In June 2021 a team was established under the auspices of Operation Vulindela to review the regulatory framework and processes that govern the issuing of critical skills, general work, business, and intra company transfer visas at the Department of Home Affairs. The team has finished its report and has produced the following key recommendations:

Recommendation 1: Streamline Documentation Requirements and Adjudication Processes

The following key recommendations emerged under this heading:

1. Medical & Radiological Reports: The requirement to submit a Radiological Report should be done away with. This has already been introduced by DHA. The requirement for a Medical Report should only be in place before the applicant’s entry into the country.
2. Police Clearance Certificates: These should only be required from countries that the applicant has lived in for 12 months or longer during the last 5 years. This has also already been introduced by DHA.
3. SAQA Verification: SAQA Verification should not be required if the applicant has a job offer from a Trusted Employer
4. Membership of Professional Body: This should not be required.

Recommendation 2: Modernise IT Systems and Introduce Automation

The Report notes that the present system is manual and paper based and that it needs to be upgraded to allow for the efficient processing of large volumes of applications.

Recommendation 3: Expand Human Resources Capacity in the Immigration Services Branch

An urgent review of HR capacity was required and additional staff particularly in the area of IT upgrades were required.

Recommendation 4: Upgrade the ESSA Database

The ESSA database needs a substantia upgrade for it to be a useful tool in assisting with General Work Visa applications.

Recommendation 5: Update the Critical Skills List more Frequently

The Critical Skills List should be updated at least every two years.

Recommendations 6 – 8 included the following recommendations:

• Recommendation 6: Introduce a Trusted Employer Scheme
• Recommendation 7: Introduce a Points Based System
• Recommendation 8: Introduce New Visa Categories to cate for Remote Workers and Start-ups

We shall consider these recommendations in separate articles.