Heads-up: New SA Immigration rules for kids
Aug 29, 2014, 3:01 pm
#46
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“It is unfortunate that these concerns have been raised at the last minute as these policies have been accessible to the public for a long time.”
As far as I can see concerns were raised in June and in the months prior to that which is why the legislation was postponed until 01/10/14.
Previously I was only "mildly irritated" but this change but that has increased to "hacked off" as I now have to source an affidavit for Mrs and Mstr Steve ZA to go visit family. This will be during October so I imagine JNB immigration will be a sea of confusion and tears - and that's just the officers.
As far as I can see concerns were raised in June and in the months prior to that which is why the legislation was postponed until 01/10/14.
Previously I was only "mildly irritated" but this change but that has increased to "hacked off" as I now have to source an affidavit for Mrs and Mstr Steve ZA to go visit family. This will be during October so I imagine JNB immigration will be a sea of confusion and tears - and that's just the officers.
Sep 3, 2014, 12:21 pm
#47
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I'm watching CCTV Global Business and they've got a story on the new visa process now- estimates are for a 270K person drop in tourism and $900 Million USD loss with the new rules, and countries like Mozambique and Kenya are starting to change their own visa/immigration rules for South Africans in retaliation. CCTV notes that the number of Chinese requests for visas are falling 70% as the new rules deadline approaches.
Sep 4, 2014, 12:38 pm
#48
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,352
"Cape Town will be dropped from Virgin Atlantic’s services from London next South African winter.
Although it was not the determining factor, uncertainties around the new immigration regulations that Home Affairs will introduce on October 1 is one of the factors that was taken into consideration when Virgin Atlantic evaluated routes and made its decision, GM Simon Newton-Smith told Tourism Update on Wednesday."
Source
Johan
Although it was not the determining factor, uncertainties around the new immigration regulations that Home Affairs will introduce on October 1 is one of the factors that was taken into consideration when Virgin Atlantic evaluated routes and made its decision, GM Simon Newton-Smith told Tourism Update on Wednesday."
Source
Johan
Sep 16, 2014, 5:50 am
#49
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At least parts of these new rules have now been postponed for implementation and won't hit until at least June 2015.
Given the repeated delays needed for implementation, perhaps that is a clue that they should take that as a sign that they passed a stupid law which needs to be scrapped in parts and the drawing board revisited.
http://www.enca.com/new-regulations-...postponed-2015
Given the repeated delays needed for implementation, perhaps that is a clue that they should take that as a sign that they passed a stupid law which needs to be scrapped in parts and the drawing board revisited.
http://www.enca.com/new-regulations-...postponed-2015
Dec 22, 2014, 2:29 pm
#50
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,077
Got an email from Home Affairs that the birth certs (requests in Feb 2014) were processed and sent to the Embassy on 16 July.
The Embassy, Consular Affairs office in DC is now telling people that Counsular affairs hasn't received a pouch since 26 (or 29) July and that people are waiting for passports, ID books, birthday certs and they (Consular staff) are in the dark over what's going on. No explanation why a document produced and sent on 16 July wasn't in the 26 July pouch. Nevertheless, it's still not there.
SA Consulate DC also mention that, in some cases, Home Affairs sends the item(s) to the wrong Embassy - e.g. they mistake Washington DC for Wellington NZ. Or they send a DC bound document to the wrong US office (NY v. DC for example). In the US, the consular staff have an informal system whereby they email around to staff in other consulates S/Substance "Hey we have [document XYZ] which we didn't request, have you? If so, we'll send it to you."
Consular staff seem to be aware of the concerns/issues with having the docs (particularly the birth certs) but seem powerless b/c the Home Affairs Staff seem to be giving consular staff the run-around.
Onward.
The Embassy, Consular Affairs office in DC is now telling people that Counsular affairs hasn't received a pouch since 26 (or 29) July and that people are waiting for passports, ID books, birthday certs and they (Consular staff) are in the dark over what's going on. No explanation why a document produced and sent on 16 July wasn't in the 26 July pouch. Nevertheless, it's still not there.
SA Consulate DC also mention that, in some cases, Home Affairs sends the item(s) to the wrong Embassy - e.g. they mistake Washington DC for Wellington NZ. Or they send a DC bound document to the wrong US office (NY v. DC for example). In the US, the consular staff have an informal system whereby they email around to staff in other consulates S/Substance "Hey we have [document XYZ] which we didn't request, have you? If so, we'll send it to you."
Consular staff seem to be aware of the concerns/issues with having the docs (particularly the birth certs) but seem powerless b/c the Home Affairs Staff seem to be giving consular staff the run-around.
Onward.
Call from the DC Consular office this morning, birth certificates arrived and ready for pickup.
Dec 27, 2014, 2:12 pm
#52
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,077
I'm told by consular staff in DC that some folks have been waiting 1+ years (as in, approaching 2 years) for some documents from DHA to the DC Consulate. I question in my own mind why someone wouldn't just re-apply for the needed paperwork and hope the new application someone "gets noticed" and the requested document(s) are actually sent.
I will now covet the docs. Of course, I should've requested like 8 copies of each so that I could hide them in the safe deposit box, at home, in the home safe, etc. Inevitably, I will lose the one copy we have and we'll have to go through this all over again.
Feb 11, 2015, 4:18 pm
#53
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~Bump~
I will be travelling to SA with my 7 y.o son in August for a week. Have these new regulations commenced yet or are they likely to have commenced by August? I'm getting conflicting info from various websites.
oh, and hi by the way.
I will be travelling to SA with my 7 y.o son in August for a week. Have these new regulations commenced yet or are they likely to have commenced by August? I'm getting conflicting info from various websites.
oh, and hi by the way.
Feb 12, 2015, 12:52 pm
#55
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Code:
[News] (N6) SOUTH AFRICA - REQUIREMENT FOR MINORS TO HOLD BIRTH CERTIFICATE POSTPONED UNTIL 1 JUNE 2015 The requirement for all minors under 18 years of age irrespective of nationality, traveling to and from South Africa, to hold a full (unabridged) birth certificate has been postponed. The new effective date of the regulation is 1 June 2015. Additional documents will be required for minors traveling with one parent, adult other than parent, or unaccompanied. 12 Feb 2015 / 19:45 [UTC]
Feb 19, 2015, 8:12 pm
#57
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I've learned a new word reading here and the links provided that describe the reason for this perfectly: "ineptocracy".
Feb 20, 2015, 7:23 am
#58
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Feb 20, 2015, 8:10 am
#59
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Home Affairs Drops Another Bombshell
"The Department of Home Affairs has backtracked on a concession that it granted last year that children travelling into South Africa would not have to have their birth certificates translated into English."
Source
Johan
Source
Johan