# Can I still submit my application in South Africa?



## clauter (Jan 13, 2011)

It was common practise for applicants to enter South Africa on a visitors visa and then apply for temporary residency at a local Department of Home Affairs. This is no longer permitted and all ‘first time’ applications must be made from your home country. Again this has been common knowledge since late February so applicants should have been well prepared.

Where you are now in South Africa and on a visitors visa, there are some complex issues to manage. Not least that you can no longer submit your application in South Africa but also the range of fines and punishments if your visitors visa has expired.

Important Note – if you are here in South Africa on an expired visitors visa you should consider and seek opinion about leaving prior to May 26th when the new regulations come into force otherwise you may be declared an undesirable person for between 12 months and 5 years and prevented from entering South Africa.

The good news is dependants of work visa holders may change the conditions of their accompanying visa to study or work inside SA and need not return to their home countries.


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