South Africa’s strides in modernising its immigration framework and particularly the progress towards direct work access for the accompanying spouses and partners of expatriates to attract foreign talent, were showcased as key highlights at the recent Permits Foundation Roundtable in Paris, France.
With a single court order, the High Court in Pretoria resolved what the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) failed to finalise for more than five years: declaring a UK-born citizen a Permanent Resident of South Africa.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Leon Schreiber, has extended the validity of both the Lesotho Exemption Permits (LEPs) and Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEPs) until 28 May 2027, granting an additional 18-month reprieve for thousands of permit holders whose documents were set to expire on 28 November 2025.
On 26 September 2025 the Minister of Home Affairs announced a further extension of the visa concession to visa holders with waiver and appeal applications as the backlog at the Department of Home Affairs in finalising these applications, remains.
Imagine you are a high-earning South African expatriate, well-compensated abroad, enjoying generous fringe benefits and filing your tax return from afar. Then a detailed audit letter from the Tax Man arrives, requesting payslips for specific months over a two-year period, full pay roll reconciliations, proof of foreign tax paid, a breakdown of international travel expenses, departure dates for trips and duration of the visit to each entity.
