# Home Affairs Lost my Documents!



## kryan31 (May 21, 2012)

Hello All,

I'm hoping I can put my worries at ease by posting here. I've applied twice in the past 4 months to renew my temporary residency visa at the Pretoria Home Affairs. Both times I called to check status they told me they had no record of me reapplying, not even by my confirmation number or passport. My husband, who is South African, went with me both times and we did everything correctly. 

I'm 7 months pregnant and leaving South Africa on Monday to go back to the US with my 2 year old son who was born here, but is a US Citizen (US Passport holder). I wont have a visa stamp in my new passport, but do have the old temp residency visa in my expired passport. 

Will I have any problems leaving SA to go back to my own country? Both my son and I have valid US Passports, I have his birth certificate from Home Affairs and my marriage license, etc. I'm not planning to come back, and my husband will join me in America in 2 months.

Has anyone experienced this? I don't want to be held back by anything or told I can't leave because my temp residency expired.

Thank you so much everyone.


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## 2fargone (Jun 14, 2011)

kryan31 said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I'm hoping I can put my worries at ease by posting here. I've applied twice in the past 4 months to renew my temporary residency visa at the Pretoria Home Affairs. Both times I called to check status they told me they had no record of me reapplying, not even by my confirmation number or passport. My husband, who is South African, went with me both times and we did everything correctly.
> 
> ...


I am so sorry. Home Affairs is famous for losing/misplacing documents. You can leave South Africa, but you will be banned and declared undesirable if you wish to return to South Africa. So, you can leave. But will be banned for a period of time. As you say you are not planning to come back this won't be a problem for you. But, if you come to back to South Africa on vacation you would be banned for 1-5 years. So, I would write to Home Affairs to appeal to ban or get a lawyer.


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## kryan31 (May 21, 2012)

Hello 2fargone,

Thank you for your reply! Do you know if I will be fined before leaving SA, or am I fined if I ever decide to return? 
I'm expecting the "Undesirable", but don't know if I should be ready to pay a fine or not.

Thanks again!


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## LegalMan (Dec 26, 2012)

kryan31 said:


> Hello 2fargone,
> 
> Thank you for your reply! Do you know if I will be fined before leaving SA, or am I fined if I ever decide to return?
> I'm expecting the "Undesirable", but don't know if I should be ready to pay a fine or not.
> ...


There are no more fines. You are simply banned and cannot enter or apply to enter. Appeal the ban immediately, yes, but make very sure you do this properly and with the right evidence, otherwise the appeal will fail and you will be stuck.


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