# Retirement Visa



## deborah13 (Oct 20, 2014)

Hello,
I am getting ready to apply for a retirement (temporary residence) Visa. I will be applying through the Los Angeles, CA, USA office. I actually have been able to email a real person there but what they are asking for is less than the Home Affairs office in SA states. For example, their list does not include medical cover and does not say financial records have to be certified by a chartered accountant. Anyone have any experience with this particular office? or these issues?

Also, they say I have to send my original passport to them. This concerns me as I have heard it can take many months for a Visa to be processed. I was told that they prioritize by the travel itinerary submitted with the application, but this still concerns me.

She would not reply to any of my financial questions without seeing my application package - but what I am considering doing (since my US social security does not meet the R37,000 requirement) is cashing in an IRA that is all stock and putting the money in an IRA Money Market to show I have the funds to complete the four year requirement. I don't know if they will accept an IRA at a brokerage company. Any thoughts? or advice? 
My other option would be to wait until my house in the US sells and use that cash, but I don't want to wait. 

Note to "legalman" if you read this - I sent a general inquiry about your services to your office email address at least a week ago, maybe longer, and never got a reply. That really surprised me since you have so many posts in this forum. 

Thanks to all.
Deborah


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## LegalMan (Dec 26, 2012)

deborah13 said:


> Hello,
> I am getting ready to apply for a retirement (temporary residence) Visa. I will be applying through the Los Angeles, CA, USA office. I actually have been able to email a real person there but what they are asking for is less than the Home Affairs office in SA states. For example, their list does not include medical cover and does not say financial records have to be certified by a chartered accountant. Anyone have any experience with this particular office? or these issues?
> 
> Also, they say I have to send my original passport to them. This concerns me as I have heard it can take many months for a Visa to be processed. I was told that they prioritize by the travel itinerary submitted with the application, but this still concerns me.
> ...


Sincerest apologies! Something must have happened because we reply to every request.

Yes, you can use a lump sum. I'm not sure what an IRA is - Googling this term gives me information about the Irish IRA.

A letter from an accountant simply must be given, otherwise one could easily tamper with documents proving one had any amount in the bank.

Usually the handing in of a passport is a good sign that it won't take a long time. In SA, yes, a timeline in months is possible, but rarely, if ever, does it take longer than 8 weeks when done abroad, since Temporary Visas are issued at the consulates/embassies themselves. I'd imagine (only a guess) that yours, if proven sufficiently, will take 2 weeks.

Good luck! (We'll still answer your email query on Monday if we find it.)


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## deborah13 (Oct 20, 2014)

LegalMan said:


> Sincerest apologies! Something must have happened because we reply to every request.
> 
> Yes, you can use a lump sum. I'm not sure what an IRA is - Googling this term gives me information about the Irish IRA.
> 
> ...


Dear LegalMan,
Thank you for your reply. Very helpful.
An IRA is an Individual Retirement Account. Here in the USA we are allowed to establish our own retirement fund, with some tax advantages, much like a health savings account. Currently my IRA is in a brokerage account and is invested in stocks that pay me regular dividends that are enough for me to live on, with my government social security income. I know that the dividend income is not allowed for qualification so I thought I could liquidate the stocks to show a cash balance. Once I have my Visa, I could then re-purchase the stock and get my dividend income back. Because this would all be done in my IRA account, there would be no capital gains tax for me to worry about. My concern is whether a cash balance in a _brokerage _account would be okay - instead of a regular bank. I use TD Ameritrade as my broker. They are one of the big online stock brokers here in the US. Maybe as long as I get the available cash certified by an accountant, I would be good? Do you think it would be better to get a certification by a chartered accountant in South Africa, rather than a Certified Public Accountant here in the US? We don't have "chartered" accountants here. 
Please don't think I am crazy for all this creative thinking. I am just trying to get Temporary Residence without waiting for my house to sell so I can stay in SA longer than 90 days on a tourist Visa. Maybe my house will sell quickly and this won't be an issue, I am just trying to be prepared. 
Any comments or advice are appreciated. Thank you. Deborah


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## LegalMan (Dec 26, 2012)

As long as the money is actually available to you, the account type won't matter. Multiply the necessary ZAR37,000 by how ever many months you want the visa for and show proof of more than this amount. The higher the figure, the better.


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## deborah13 (Oct 20, 2014)

LegalMan said:


> As long as the money is actually available to you, the account type won't matter. Multiply the necessary ZAR37,000 by how ever many months you want the visa for and show proof of more than this amount. The higher the figure, the better.


Thank you!


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## blieniza (Nov 20, 2014)

Hi legal man and all others

Berlin have refused a lump sum and denied a retirement visa.. I applied for 48 month and have proven financial means even 88month(x 37.000ZAR)

I lodge an appeal via Berlin to Pretoria... since 8 weeks no answer jet.. Shall I apply again in SA ?
( not minding the costs ! )


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## 2fargone (Jun 14, 2011)

blieniza,

Have you been to South Africa before?


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## blieniza (Nov 20, 2014)

19 times since 1995 for 180 days per year, with 19 times of approval of an extention of 90 days for my existing holiday visa an no refusal, no undesired person. Allways applied in DHA- CPT, Paarl,Bellville, or Caledon.

