Government requirements and objectives

All persons who are not South African citizens or permanent residents of South Africa, and who wish to take up employment in South Africa, require a work visa in order to do so.

The Department of Home Affairs will consider an application for a work visa on submission of an offer of employment in a confirmed position from a recognized organisation.

The objectives of the State in instituting the provisions of the Immigration Act, No.13 of 2002 are to ensure that South African citizens and permanent residents are not disadvantaged in their quest for employment by the employment of foreign workers and that the cost of repatriating foreign workers will not be borne by the State.
 
Visa application

• On acceptance of a T2 contract or permanent appointment, the prospective staff member will be contacted by a registered Immigration Practitioner contracted to UCT, who will confirm which documents are required for the application, will collate same and submit the application and supporting documents for processing either to the nearest South African Embassy or Consulate if the staff member resides outside of South Africa, or at the Department of Home Affairs via a central verification centre (VFS) if the staff member resides within South Africa, via the applicant.
• All applications need to be submitted personally by the applicant.
• The application can take in excess of six months to be processed.
• The applicant should not make any steps towards taking up employment in South Africa until such time as they have been informed in writing that the work visa has been approved and their passports have been endorsed accordingly.
• It is important to note that the visa will be applied for based on the position that the staff member has been offered.  The visa holder of the visa cannot use it for additional appointments, e.g. Warden.

Visa renewal

The onus is on the staff member to renew their visa (including those of family members) whether it is a work, study or visitor's visa, prior to the expiry date. The application for renewal should must be lodged at the Department of Home Affairs 6 months prior to the expiry date of the visa.
 
Costs

The University will cover the cost of the work visa and renewals for senior administrative staff (pay class 9 and above) and academic staff with T2 and permanent appointments. The University will also cover the cost of temporary residence visas for spouses of prospective staff members in the above categories and study visas / accompanying parent for their children, including all associated costs in terms of supporting documents, police clearances, etc.
Costs for staff in other categories will be covered by the staff member or in some instances by the department.

The University as an employer agrees to pay repatriation costs in the event of deportation only. The University will not be responsible for the payment of repatriation costs under any other circumstances.
 
Types of work visas

Critical skills work visas

This applies to a list supplied by the Department of Home Affairs of professions that are regarded as critical in South Africa. The list indicates the qualifications and experience that applies to each profession in order to qualify for this kind of work visa. Academic staff from Senior Lecturer and above would fall under this category. Critical Skills work visa applications do not require an advertisement.

It is a requirement of the Department of Home Affairs that the qualifications for those prospective staff members applying for a critical skills work visa are verified. The verification process is done with SAQA via the Immigration Practitioner.

The current legislation states that you cannot be issued with a work visa and study visa at the same time. Approval has however been granted to UCT by the Department of Home Affairs for the holder of a critical skills work visa at UCT to study towards a PhD at the same time.

General work visa

An advertisement is required for this type of visa unless the position is considered as senior management.

Positions need to be advertised in a national newspaper and need to be a specific size (60mm x 60mm). Adverts may not be older than three months from the date of the advert to the date the application is lodged with the Department of Home Affairs. It is however possible to apply to the Department of Home Affairs for a waiver of this condition. This is available at a cost via the Immigration Practitioner and could delay the application until approval is received.

It is a requirement of the Department of Home Affairs that the qualifications for those prospective staff members applying for a general work visa are verified. The verification process is done with SAQA via the Immigration Practitioner.
 
Permanent residence

Once a staff member has taken up their permanent appointment at UCT, application may be made for permanent residence (immediately in the case where the staff member is the holder of a critical skills work visa, or after five years if the staff member is the holder of a general work visa). In order to apply, the staff member must be in possession of a valid work visa. When making application, the importance of correct completion of the documentation cannot be over emphasized.

Should you wish to apply for permanent residence it is recommended that you make contact with the Appointments Office so that a referral can be made to the university's Immigration Practitioner, who will assist with providing the necessary documentation and submitting the application. The application needs to be made in person at the Department of Home Affairs via the VFS and the applicant and all family members included in the application need to be present, together with the Immigration Practitioner. The permanent residence process is long and you need to ensure that your work visa is kept valid while you wait for your permanent residence application to be approved.

The University will cover the cost of the application for senior administrative staff (pay class 9 and above) and academic staff with permanent appointments including other miscellaneous costs associated with the application.

The University as an employer agrees to pay repatriation costs in the event of deportation only. The University will not be responsible for paying repatriation costs under any other circumstances.
 
Processing of appointments

Appointment of persons who are neither South African citizens nor permanent residents of South Africa cannot be processed unless a work visa (valid for the period of employment) accompanies the take-on forms (HR100a/b/c) applicable to the appointment.

Page last updated: 07 July 2025