Remote Work Visitor Visa gazetted

The gazetting of the highly anticipated Remote Work Visitor Visa as well as the new points-based system for work visas has been welcomed by many.

In July 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) collective mandate in this area through his call to “overhaul the visa regime to attract skills and investment and grow the tourism sector”.

PICTURE: SA High Commision

Three months later, the Home Affairs Department says it has delivered on this mandate through a set of worldclass reforms.

“The gazetting of all required elements for the Remote Work Visitor Visa and the new Points-Based System for Work Visas amounts to the single most progressive and pro-jobs regulatory reform South Africa has seen in decades,” said Leon Schreiber, Home Affairs Minister.

He said the department’s meticulous attention to detail to ensure that these reforms are fit-for purpose and market-friendly has resulted in two products that begin to reposition South Africa as a world-class destination for investment and tourism to create thousands of new jobs for South Africans.

“Importantly, the new points-based system also introduces a transparent framework to adjudicate visas in order to tackle corruption,” he said.

According to the department, the Remote Work Visa “enables highly paid individuals who are employed abroad and thus do not compete with local workers, to spend their valuable foreign currency right here in South Africa, pay Value-Added Tax into the South African fiscus, eat at South African restaurants and buy South African goods and services from South African producers”.

According to Schreiber, the new Points-Based System for Work Visas combats corruption and inefficiency by cutting red tape and introducing a transparent points scale to objectively determine who qualifies for a Critical Skills or General Work Visa. Additionally, for General Work Visa applications submitted outside of the Trusted Employer Scheme, a newly introduced threshold of R650 796 in gross annual income – which amounts to double the median income in the formal sector – will better protect existing jobs at the lower end of the market while injecting skills at the top.

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has welcomed the gazetting

‘’Cape Town is an ideal remote working destination and now people will be able to stay longer in our city, and spend more money here to the benefit of local businesses. It is refreshing to see swift action from Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber in promulgating these reforms. We look forward to continued partnerships to unleash economic growth,’’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis.

Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, James Vos, said the newly gazetted reforms align with the City’s continued calls for an overhaul of the visa system and have game-changing potential for the economy.

Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, says the annoucnement is music to his ears.

"This is among the WCG's core priorities: to make it as easy as possible for companies, businesses, and individuals to travel to and work in our province. I would like to commend the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Leon Schreiber, and his department for this significant development. We will work hard with Minister Schreiber and his team to see that the visa reforms are fully implemented and optimally harnessed to push our economy forward - to create opportunities for all our residents.”

 

Done by: Mitchum George