Immigration Services
Our Immigration team assists international and South African companies with immigration requirements normally associated with the import of foreign skills.
The team consists of experienced lawyers at all levels from across our various practice areas that have specialist knowledge of the immigration laws of South Africa.
All of our immigration lawyers are trained and qualified in all aspects of employment law, which gives them the ability to offer a full corporate employee migration service involving all legal aspects in relation to recruitment, obtaining work authorisation, appointment, contracts, statutory compliance with local labour laws and dispute resolution.
Whether you wish to second an employee to a foreign entity, subsidiary or parent company or you need to import talent for a local business, our Corporate Immigration team offers tailor-made advice and assistance, at a fee appropriate to the complexity and scope of the instruction.
Our services include:
- Advising corporate applicants on the South African income tax and exchange control laws that are likely to affect them.
- Identifying tax exposures and advice on tax planning strategies.
- Assisting in drafting business plans into the registration of a business in terms of the Companies Act and registering the business with the South African Revenue Service. In the event that an investment of less than the prescribed amount is made in the South African economy, we assist in obtaining a waiver from the Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs to reduce the prescribed capital requirement.
- Advising on own business visas, issued to foreigners who intend to establish or invest in their own business in South Africa.
Immigration Brochures
Immigration Guidelines
Services
Immigration Services
Our Immigration team assists international and South African companies with immigration requirements normally associated with the import of foreign skills.
The team consists of experienced lawyers at all levels from across our various practice areas that have specialist knowledge of the immigration laws of South Africa.
All of our immigration lawyers are trained and qualified in all aspects of employment law, which gives them the ability to offer a full corporate employee migration service involving all legal aspects in relation to recruitment, obtaining work authorisation, appointment, contracts, statutory compliance with local labour laws and dispute resolution.
Whether you wish to second an employee to a foreign entity, subsidiary or parent company or you need to import talent for a local business, our Corporate Immigration team offers tailor-made advice and assistance, at a fee appropriate to the complexity and scope of the instruction.
Our services include:
- Advising corporate applicants on the South African income tax and exchange control laws that are likely to affect them.
- Identifying tax exposures and advice on tax planning strategies.
- Assisting in drafting business plans into the registration of a business in terms of the Companies Act and registering the business with the South African Revenue Service. In the event that an investment of less than the prescribed amount is made in the South African economy, we assist in obtaining a waiver from the Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs to reduce the prescribed capital requirement.
- Advising on own business visas, issued to foreigners who intend to establish or invest in their own business in South Africa.
Brochures
Immigration Brochures
Guidelines
Immigration Guidelines
Immigration Lawyers
Our Immigration team provides specialist legal advice and services around immigration in South Africa and Kenya.
Our Immigration LawyersSECTOR HEAD
Immigration News
More newsWelcome announcement for foreign nationals in possession of a Zimbabwean or Lesotho Exemption Permit
On 1 December 2023, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, the Minister of Home Affairs (Minister), announced his decision to grant an exemption to Zimbabwean and Lesotho foreign nationals who are in possession of either a Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) or Lesotho Exemption Permit (LEP). This exemption has been granted in terms of section 31(2)(b) of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002 (Act) which empowers the Minister to grant inter alia a category of foreigners the rights of permanent residence for a specified, or unspecified period, upon the existence of special circumstances which would justify such decision.
Revised critical skills list
The Immigration Act 13 of 2002 empowers the Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs to issue a critical skills visa to an individual who is in possession of “ such skills or qualifications determined to be critical for the Republic from time to time ”, subject to meeting all the other requirements for the issuing of the visa. The skills and qualifications determined to be critical are published in a critical skills list issued by the Minister of the Department of Home Affairs (Minister) from time to time. A critical skills visa is issued based on compliance with the critical skills list and allows the holder to work in South Africa within a specific occupation listed on the critical skills list.
South African citizenship is not an automatic right for the children of Non-South African citizens - even if they were born in South Africa!
In the recent decision of Onai Muzore and Another v Minister of Home Affairs and another 4013/2021, the High Court dismissed a review application wherein the applicants challenged the Minister of Home Affairs' (Minister) decision not to confer South African citizenship on their children, who were born in South Africa. In doing so, the court considered how children who were born from Non-South African citizens obtained South African citizenship.