DMW-ADVISORY-33-2026 — SOUTH AFRICA IMMIGRATION DIRECTIVE NO. 7 OF 2026 EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY CONCESSION FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS WITH PENDING APPLICATIONS

Republic of the Philippines Department ot Aliarant Morkers

Blas F. Ople Building, Ortigas Avenue cor. EDSA, Mandaluyong City 1550 AMa MAANC Vebsit G line:8722 1152,8722 1155,8822 T159,8724 3665 BAGONG PILIPINAS

ADVISORY NO._3 3

Series of 2026

South Africa Immigration Directive No. 7 of 2026 Extension of Temporary Concession for Foreign Nationals with Pending Applications

The Department of Migrant Workers advises Overseas Filipino Workers in South Africa, regarding the issued immigration Directive No. 7 of 2026 by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) of the Republic of South Africa on the Extension of Temporary Concession for Foreign Nationals with Pending Applications.

The directive extends the temporary concession for foreign nationals with

backlogs, granting an automatic extension of status until 30 June 2027. Eligible pending applications for waivers, long-term visas, or appeals due to administrative

individuals may travel in and out of South Africa during this period; however, those with expired visas must secure a Port of Entry Visa prior to re-entry.

The extension applies only to foreign nationals who entered South Africa legally and hold a valid VFs Global receipt. It does not cover permanent residence applications or appeals of rejected Visitor's Visa renewals pending for more than three months.Affected individuals should have departed by 30 April 2026.

Attached to this advisory is the issued directive for your kind reference

For the information and guidance of all concerned.

DEPARTMENT OF MIGRANT WORKERS RECEIVED By: _RICHIE M. GUEVARRA General Services Divisio Administrative Servic BERNARD P.OLALIA Office of the Secretary Officer-in-Charge

Date:June 16,2026 Time: 09:11 A.M.

June 2026

CONTROLLED AND DISSEMINATED By: DMW General Services Division on _June 16, 2026

home affairs Department: REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA Home Affairs

Enquiries: [email protected]

TO: ALL OFFICIALS OF THE DEPARTMENT

BORDER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & COOPERATION

VFS GLOBAL

IMMIGRATION DIRECTIVE NO.7 OF 2026

EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY CONCESSION FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS RELATED TO DELAYED PROCESSING OF WAIVER,VISA AND APPEAL APPLICATIONS

The Department of Home Affairs ("Department") has, since issuing Immigration Directive No. 22 of 2025, made significant progress in addressing historic backlogs in its visa and permit regime.

2 The Department has focused its efforts on building the innovative Electronic Travel

Authorisation ("ETA") system, which has already been launched to a limited audience, and it's envisaged to migrate its operations to this platform in the near future to improve efficiencies.The Department recognises South Africa is a popular destination of choice for many. Given this high interest and the interventions of the Department to cleanse the stigma of corruption in this area, not all applications submitted to the Department have been able to be finalised timeously. This includes waiver, visa and appeal applications.

3 The following temporary measures will therefore apply with effect from 01 April 2026:

3.1 APPLICANTS WHOSE WAIVER APPLICATION OUTCOMES ARE STILL PENDING

3.1.1 Visa holders who have applied for a waiver and whose waiver application is still pending

as at the date of signature of this Directive,are granted a further temporary extension until 30 June 2027 to enable the Department to process the applications, allow applicants to collect their outcomes and if successful, subsequently submit applications for appropriate Visas. 3.1.2 Those applicants who wish to abandon their waiver applications and depart from the

Republic of South Africa ("Republic"), will be allowed to depart from the Republic at a port

IMMIGRATION DIRECTIVE NO.7 OF 2026

DEALAYED PROCESSING OF WAIVER,VISA AND APPEAL APPLICATIONS EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY CONCESSION FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS RELATED TO

of entry on or before 30 June 2027, without being declared undesirable in terms of section 30(1)(h) of the Immigration Act, 2002 (Act No. 13 of 2002) ("Immigration Act"), read with regulation 27(3) of Immigration Regulations, 2014 ("Immigration Regulations"). A visa holder who needs to travel, but is still awaiting the outcome of a waiver application, will be allowed to depart from and re-enter the Republic at a port of entry up to and including 30 June 2027 without being declared undesirable in terms of section 30(1)(h) of Immigration Act, read with regulation 27(3) of Immigration Regulations.

