14, 2011)

Ugh so annoying and typical of HA! I agree 100% don't over stay. Especially if you are thinking of staying in S.A.

Could you maybe do a quick run to another country and then come back in South Africa? So hopefully you will be back in the system, and you can make sure they put the correct date in your passport.

Someone else might have more advise. But that is what I might do.


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## NoAngel (Jan 25, 2014)

They told me to go see them next week and if they manage to get me in the system they will accept my application for extension, we had planned to fly to Australia on February the 2nd but my fiancé visa is becoming a nightmare. I've read doing the border jump thing doesn't always work out good. 
Hopefully they will work out I passed through the airport and the guy that stamped my passport may of forgot to enter me in his computer as he was quiet busy chatting and dancing, apparently not a welcome dance..

Thank you for your advise


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## 2fargone (Jun 14, 2011)

NoAngel said:


> They told me to go see them next week and if they manage to get me in the system they will accept my application for extension, we had planned to fly to Australia on February the 2nd but my fiancé visa is becoming a nightmare. I've read doing the border jump thing doesn't always work out good.
> Hopefully they will work out I passed through the airport and the guy that stamped my passport may of forgot to enter me in his computer as he was quiet busy chatting and dancing, apparently not a welcome dance..
> 
> Thank you for your advise


Yeah sometimes the border crossing doesn't always give you the days you want. I think it depends on who you get and what kind of a mood he/she is in.

You mentioned fiance visa. Are you applying for life partner permit? If you are going to Australia you should maybe apply there instead of in S.A. it will be MUCH faster.


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## NoAngel (Jan 25, 2014)

Yes I think applying once we are in Australia would be a lot easier, he has an agent doing his work and live in Australia visa it seems to make life better not having to deal with it. It's funny the springs HA office phones are busy even when they are closed and the office manager won't reply to messages left on his mobile phone. Maybe I should contact the high commission in Pretoria again. Someone has to get me back on the system.


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## Native Texan (Apr 29, 2011)

You never know about HA, the last time I entered the country, in November, they said that according to their computer, I had never left and was currently 140 days over my allotted visa stay. I did raise the point that I was entering the country at the airport and had just flown in from the USA. I showed them my exit stamp for my last trip back to the USA in my visa but this just seemed to confuse them more. After talking with no less than 6 officials in one of the little rooms at immigration control and not having any consensus between them, they just gave me a new 90 days and said to contact HA to get it sorted out. Since HA has never gotten back to me for any of my extension requests, I am just hoping it will not be a problem later this week when I return to the USA again. I may take up the issue with the HA people in the USA while I am back there.


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## NoAngel (Jan 25, 2014)

I spoke with an I agrarian lawyer he advised me to cross a border and see how it goes so I will try that next Friday and fingers crossed I will pay a fine and get an extension. I can't keep talking with HA people it's an ongoing circle they won't accept my extension application as it's now late but wouldn't accept it before the expiry date because I'm not showing in their computer. I will up date with the results thank you all for your advise.


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## Native Texan (Apr 29, 2011)

Left for the USA on Tuesday, at ORT the computer said I had overstayed my visa but for only two days this time. The guys simply did a system override and all was well. My visa clearly stated that it was not expired and I still had two days left on it when the computer said it was two days past expiration. All ended well.


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## hedgehog1 (Sep 21, 2013)

This has happened to me too. Went to SA in Oct 13 for 3 weeks and my sister was told the computer stated she'd never left the country which was of course impossible since she had just flown in!! After confusion, she was allowed in. I flew entered the country again in Nov and had the same problem. Again I flew into SA earlier this month (Feb 14) and was told I had to fine of R1000 for overstaying my last stay which is rubbish. had a real trouble this time to get through as I was determined not to pay a huge fine I wasn't liable for. Very difficult people to deal with. When I left 2 weeks later, I asked the guy to specifically ensure that he stamp my passport clearly so I never had this problem again. HE TOLD ME THIS TYPE OF MISTAKE CANNOT HAPPEN AS ALL MY ENTIRES AND EXITS WERE CLEARLY ON THE COMPUTER. Pretty much, the others were trying for a bribe!
I' will still ensure that every time I leave the country, that I get my passport clearly stamped, but I thought that what the guy told me may be of interest to you hopefully?


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## Native Texan (Apr 29, 2011)

I did have a small bit of drama as I left the country again in February. The guy said the computer was showing I had overstayed and I asked how long it said I had overstayed this time, expecting it to be a huge number but he said only two days. I showed him the stamp on my passport which showed that I still had two days left and he just smiled and said to follow him. I did and we went to the nearest office with a computer and he said it happened often and he would override it for me, which he did and did not ask for or even infer that he wanted anything for his effort, just wished me a good trip. I think they are becoming aware that there is a problem with their computer system. Hopefully when we reenter in a week or two it will not be a problem at all.


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