# USA to SA



## Bane13 (May 30, 2011)

Hello All, 

First time poster so take it easy! ;-)

I am presently married to a South African citizen for 2 years now, we were able to expedite her permanent residency due to my veteran status here in the U.S... though she is not a citizen yet and still a citizen of SA. She is from Pretoria and has came over here with her family as her mother was sponsored by Rite Aid to be a pharmacist. She was only ever in Cape Town but once in her early life and as I have come to realize, many South African's have a little bit of a competition amongst where you live in the country. The English in Cape Town and the Afrikaan's in Free State and Pretoria. Whatever it may be she and her family have little experience in Cape Town so that is why I come to you to seek your advice on the following:

-I am presently employed in the financial services sector here in the United States handling mortgage lending across the U.S., specifically specializing in the development and implementation of low income home lending. Could any of you possibly give out some referral for some of the major players in this same industry throughout the western cape? 

-We plan to move overseas to Cape Town on my U.S. Passport for 90 days and apply for Spouse Visa that I must yet apply for. From that I plan to stop by some businesses and drop off a short CV in the hopes of interviews. Any advice to a not so ignorant American on conducting initial interviews such as local customs, interview practices, that are unique to SA? 

-Also, any thoughts on the safety of the Gordon's Bay area???

-Lastly, as I have stated I specialize in low income lending here in the United States for a large national lender. That experience along with alot of research on SA, several interviews with SA nationals, and 2 years of off the clock work has allowed me to complete the creation of a proprietary lending platform that was designed to fit into the existing South African government infrastructure to allow private banks to lend money to low income earning South African's profitably. Profitably being the key word, as it is no secret that has been a subject of immense loss for both government and private sector entities in SA. Does anyone know of how to begin initial conversations with government officials to present such projects. In the U.S. we have a contract system designed for local bidding on government projects as well as an open door policy with our politicians. How does one seek an audience with governing officials in SA? And if so, whom do you approach? Is it on a provincial level or is there a department of the national government that grants such audiences for delivery of prospectus' to SA Government? 

Many thanks to you for your advice in advance. I am humbled for your time in answering my many questions. 

Blessings,

-Bane13


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## Ostrich (May 20, 2011)

Hi Bane13! I also married a South African, and have spent a few years in SA.

Cape Town is a good choice if you plan to live in SA. I lived in Gordon's Bay for a while, and enjoyed it. The beach is right there, and beautiful. It's a short drive to get to Somerset West (about 20 minutes), where you'll find a good sized mall, Mediclinic (private) hospital, and pretty much anything you'd need. Over holidays, it's easy to explore the garden route, and there's plenty to do. It's an exceptionally pretty place, if you don't mind a slower pace and like to take in the scenery. 

English is used just about everywhere, so that's no problem. The only time I encountered a person who didn't speak English was when driving through the Karoo, in this tiny little gas station. Most South Africans don't make a sharp distinction between being Afrikaans or English (that's a whole other story). As an American, you might find some people even assume you're British! 

Regarding safety, crime is not bad at all compared to other parts of the country, but it pays to be smart about where you rent/buy. Definitely opt for a place that is gated, and it is a good idea to have burglar bars installed. The first place we stayed was a small complex, but there was some problems with nuisance crimes, like the (copper) telephone wires were being regularly stolen (which took Telecom forever to fix), and there were several break-ins where everything in the complex garages where stolen, and car windows were smashed to get the car radios. Also, things being taken from washing lines and through windows. We then moved to larger complex and townhouse, which is gated and has night security, and haven't had a problem since. 

I have heard of break-ins of free standing houses by the beach, where the intruders get in through the windows on the ground level. That's why burglar bars help, for peace of mind if nothing else. Other than that, it's pretty quiet. The police in the area are pretty good, and respond fairly quickly to any disturbances. 

The relative's permit is surprisingly easy to get. I had mine processed in the US in under a month. I needed to apply for FBI clearance, and get a doctor's check-up, but it was all very straightforward, and the consulate was very friendly. You might want to look into it before heading out this way, since you could save time. They generally give out a temporary 2-year visa. 