3.1.3 However, applicants from countries that are not visa exempt and who wish to depart from

the Republic with a waiver application receipt, are required to apply for a port of entry visa before returning to the Republic in order to facilitate their re-entry into the Republic at a port of entry.

32 APPLICANTS WHOSE VISA APPLICATION OUTCOMES ARE STILL PENDING

3.2.1Visa holders who have applied for long-term visas in terms of sections 11(1)(b) to 20.

including section 22, of the Immigration Act, who are still awaiting the outcome of their applications as at the date of signature of this Directive, are granted a further temporary extension of their current visa status until 30 June 2027. Applicants are not allowed to engage in any activity other than what the current visa conditions provide for.

3.2.2 Visa holders who need to travel, but are still awaiting the outcome of their long-term visa

application, will be allowed to depart from and re-enter the Republic at a port of entry up to and including 30 June 2027 without being declared undesirable in terms of section 30(1)(h) of the Immigration Act, read with regulation 27(3) of the Immigration Regulations

3.2.3 However, applicants from countries that are not visa exempt and who wish to depart from

the Republic with a long-term visa application receipt, are required to apply for a port of entry visa before returning to the Republic in order to facilitate their re-entry into the Republic at a port of entry.

3. 3 APPLICANTS WHOSE APPEAL APPLICATION OUTCOMES ARE STILL PENDING

3.3.1 Visa holders who have, in terms of section 8(4) or (6) of the Immigration Act, appealed a

negative decision on an application submitted for a long-term visa in sections 11(1)(b) to

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IMMIGRATION DIRECTIVE NO.7 OF 2026 EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY CONCESSION FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS RELATED TO DEALAYED PROCESSING OF WAIVER,VISA AND APPEAL APPLICATIONS

20, including section 22, of the Immigration Act, who are still awaiting the outcome of their appeal applications as at the date of signature of this Directive, are granted a further temporary extension of their current visa status until 30 June 2027. Applicants are not allowed to engage in any activity other than what the current visa conditions provide for

3.3.2 Visa appeal applicants who need to travel, but are still awaiting the outcome of an appeal

application for a long-term visa, will be allowed to depart from and re-enter the Republic at a port of entry up to and including 30 June 2027, without being declared undesirable in terms of section 30(1)(h) of the Immigration Act, read with regulation 27(3) of the Immigration Regulations.

3.3.3 All appeal applicants are required to produce a copy of the rejection letter, together with

a receipt and/or confirmation indicating that he or she has submitted an appeal application, on departure from or re-entry into the Republic, as the case may be, at a port of entry. Applicants from countries that are not visa exempt who wish to depart from the Republic at a port of entry, must do so being in possession of an appeal application receipt and/or confirmation, and are required to apply for a port of entry visa before returning to the Republic in order to facilitate their re-entry into the Republic at a port of entry.

O The above temporary measures will apply only to those foreign nationals who have been

legally admitted into the Republic. This Directive is also only applicable to applicants who have submitted an application via VFS Global and who can produce a verifiable receipt for such application against the VFS Global tracking system.

5 Applicants awaiting the outcome on an application for a permanent residence permit are

required to ensure that their residential status in the Republic remains valid at all times while awaiting such outcome. Therefore, the above temporary measures are not applicable to applicants who have submitted applications for permanent residence permits.

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IMMIGRATION DIRECTIVE NO.7 OF 2026 EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY CONCESSION FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS RELATED TO DEALAYED PROCESSING OF WAIVER,VISA AND APPEAL APPLICATIONS

EXCLUSION

6. Applicants with pending appeal applications relating to a rejection of an application for the

renewal of a visitor's visa submitted in terms of section 11(1)(a) of the Immigration Act, where such appeal has been pending for longer than 3 (three) months, are excluded from this concession. Such applicants are required to depart the Republic at a port of entry on or before 30 April 2026 and will not be declared undesirable in terms of section 30(1)(h) of the Immigration Act, read with regulation 27(3) of the Immigration Regulations. The outcome of the appeal will be communicated to the applicant via the online portal through which the application is tracked

7.The concessions under this Directive cease immediately upon receipt of outcomes, and

applicants must comply with the conditions of their decisions forthwith.

DR LA SCHREIBER,MP MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS DATE:30 March 2026

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