We are property owners since 1995, two houses, smallholding...we pay rates and taxes...

First time that we applied outside of SA .... in Berlin.


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## 2fargone (Jun 14, 2011)

I would try and find out why you were denied, before you apply again.

I don't know if the Retirement Visa has changed and South Africa is getting tougher with issuing them. 

I am also not sure if you can come to South Africa on a visitors visa and then switch to a Retirement Visa, but Legal Man would know.


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## blieniza (Nov 20, 2014)

Reason was given : I do not qualify , because I do not have a live long "pension"( or rent or interests of capital ).. only an amout of 88 x R37000 for an applied periode of 48month( lumb sum-not interests)... .. I applied a "tempoary residence" VISA !...not a retirement PERMIT

all other things were 100% in line with regalations


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## LegalMan (Dec 26, 2012)

blieniza said:


> Reason was given : I do not qualify , because I do not have a live long "pension"( or rent or interests of capital ).. only an amout of 88 x R37000 for an applied periode of 48month( lumb sum-not interests)... .. I applied a "tempoary residence" VISA !...not a retirement PERMIT
> 
> all other things were 100% in line with regalations


Berlin is horrible, although that reason is interesting. Appeals can take months - reapplying might be a much better idea.

PS: You cannot change off a Visitor's (Tourist) Visa while in SA.


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## LegalMan (Dec 26, 2012)

Just got confirmation - Berlin doesn't accept lump sums (not stated in the law though (Regulation 19[3]) and in Germany you must be of retirement age.

Could you transfer your money to a financial institution that confirms they will pay out a certain portion monthly?


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## blieniza (Nov 20, 2014)

Hi Legal Man

thanks, much appreciated.... I will wait for the outcome of my appeal.( today #2 of the Immigration in Berlin phoned me... end of the week he will follow up my appeal and try to "push" for a decision. We had a good talk including my interpretation of a VISA(tempoary) and a PERMIT (endless)...

The problem is the old staff in the backoffice.. they haven´t been trained properly ..are only motivated to work to old rules..

I have heard "to young" and " ..with the money I can buy a house..and than it is gone.." as argument personally from Mrs. Schmidt-Groening and Mr. Moagi .

They haven´t been open for my interpretation . Mr. Moagi smiled in my face and said, when I lodge my appeal: " This will take two years ..anyway.."... an throwed my application unmotivated ..not in the dusbin..but on the office desk behind.

7 weeks later he emailed me.. to ask for proov of another 52 EURO fee, so that he can..than.. send the application to Pretoria...

The right hand don´t know what the left hand is doing...( at groundfloor) ( first and 2nd floor is better)

I have extended my 90 day visitors visa at VFS for another 90 days.

How can i apply again for a 4 year TRV on ritirement status and avoid Berlin ?.. shall Igo to Denmark, Brasil, India, Banana-Island  to lodge the application at the embassy there ??... It definitely depends on the Embassy if they exept a lumbsum or not ?


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## deborah13 (Oct 20, 2014)

blieniza said:


> Hi legal man and all others
> 
> Berlin have refused a lump sum and denied a retirement visa.. I applied for 48 month and have proven financial means even 88month(x 37.000ZAR)
> 
> ...


Did you have your financial records certified by a chartered accountant? That is listed at the Home Affairs website, but not at the Home Affairs office I will be applying at. LegalMan explained to me that this is necessary because it is too easy to alter records these days.


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## blieniza (Nov 20, 2014)

deborah13 said:


> Did you have your financial records certified by a chartered accountant? That is listed at the Home Affairs website, but not at the Home Affairs office I will be applying at. LegalMan explained to me that this is necessary because it is too easy to alter records these days.


No.. Berlin said it was not necessary in my case ( TRV ) for permanent residence it is a differnt story... they only bothered about the "livelong"..and said they would also agree on interests on capital ( not the lumbsum itself) or rent from appartement or houses you posess( wich is also not livelong)..all this normaly applies for "permanent" residence...not for "tempoary" residence.

They are definitely unlogic in their interpretation. That´s why I appealed.


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## deborah13 (Oct 20, 2014)

blieniza said:


> No.. Berlin said it was not necessary in my case ( TRV ) for permanent residence it is a differnt story... they only bothered about the "livelong"..and said they would also agree on interests on capital ( not the lumbsum itself) or rent from appartement or houses you posess( wich is also not livelong)..all this normaly applies for "permanent" residence...not for "tempoary" residence.
> 
> They are definitely unlogic in their interpretation. That´s why I appealed.


Good luck! I will be going through the same process in a few months in the USA. Please keep your progress posted here - or PM me, I am interested in how this all works out.
Deborah


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## blieniza (Nov 20, 2014)

Little update

VFS will now take applications for a PR even if you are on a tourist visa in SA ! It is NO "Visachange" like the regulations say... you apply for a "Permit" .. so with the help of IBN.co.za We will lodge our application end of the month at VFS

My appeal from beginning september is still in pretoria and waiting for decision....
We were lucky in November to reapply for an extention of a [email protected] CPT... 21st of december ..after 4hours of waiting ... we got it...with the right departure date!! (not normal.. about 30% have not the aquired date) during the 4 hours we noticed 6 cases


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