I can't comment on the work issues you mention, but I do know that you will need to look into getting a work/business permit in addition to your relative's permit, if you plan to work or start a business while here. It's not automatic, and they have specific rules on criteria you need to meet in order to work, even if you are already a legal resident. You can usually ask them about this at Home Affairs directly, or possibly at the consulate overseas, since it seems to be applied on a case by case basis. 

Best of luck!


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## Bane13 (May 30, 2011)

Hey Ostrich! Thank you immensely for your post. You can google all you want but personal experiences are invaluable information for my up coming journey. Thank you!

I will try to get in touch with the SA Consulate here in the U.S. to get forms and instructions to apply for the Spouse Visa. I'm glad to hear it took you only a month! That had worried me a little bit concerning the time frame, but since we are due out in mid December 2011 that should be plenty of time. 

Once again, I sincerely appreciate your response. All knowledge I can get before heading over there is invaluable! 

Blessings,


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## signol (May 18, 2011)

Hi, I'm a UK citizen married to a South African. From what I understand, we have to be married for 5 years before being eligeable for a spouse visa, presumably to stop marriages of convenience...

signol


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## Bane13 (May 30, 2011)

signol said:


> Hi, I'm a UK citizen married to a South African. From what I understand, we have to be married for 5 years before being eligeable for a spouse visa, presumably to stop marriages of convenience...
> 
> signol


Thanks for the input signol but I disagree with you on two points:

1) Atleast from my circle of friends, no time limit has been placed on visa's for spouses for the spousal permit itself. Could be wrong but I'm certain there are some forum members that can comment further from experience. 

2) There's nothing "convenient" about marriage, my friend! :clap2:


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## signol (May 18, 2011)

Lol, re point 2 
Re point 1, I was taking my info from this site:
http://www.home-affairs.gov.za/Permanent Residence Permits.html
"Section 26(b) – Spouse of a South African Citizen or permanent resident for a continuous period of five years "

signol


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## ATLres (May 15, 2011)

Hi Bane13,

I'm South African married to an American. We are heading back to SA around October this year. We will be living in Somerset West where I grew up. Gordon's Bay is beautiful and pretty safe, but I have to warn you ...it's almost always very very windy. Not sure where in the US you guys live but here in Atlanta I've noticed people complain about the wind when it's barely blowing!!!  
I assume your wife will be getting her citizenship before you leave, as you can't leave the US for more than 6 months as a permanent resident?

Can't help much on the job front. All the best for your preparations.


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## Halo (May 8, 2008)

Just make sure she has her Green Card before you leave.


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## Guest (Jun 1, 2011)

Bane13 said:


> Hello All,
> 
> First time poster so take it easy! ;-)
> 
> ...


Hi

In response to the Residency Permit options you can have a read through some of the previous threads relating to Life Partner and Spousal Permits.

In summary:

One *cannot add* any endorsement to a Relative's Permit (kindly refer to S18(2) of the immigration Act). The catch 22 is that the SA High Commission and many SA embassies only issue Relative's Permit instead of the Life Partner of Spousal Permits.

One can add a work or business endorsement to a Life Partner/Spousal Permit (kindly refer to S11(6) of the Immigration Act).

For the *WORK ENDORSEMENT *you need a job offer when the application is submitted. If you apply for the Spousal Permit, or already hold a Relatives Permit, and only then receive a job offer, an entire new application needs to be prepared and submitted at Home Affairs.

Instead of the Work Endorsement, you may apply for a Business Endorsement, which means you can run your own business or work as a consultant (provided that 80% of your income does not come from one source).

*There is NO minimum amount of time a couple needs to be in a relationship or married*.

The 5 year minimum does however becomes important of you wish to apply for *Permanent Residency*. In that case, you will need to be married for 5 years.

Hope this answers your question. I have kept it as brief as possible in order to avoid confusion or misunderstanding.


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## ATLres (May 15, 2011)

Halo,

If you leave the US as a permanent resident you take the risk of having to start the whole process over. 
I believe you can apply for special permission to leave for a year, but without it you have no way of being certain that you will be able to return.

Eventually when you apply for your citizenship you have to show that you were present for at least 6 months per year for the last 3 yrs. This has delayed our departure to SA as I do not want to apply and pay for my green card all over again! 

Just something to think about when deciding to leave the US.


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