Immigration and Visa 101 for NGOs:
Mistakes, Myths & Must-Knows
Non-profit organisations operate with limited resources but are held to the highest standards of compliance and cannot afford negative publicity or to lose crucial talent because of an inability to navigate immigration and visa compliance requirements for their staff and consultants.
Whether you are hiring foreign talent in South Africa, allowing remote working from anywhere in the world, or simply aiming to stay compliant, keeping up with immigration regulations in the non-profit space is more complex and critical than ever.
In this free, expert-led webinar, co-hosted by Xpatweb and ngoLAW, industry leaders Marisa Jacobs (Director at Xpatweb and Immigration Advisory Board representative for Organised Business to the Minister of the Department of Home Affairs) and Nicole Copley (Founder of ngoLAW and Master Tax Practitioner) unpack the unique legal and regulatory immigration challenges facing NGOs today.
From common compliance mistakes and the impact of new visa legislation, to real-world challenges, this session is your practical roadmap to getting immigration right without losing focus or credibility.
Presenters:
Marisa Jacobs
Nicole Copley
Platform:
Zoom
Date:
26 June 2025
Time:
10:00 – 11:00am
SA Time
Fee:
Complimentary
Key Topic Areas of the presentation:
Immigration Compliance for NGOs
What every NGO needs to know when hiring foreign nationals, from visa types to risk management.
Remote Work Visas & Regulation Updates
How new immigration legislation, including the Remote Work Visa, impacts your NGO’s operations and workforce planning.
Top Immigration Mistakes Made by NGOs
Avoid the most common errors NGOs make when dealing with immigration and stay on the right side of the law.
Interactive discussion: Real Questions from NGOs
Nicole Copley tackles frequently asked immigration questions from the NGO sector in a practical, interactive format with Marisa.
Influencing Policy through the right channels
Understand how NGOs can contribute feedback to the Immigration Advisory Board and help shape future immigration policy.
MEET THE PRESENTERS
Marisa Jacobs
Managing Director at Xpatweb; NEDLAC Business Representative & IAB Board Representative for Organised Business
Marisa Jacobs is the Managing Director at Xpatweb, the premium work visa and immigration practice in South Africa. Recognised as an industry specialist in all work visa categories, Marisa’s Critical Skills Survey was instrumental in validating the 2021 Critical Skills List.
She was recently appointed as the voice of organised business on the Minister of the Department of Home Affairs’ Immigration Advisory Board (IAB). Her role within the IAB includes engaging with key stakeholders across the private sector to ensure that business perspectives are meaningfully incorporated into the Board’s deliberations.
She also serves on BUSA and NEDLAC, while actively overseeing the practice on a day-to-day basis. With extensive experience in expatriate management, Marisa’s expertise extends beyond work visas.
She pioneered the development of the Immigration Tracker, now widely adopted by South Africa’s largest expatriate employers.
Marisa’s solution-based methodologies include managing confidential payrolls for various expatriate groups, navigating SARS tax directives and rulings, securing Reserve Bank clearances for expatriates, and providing optimal banking solutions. Her profound passion for work visa matters is evident through her daily interactions with senior immigration officials and executives worldwide.
Nicole Copley
BA LLB LLM (Tax), Chartered Tax Practitioner ™
Nicole has consulted to the NGO sector since 1993. She is an admitted attorney (non-practising), has her Masters in the tax exemption laws and is a Chartered Tax Practitioner. Nicole developed her drafting skills while working as a business lawyer, and she has a pragmatic and creative problem-solving approach to all the work she does. Her depth and breadth of experience over many years and her work with government and a wide range of clients, give her useful perspective and insight.
Nicole founded ngoLAW, which is a one-stop, experienced, efficient and passionate support team which deals with registrations, applications, compliance, advice, contracts and training for NGOs of all sizes and types. The team consists of three lawyers and five paralegals.
In the early years of Nicole’s involvement in the sector she was part of the team which negotiated the change in tax exemption laws prior to 2000. In 2022 ngoLAW played a pivotal role in educating the sector around and making submissions on the (Anti-Grey Listing) General Laws Amendment Ac). Nicole is currently part of the NPO Working Group and the Technical Task Team advising the NPO Directorate and working on NPO policy, and changes to the NPO Act and Regulations.
Nicole is also author, co-author and now publisher of the ngoMATTERS series of practical guides to setting up, governing, and financial management of non-profits.
Nicole currently serves on the boards of Wildlife Act Trust, Siyazisiza Trust, Open Cities Labs NPC, SAIT and Solon Foundation SA NPC.