A memo leaked from the state attorney’s office to the Department of Home Affairs has raised questions about the visa backlog, which is reportedly now sitting at over 95,000 applications, according to the Sunday Times.
The state attorney’s office has warned of massive fallout from the backlog – the thwarting of immigration processes, national security risks from rushing through applications, and an impediment to economic growth as skills are blocked from the country.
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi noted in a recent parliamentary Q&A that the backlog in temporary residence visas remained at over 74,309 in December – unchanged from his October report. There remains a backlog of 43,944 permanent residence permits.
Immigration lawyer Gary Eisenberg said in December that the crisis is probably much worse, and the numbers provided by the department are misleading: they likely don’t include applications that have been appealed or are under review.
Even those who get court orders to force the minister to make a decision on their applications have their orders ignored.
Eisenberg added that skilled foreign professionals are walking away. ‘They cannot wait a year for a visa or spousal visa, so they are going elsewhere’.
In the parliamentary Q&A, Motsoaledi said the time frame to fix the backlog has been moved from June 2024 to November 2024.
The department’s plans are outlined in the ‘backlog eradication plan’.
This will separate the Temporary Residency Visas applications of 2022 from the 2023 applications. The same will be done for Permanent Residence Permits.
Officials from branches outside the Immigration Branch, including those in provinces, will be redeployed. It also includes officials who have returned from their Foreign Missions.