# Critical Skills Visa issued with same expiry date as the previous one (Duplicated)



## s.gardas (Jan 8, 2016)

Hi Guys,

Please advice on my situation.

I have been holding a critical skills visa valid until 22nd Feb 2016 as I had a contract until that date when I last applied for renewal. In order to get it extended, I have applied for renewal on 9th Nov 2015, recevied the outcome on 2nd Dec 2015. I have provided the confirmation of services letter from my employer confirming that my contract will be extended after 22nd Feb 2015 and will be an open ended one thereafter.

In response to my renewal application, DHA issued me a visa which is still valid until 22nd Feb 2016 (same as the one I was holding when applying for renewal). So I went through the whole renewal process for nothing. I applied for rectification to correct the expiry date based on the confirmation of services letter from my employer at VFS on 3rd Dec 2015 and desparately waiting for an outcome on it. 

I applied for my dependants visa renewal along with mine. The outcome of their visa's came only during 2nd and 3rd week of Dec 2015. For obvious reasons their visas are rejected.

I cannot appeal for their visas until I receive mine with a proper expiry date. I cannot continue working here in SA after 22nd Feb 2016, if I do not get a positve outcome for the applied rectification. Don't know where would I land if things do not fall in place before my current visa expires as the new immigration regulations are very stringent when it comes to overstaying.

I am clean from my side adhering to all the timeliness in appying for my renewals and providing all the necessary and correct documents. 

Please advice in your opinion and experience how does the situation looks like. Do I have to be worried? Until when can I wait for the outcome? When do I start taking some aggressive steps like taking help of attorneys. And what steps further can I take to get it sorted in time.

Cheers, 
Sandeep Gardas.


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## joe117 (Sep 10, 2012)

the issue at hand is simple.Just get the new contract (the open ended one) from your employer and reapply for the 5 year CSV visa. I guess DHA was not convinced with the 'undertaking' from your employer that they would give you a permanent contract.They actually want to see that permanent contract first before they can issue you with a long term visa.


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## s.gardas (Jan 8, 2016)

Thanks for your response Joe117. I am not trying to argue on your comments but just trying to put forward my understanding.

What my employer gave me is a "Confirmation of Services" and not an "Undertaking". As per my understanding and the discussion that I had with the VFS guys while applying for rectification, if DHA is not happy with the letter/contract provided by my employer, they should have rejected the application instead of issuing a visa with the same validity. That's the reason VFS did accept my appliation for rectification.


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## s.gardas (Jan 8, 2016)

Hi Guys,

My visa is expiring on 22nd Feb 2016 and the rectification application I applied is still in process. I am not sure what to do now. Can someone please advice on the below:

1. Should I stay back in the country or plan to leave? 
2. What if I receive a -ve outcome after 22nd Feb 2016, if i stay back in the country? 
3. What options do I have?
4. I enquired with VFS and I cannot apply for an other renewal as my rectification application is in progress.

I would really appreciate your valuable inputs.

Regards,
S


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## ps2208 (Feb 14, 2017)

did you receive your outcome?


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