# Critical skills - have girlfriend start company and hire me?



## Colt Seavers (May 10, 2015)

As the job hunting in South Africa seems to be close to an impossible task to overcome, my girlfriend has suggested that she starts a company and hire me as an IT consultant.

Forgetting, for the moment, the fact that we would need to get clients to get the business going (which may or may not be easier than getting a normal job...), would there be any issues when presenting a contract to the DHA?

Issues i'm thinking of are the fact that a salary may not be present in the beginning while hunting for contracts. This is ok for me as i have the financial means, but perhaps the DHA will care and i assume a salary will have to be mentioned in the contract? Also the company would literally have been started just before presenting a contract to the DHA, will they look that up and consider it fishy? Will the fact that my girlfriend is the owner trigger any warnings?

Any input is much appreciated.


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## killerkrish (Jan 18, 2015)

I think u should code a salary in the contract to which income tax is nt applicable.. I mean something like 15,000R to 20,000R a month. IT is nt applicable for it as it falls below the IT SLAB.. IAM ALSO IN THE SAME BOAT N TRYING TO DO THE SAME. GT A COMPANY STARTED N GET IT REGISTERED WITH THE GOVERNMENT BY MY FRND N MY FRND WOULD RECRUIT ME IN THT NEW COMPANY.. ALL THE BEST TO U N PLS SHARE NY INFO/updates U GT about this n u can always private msg me.. looking forward to hear from you..


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## Colt Seavers (May 10, 2015)

killerkrish said:


> I think u should code a salary in the contract to which income tax is nt applicable.. I mean something like 15,000R to 20,000R a month. IT is nt applicable for it as it falls below the IT SLAB.. IAM ALSO IN THE SAME BOAT N TRYING TO DO THE SAME. GT A COMPANY STARTED N GET IT REGISTERED WITH THE GOVERNMENT BY MY FRND N MY FRND WOULD RECRUIT ME IN THT NEW COMPANY.. ALL THE BEST TO U N PLS SHARE NY INFO/updates U GT about this n u can always private msg me.. looking forward to hear from you..


Sorry for the late reply but i simply haven't initiated all of this yet, still applying for jobs without success. I'm still a bit unsure whether it would be accepted by the DHA and also how easy/hard it would be to attract potential clients. Might be worth it as a last shot before i return to my home country though i guess. No use wasting time and money here if it fails.

To anyone thinking of moving to ZA (especially from a 1st world country where you're already in the butter) my tip nowadays is: don't do it.


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## 2fargone (Jun 14, 2011)

Could you not do a life partner visa through your girlfriend? If you girlfriend is a South African citizen and you both have been in a relationship and can show proof of that.


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## Colt Seavers (May 10, 2015)

2fargone said:


> Could you not do a life partner visa through your girlfriend? If you girlfriend is a South African citizen and you both have been in a relationship and can show proof of that.


No, tried that at first but it got denied, hadn't been living together for two years. Nevertheless i thought the Critical Skills Visa would be even better with regards to landing a job, but who knows.


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## I_SINGH (Mar 12, 2016)

Hi,

The option on what you are working is not right. DHA will not take this in right manner.

keep on looking for a job. Dont give up.

Do forward me your CV.


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## Colt Seavers (May 10, 2015)

I_SINGH said:


> Hi,
> 
> The option on what you are working is not right. DHA will not take this in right manner.
> 
> ...


Do you know anyone who has attempted this? I've asked around but noone seems to know if it would be OK.

I'd be happy to send you my CV, just priv message me an e-mail address i can send it to. 

Cheers!


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## Oyibopeppeh (Sep 8, 2010)

DHA may work at a glacial pace, but they're not stupid! Like no one has ever pulled this stunt before?


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## Colt Seavers (May 10, 2015)

Oyibopeppeh said:


> DHA may work at a glacial pace, but they're not stupid! Like no one has ever pulled this stunt before?


Well my question is more whether it is actually considered a stunt or not. I am here on a legit Critical Skills Visa and it would be a legit business, although a completely new one.


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## GI Coastie (Nov 24, 2014)

Colt Seavers said:


> Well my question is more whether it is actually considered a stunt or not. I am here on a legit Critical Skills Visa and it would be a legit business, although a completely new one.


Your biggest problem will be the BEEE registration and ensuring the company has met the required process of advertising the job for the correct amount of time. All this is required before hiring a foreign staff member on a visa. Women owned business will get a good BEEE score, but it will cost a lot of Rands to get the certification. Proof that the job was published (to local applicants) will have to be supplied by the company endorsing your Visa and an affidavit has to why any local applicants were unsuccessful and why they require your exact skills.

Your difficulty in finding a job at current is because you will have a direct effect on a companies BEEE certification being a foreign national. Most companies don't want to take the hit or can't afford to take the drop in rating hiring you.


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## Colt Seavers (May 10, 2015)

GI Coastie said:


> Your biggest problem will be the BEEE registration and ensuring the company has met the required process of advertising the job for the correct amount of time. All this is required before hiring a foreign staff member on a visa. Women owned business will get a good BEEE score, but it will cost a lot of Rands to get the certification. Proof that the job was published (to local applicants) will have to be supplied by the company endorsing your Visa and an affidavit has to why any local applicants were unsuccessful and why they require your exact skills.
> 
> Your difficulty in finding a job at current is because you will have a direct effect on a companies BEEE certification being a foreign national. Most companies don't want to take the hit or can't afford to take the drop in rating hiring you.


Regarding advertising the job to locals it wouldn't be applicable as i'm on a critical skills visa, which i would still be hired on through this new company. To hire people on a critical skills visa the advertising part isn't required.

The BEE part i understand though. However it would be possible to get a good BEE rating as the owner would be rated positively under BEE and female. This would perhaps make it possible to both avoid Visa work for the client (although there barely is any but they seem to get scared away when not having permanent residence) as well as not having an impact on clients' BEE ratings as the company they would be hiring from has a good BEE rating. Also there seem to be exemptions for businesses with a turnover less than R10M etc.


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