The Department of Home Affairs has announced the gazetting of two major reforms aimed at overhauling South Africa's visa regime, with the introduction of the remote work visitor visa and a new points-based system for work visas.
Home Affairs said these reforms are part of a broader effort by the Government of National Unity (GNU) to attract skills and investment while stimulating economic growth and job creation.
In July 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa called for an overhaul of the visa regime to help drive skills development, investment, and growth in the tourism sector.
In response, Home Affairs delivered what Minister Leon Schreiber described as “the single most progressive and pro-jobs regulatory reform South Africa has seen in decades.”
The remote work visa allows highly paid foreign individuals employed abroad to live and work remotely in South Africa, injecting valuable foreign currency into the local economy.
In a statement, Home Affairs said that this new visa scheme would help create jobs while stimulating various sectors.
“These individuals will 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.”
The points-based system for work visas, meanwhile, aims to improve transparency in visa adjudication and tackle corruption.
Home Affairs highlighted that it introduces an objective points scale to determine qualifications for critical skills or general work visas.
“This transparent framework is designed to tackle corruption,” the statement read.
For general work visas outside of the Trusted Employer Scheme, a threshold of R650 796 in gross annual income has been introduced to protect local jobs while encouraging high-end skill inflow.
According to Home Affairs, research commissioned by the Reserve Bank and the International Food Policy Research Institute suggests that attracting just 0.02% more high-end skills could increase annual economic growth by up to 1.2%.
Furthermore, for every additional skilled worker, the enhanced visa regime is projected to create seven new jobs for South Africans.
Schreiber emphasised the significance of the reforms.
“By harnessing the power of market-based regulatory reform to cut red tape and enhance transparency, Home Affairs is fighting corruption in our immigration system while delivering on the GNU’s apex priority to grow the economy and create thousands of new jobs for the people of South Africa.”
The Mercury