The General Work Visa was previously applicable in instances where a South African company wished to employ an applicant with certain qualifications and experience but had not been able to find a suitably qualified South Africa citizen for the position. One of the criteria for the application was that the company had to get a certificate from the Department of Labour confirming that there was not a South African person to fill the position. The Department of Labour essentially never issued these certificate’s and the General Work Visa then fell into disuse.

The General Work Visa has now been revamped and is now based on a Points Based System. This is a significant improvement and will enable well qualified and experienced applicants to work in South Africa.

The Points Based System will be based on the Table below:

Based on the above table the applicant must achieve at least 100 points to apply for a General Work Visa. In the event that the applicant’s occupation is on the Critical Skills List then the applicable visa is the Critical Skills Visa. The General Work Visa may be issued for 5 years, and once the applicant has held a General Work Visa for 5 years they may apply for Permanent Residence.