Work Permit

A temporary residence permit allows a foreign national, such as international students, foreign workers and tourists, to legally stay in South Africa for longer than 90 days.

The starting point when bringing in a foreign specialist into your business is the Critical Skills List, which notes the professions where Home Affairs issues Work Permits due to areas where there are shortages of skills.

Foreigners who live and work in South Africa may be concerned that they will have to renounce citizenship of other countries if they wish to apply for South African citizenship.
South Africa permits dual citizenship, which allows easier access into other countries for those who want to conduct business or work freely in several parts of the globe. However, it is important for travellers who have dual citizenship to be aware that they must always use their South African passport when entering or leaving South Africa.

South Africa, like most countries, allows non-nationals to change from temporary status to permanent residence, provided they meet government criteria. Some situations where a foreigner can apply for direct permanent residence include when they have the relevant work permit, a business permit, when they have relatives who are citizens, and a number of other cases.

The qualifications authority, Saqa, has found that almost 60% of the foreign qualifications they evalute are from Zimbabweans. For nine months last year almost 10 000 Zimbabweans were applying for work permits and required recognition of their qualifications to obtain skilled positions in South Africa.