The minister of home affairs is the minister in the Cabinet of South Africa with responsibility for the Department of Home Affairs.
Functions of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA)
The Department of Home Affairs is a department of the South African government. The DHA also receives funds on behalf of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), and for the Represented Political Parties Fund.
Immigration Responsibilities
Prospective immigrants must keep in mind that no alien shall enter or sojourn in the Republic of South Africa with view of permanent residence therein unless he or she is in possession of an immigration permit. The Republic of South Africa can only accommodate a certain number of immigrants.
The country has a vast reserve of unskilled and semi-skilled workers who are entitled to employment opportunities and to an economically viable lifestyle therefore foreigners in the unskilled and the semi-skilled categories cannot be accepted as immigrant workers.
Applicants who are lawfully residing in North America must apply for immigration through the South African Consulate General in New York. This is the only Mission in North America that is tasked to process applications for immigration. In terms of Section 24(8) of the Aliens Control Act, 1991, this office is only responsible for the administrative functions of the immigration applications.
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These functions include, inter alia, acceptance of complete application and the relative tariff, conduct of interview, request of outstanding documentation and interdepartmental reports, referral of the application to the regional offices and notification of the decision to applicant.
IMMIGRATION CATEGORIES are divided into 2 major categories. in respect of whom the Dept. a permit shall lapse if the child does not submit an application to the Department within 2 years of his/her 21st birthday for confirmation of his/her residential status. The above applications may be submitted at any regional office of DHA.
Should a foreigner meet the above requirements, his/her spouse and children under the age of 21 years will likewise qualify for permanent residence status in the RSA, in terms of section 27(g). All three of which must invest or have already invested the prescribed financial contribution which shall be part of is part of the (intended) book value of the business, as certified by the chartered accountant.
Once permanent residence status has been acquired under this section of the Act, the person concerned has to renew the certification of the chartered accountant two years after permanent residence status has been granted, and again three years later. Section 27(d) refers to refugees as referred to in section 27(c) of the Refugees Act, 1998 (Act 130 of 1998). Section 27(g) refers to a relative or a citizen/resident within the first step of kinship (parents, children and spouses).
A personal interview is required for all applicants, 21 years and above. Interviews will be conducted by this office or by other South African Missions in North America depending on applicant's point of residence. If a personal interview is not feasible for the reason that applicant's point of residence is of great distance from/to the respective South African Mission, a telephonic interview will be considered.
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$127.00: Administrative fee in respect of a formal application for an immigration permit per individual or per family. The fee is non-refundable irrespective of whether the application is approved or not. Immigration permits are issued by the Regional Offices of the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa.
These permits are forwarded to this office for onward transmission to applicants. The validity period of an immigration permit is twelve (12) months. If the person is unable to arrive in the Republic within this period, an application for extension must be submitted to this office prior to the expiration date.
Changes relative to policy matters, legislation and regulations may eventuate at any time subsequent to the above information. It is the responsibility of the reader of this document to make sure at all times that the information contained herein is still relevant.
It is therefore suggested that enquiries be made at regular intervals to this office, the nearest South African Mission abroad or the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa.
Digital Transformation
A fully digital Home Affairs department will be the central point in the implementation of an effective digital government strategy in South Africa. “We all know that Home Affairs is central to managing civic services and immigration.
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“Digital transformation that automates and biometrically secures access to IDs and passports holds the key to eliminating identity theft and erasing the value of fraudulent documents. “We think that implementing this type of verification is important to verify whether someone who would like to change their details is the rightful person.
Challenges and Criticisms
There have been reports of corruption within Home Affairs. In January 2011 the department was criticised for its inefficiency, particularly in regard to processing documents.
In order to achieve the objectives set out in subsection (1), the Department shall monitor and exact compliance from any person or entity exercising responsibilities or bearing duties or obligations in terms of this Act.
| Issue | Details |
|---|---|
| Corruption | Reports of corruption within the Department of Home Affairs. |
| Inefficiency | Criticism for inefficiency, especially in processing documents. |
G20 Focus | Digital transformation challenges in SA
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