# Legalman (anyone), please help! Applying for a visa for a foreign baby in country



## MarkDR (May 7, 2015)

Good morning everyone,

Essentially we have a lady who works for us who is a Zimbabwean. She is in the country legally on a ZSP. She had a baby approx. 13 months ago, named Joy. Joy has a Zim passport and comes into the country every time on the visitor's stamp (visa exempt). This is getting very expensive for them to travel back so often so we are in the process of helping to get a visa for Joy.

My question is, would we be able to make the application for a visa to accompany a parent in country? Essentially, I have read the regulations and see that there are exceptional circumstances where a person on a visitor's visa may apply in country for a change of conditions or a new visa a) for medical reasons and b) when you are on a visitor's visa and wish to change to a study or work visa. Given that Joy is a baby, none of these apply. Do they really need to go back to Zim, apply and await the outcome there, or can we do it in country?

If they have to go back to Zim, so be it, it just seems unnecessary, expensive and time-consuming.

Thanks very much for anyone's insights in this regard.


----------



## LegalMan (Dec 26, 2012)

Hi MarkDR, 

Was the baby born in SA and has her birth been registered with Home Affairs? 
If so, my suggestion is to get a foreign national unabridged birth certificate from Home Affairs for the baby. Then apply for a dependent visa for the baby through VFS in SA. I suggest contacting Passop, as they specialize in Zimbabwean nationals. PASSOP | People Against Suffering Oppression and Poverty
I don't foresee there being an issue with her applying for her baby's visa within SA.


----------



## MarkDR (May 7, 2015)

Thanks Legalman.

Yes, she was born in SA and they've kept everything legal. Her birth was registered here, and then a subsequent entry of birth was registered in Zimbabwe. I just heard that an application in-country needed to be made before the child left the country for the first time, which she has done several times now. If we can go through VFS though, that would be great. The mom unfortunately can't afford to not work and wait it out in Harare.


----------



## LegalMan (Dec 26, 2012)

MarkDR said:


> Thanks Legalman.
> 
> Yes, she was born in SA and they've kept everything legal. Her birth was registered here, and then a subsequent entry of birth was registered in Zimbabwe. I just heard that an application in-country needed to be made before the child left the country for the first time, which she has done several times now. If we can go through VFS though, that would be great. The mom unfortunately can't afford to not work and wait it out in Harare.


I wish you luck. Let me know how it all turns out.


----------

