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The South African Division of Dwelling Affairs is infamous for taking months upon months to course of everlasting residency purposes. South Africa’s lockdown has slowed down outcomes much more.
Naturally, this example has precipitated candidates with PR purposes within the system a whole lot of stress.
Sadly, we are able to’t inform you how lengthy the Division goes to take to course of purposes. Nevertheless, we can provide you some insights into PR purposes and the way in which ahead.
PR purposes pre-COVID
As talked about, the Division of Dwelling Affairs (DHA) is infamous for taking its time with PR purposes.
Particularly with purposes submitted below the spousal, life companion, relations, and retired classes!
The DHA took, on common, round three and a half years to course of these purposes. In some instances, the DHA took greater than 5 years!
With that stated, some purposes have been typically processed sooner. Some candidates have been fortunate sufficient to obtain PR inside six months. In our expertise, these have been PR purposes below the crucial abilities and enterprise classes.
COVID created an unlimited backlog!
When South Africa’s nationwide lockdown got here into impact in March 2020, VFS in South Africa closed per the COVID-19 rules.
When VFS lastly did reopen for submissions in September 2020, it solely opened for momentary residence visas and related purposes, like waivers and appeals.
The end result? There is a gigantic backlog of PR purposes!
Though no PR purposes have been submitted because the finish of March 2020, solely a handful of outcomes have been acquired throughout the identical time.
Wanting forward – new PR purposes from 1 January 2022
The DHA introduced that it’ll begin accepting new PR purposes on 1 January 2022.
Let’s hope the PR utility backlog is cleared by then! If not, the wait might change into even longer for anybody with a PR utility already within the system.
Within the meantime, VFS opened for PR attraction purposes on 1 October. VFS was purported to open for PR rectifications on the identical day, however it’s nonetheless not accepting these purposes.
What are we doing for our purchasers?
Intergate Immigration instituted authorized proceedings in opposition to the DHA on behalf of our PR candidates in 2020. For the case to have benefit, we solely included purposes that had been within the system longer than 18 months.
The DHA opposed the appliance, as we suspected they might. We consider this transfer was nothing greater than a delay tactic on the DHA’s half. Their lack of service supply is unjustifiable contemplating the time frames in query!
Sadly, the earliest court docket date we might get was January 2022.
Whereas we’re ready on that date, we’re nonetheless preventing for the remaining 7 of the 266 individuals of our 2019 court docket case. The one PR outcomes we noticed issued throughout the varied levels of South Africa’s lockdown in 2020 have been for individuals on this case.
What are you able to do?
Nonetheless haven’t acquired an consequence in your PR utility? Sadly, all you are able to do is wait.
Keep in mind, although, that you need to maintain your momentary residency legitimate whereas ready. You don’t need to be in South Africa when making use of for an extension.
The silver lining is that when you’re a everlasting resident, all this ready is up to now – endlessly!
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