Immigration Law

Our Immigration Law team is made up of experienced lawyers at all levels from across our various practice areas that have specialist knowledge of the immigration laws of South Africa and Kenya.

Immigration Law Services

Our Immigration Law 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:

  • Providing advice on a wide range of immigration related matters.
  • Internal audits to ensure compliance with applicable South African immigration laws.
  • Advising corporates on the South African immigration laws and the recruitment of highly skilled foreign nationals.  
  • Identifying appropriate work visas and assisting with visa and waiver applications for individual and corporate applicants.  
  • The provision of training on various aspects of immigration law and its impact in the workplace.
  • Representation in court proceedings adverse to the Department of Home Affairs.  
  • Verifying the validity of work visas and permits.
  • Appeal processes through the Department of Home Affairs.
  • Dealing with undesirable and prohibited status determinations.
  • Rejection of visa applications.
  • Misconduct and incapacity processes arising from fraudulent or expired work visas.
  • Advising on own business visas, issued to foreigners who intend to establish or invest in their own business in South Africa.
  • Identifying tax exposures and advice on tax planning strategies in the employment of foreign nationals.
  • Advising corporate applicants on the South African income tax and exchange control laws that are likely to affect them in relation to the employment of foreign employees.

Immigration Law Brochures

Services

Immigration Law Services

Our Immigration Law 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:

  • Providing advice on a wide range of immigration related matters.
  • Internal audits to ensure compliance with applicable South African immigration laws.
  • Advising corporates on the South African immigration laws and the recruitment of highly skilled foreign nationals.  
  • Identifying appropriate work visas and assisting with visa and waiver applications for individual and corporate applicants.  
  • The provision of training on various aspects of immigration law and its impact in the workplace.
  • Representation in court proceedings adverse to the Department of Home Affairs.  
  • Verifying the validity of work visas and permits.
  • Appeal processes through the Department of Home Affairs.
  • Dealing with undesirable and prohibited status determinations.
  • Rejection of visa applications.
  • Misconduct and incapacity processes arising from fraudulent or expired work visas.
  • Advising on own business visas, issued to foreigners who intend to establish or invest in their own business in South Africa.
  • Identifying tax exposures and advice on tax planning strategies in the employment of foreign nationals.
  • Advising corporate applicants on the South African income tax and exchange control laws that are likely to affect them in relation to the employment of foreign employees.

Brochures

Immigration Law Brochures

Immigration Lawyers

Our Immigration Law team provides specialist legal advice and services around immigration in South Africa and Kenya.  

Our Immigration Lawyers

Immigration Law News

More news

Immigration developments in Kenya

Over the past three months, the Government has made changes to the immigration laws and regulations in Kenya by introducing new classes of work permits, while at the same time doing away with the visa requirements for citizens of African states, other than Libya and Somalia. This article delves into the changes introduced by the Government and the intended effect of these developments. On 1 October 2024 the Government issued Legal Notice 155 of 2024, which was later amended by the issuance of Legal Notice 198 of 2024 on 16 November 2024. The two legal notices created the following new classes of work permits.

Obtaining Kenyan citizenship: What you need to know

Citizenship is the legal relationship between an individual and the state. Citizens of a country are entitled to certain privileges or rights. A citizen is obligated to perform certain duties that a state expects from persons under its territory and, in return, benefit from the state’s protection.

Permanent residence in Kenya: What you need to know

Kenya is an East African country with a population of approximately 60 million people. It is one of the fastest-growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa and is rated the third best country in Africa for immigrants targeting high-income, well-paying jobs by the Henley Opportunity Index 2024. The World Bank further estimates that in 2023, Kenya’s growth accelerated from 4,8% to 5%. The 28 th edition of the Kenya Economic Update (KEU) attributes this growth to a strong rebound of the agricultural sector and moderate growth of the services sector. Kenya is also home to diverse tourist attractions, which include wildlife such as the Big Five that inhabit its beautiful savannahs. It is also known for its citizens’ athletic prowess, its stable political system and good governance.