The Department of Home Affairs says it has started laying the groundwork for new visa types to be introduced in SA, in a bid to attract skilled workers.

The department has published its 2023/24 annual performance plan, which includes its intentions and targets for the current financial year.

In the plan, Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the department is currently exploring new visa categories, including start-up visas and remote working visas.

BusinessTech reports that the Minister has long responded to inquiries about these visas by saying that the current regulatory framework to introduce them does not exist, and he had indicated the department had no plans in place to change this.

However, these visas, and a wider push to draw skilled labour to SA, have been key points in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address for the last two years. 

‘The comprehensive review of the work visa system is underway to explore new visa categories that could enable economic growth, such as a start-up visa and a remote working visa,’ Motsoaledi said.

As part of these plans, the department said it would publish a White Paper on the Management of Citizenship, International Migration and Refugee Protection, which will address these new visa types, among other key immigration issues.

Full BusinessTech report