Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, [email protected]
South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the deadline for visa and permit holders whose documents expired at the end of March, citing delays in processing applications.
The new deadline is now 30th September, providing temporary relief to thousands of foreign nationals, including Zimbabweans, who are awaiting the finalisation of their immigration status.
This latest development was announced on Tuesday by South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, under Immigration Directive Number 4 of 2025. The directive offers a temporary concession for foreign nationals affected by delays in processing visa appeals and manual applications.
The extension is particularly significant for holders of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP), who have faced uncertainty regarding their legal status in South Africa. The ZEP system, initially introduced as the Dispensation of Zimbabweans Project (DZP) in 2009, was later replaced by the Zimbabwe Special Permit (ZSP) in 2014 and, ultimately, the ZEP in 2017. These permits were designed to regularise the stay of Zimbabweans who had migrated to South Africa.
Around 178 000 Zimbabweans were eligible to apply for the new exemption permits, which are set to expire at the end of November.
However, delays in processing, particularly in the areas of printing and appeals, have left many individuals in a state of uncertainty.
In his announcement, Dr Schreiber acknowledged that despite efforts to address the backlog, numerous visa applications remain unprocessed due to delays in printing and administrative procedures.
“The Department of Home Affairs has, since issuing Immigration Directive No. 16 of 2024, dated 18 December 2024, been working to clear the backlog in its visa and permitting regime. However, many applications will not be ready for collection before the deadline of 31st March 2025, as stipulated in the previous concession, primarily due to delays in the printing process,” he said.
“Furthermore, the processing of the resultant appeals, as well as some manual category applications, will not be completed by the expiry of the current concession and is now the department’s primary focus.”
The extension will allow the Department of Home Affairs to process the applications and provide applicants the opportunity to collect their outcomes and submit applications for the appropriate visas.
He added that applicants who wish to abandon their waiver applications and leave South Africa before 30th September will not be declared undesirable under immigration laws. Visa holders awaiting the outcome of their waiver application can travel in and out of South Africa without being deemed undesirable until 30th September 2025.
However, non-visa-exempt applicants with pending waiver applications must apply for a port of entry visa before returning to South Africa.
The minister clarified that the extension applies to long-term visa applicants, but they must continue to comply with the conditions of their visas.
“The extension also applies to visa holders who have applied for long-term visas, as outlined in Section 11(1)(b) of the Immigration Act, up to and including Sections 20 and 22 of the Act, and whose visa application is still pending as of the date of this directive,” he stated.
However, Dr Schreiber made it clear that the temporary concession does not apply to individuals awaiting the outcome of permanent residence applications. These applicants must ensure their legal stay remains valid at all times while awaiting final approval.
The temporary measures will only apply to foreign nationals who have been legally admitted to South Africa and who have submitted applications via VFS Global. Applicants must be able to provide a verifiable receipt for their applications through the VFS tracking system.
This extension offers a crucial lifeline for many Zimbabweans and other foreign nationals whose legal status in South Africa was at risk due to administrative delays.
While the concession provides temporary relief, the long-term future of Zimbabweans in South Africa remains uncertain, especially as the country moves towards phasing out exemption permits.
The Zimbabwean Government has previously urged its citizens to regularise their stay through South Africa’s mainstream visa system or prepare for repatriation.
