The general work visa is issued under section 19(2) of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002 to a foreign national with a job offer from a South African employer. It is the route for people whose occupation does not appear on the Critical Skills List.
It carries one requirement that makes it substantially harder than the critical skills route: the employer must satisfy the Department of Employment and Labour that it advertised the post and could not fill it with a South African citizen or permanent resident. That certification, not the visa form, is where these applications live or die.
Eligibility and Entry Requirements at a Glance
The requirements fall on the employer as much as on the applicant.
- A firm offer of employment from a South African employer, in the prescribed form
- A certificate from the Department of Employment and Labour confirming that the post was advertised and no suitable South African citizen or permanent resident was found
- Proof that the terms and conditions offered are not inferior to those prevailing for citizens in that sector
- A qualification evaluated by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)
- Registration with the relevant professional body, where the occupation requires it
- A valid passport with sufficient remaining validity and blank pages
- Police clearance from every country of residence for the prescribed period
- A medical report and a radiological report on the prescribed forms
Passport and Travel Document Requirements
The labour market test is the substantive hurdle. The employer must have advertised the position as the department requires, considered South African applicants, and be able to justify why none was suitable. A certification application supported by a thin advertisement or a job description written around a specific individual is refused, and the refusal is reasoned.
This means the employer must be genuinely committed. Employers unwilling to run a proper recruitment process, or to defend the outcome, cannot support a general work visa — and applicants sometimes discover late that their prospective employer will not do it.
SAQA evaluation is required and takes time. It is a separate application to a separate body, requiring certified documents and sometimes verification with the issuing institution abroad. Start it first, because the professional body registration that may follow depends on it.
Consider whether another category fits better. If your occupation is on the current Critical Skills List, that route avoids the labour market test entirely. An intra-company transfer visa applies where you are being transferred within a group of companies and has different requirements. A business visa applies where you are establishing or investing in a business. Confirm which category actually fits before committing to the hardest one.
The visa is tied to the employer and the position. Changing either generally requires a new application, and working outside the terms endorsed on the visa is a breach.
Visa and Supporting Document Requirements
The document set spans both employer and applicant.
- Completed application form for a general work visa
- Passport valid for the prescribed period, with blank pages
- Passport photographs meeting the specification
- Employment contract or offer signed by both parties, in the prescribed form
- Department of Employment and Labour certificate for the position
- Proof of the advertisement and the recruitment process the employer ran
- SAQA evaluation certificate for each qualification relied on
- Certified copies of qualifications and academic transcripts
- Proof of relevant experience — employment letters, references and a curriculum vitae
- Professional body registration, where the occupation requires it
- Police clearance certificates from each country of residence
- Medical and radiological reports on the prescribed forms
- Proof of payment of the prescribed fee
Financial, Health and Entry Conditions
Confirm every figure and requirement before you apply. Visa fees, processing times, forms and document lists change frequently and differ between missions and application centres. Work only from the issuing authority’s own official website, and treat anything else — including this page — as orientation rather than as the requirement.
Accompanying family apply separately. A spouse and children apply in their own right, with unabridged birth certificates, a marriage certificate where applicable, and their own police clearances and medical reports. An accompanying visa does not confer the right to work — a spouse wishing to work needs separate authorisation.
Renewal must be applied for before expiry, within the period the department prescribes, and generally requires a fresh employment confirmation. Where the labour market certification has a validity period, renewal may require it to be redone. Confirm the current position well before expiry.
Overstaying can result in being declared an undesirable person, with a ban on re-entry for a period linked to the length of the overstay. This applies even where a renewal application was intended but lodged late.
Employers carry their own liability. Employing a foreign national without valid authorisation is an offence under the Immigration Act, and employers are required to make a reasonable effort to verify status. That is why employers check, and why they are cautious.
Permanent residence is available in defined circumstances after a qualifying period on a work visa, and is a separate application. Confirm the current requirements with the department.
On agents and “guaranteed” visas. You do not need an agent, applications can be made directly, and official fees are published. Nobody can guarantee an outcome. Anyone offering to obtain a visa outside the normal process, or asking for payment to influence a decision, is not operating lawfully — and false documents result in refusal and, commonly, a multi-year ban.
How to Prepare or Apply
Applications from outside South Africa are made at the South African mission in your country, generally through the appointed visa application centre. Applications from within South Africa, where the category permits, are made by appointment at a VFS Global centre.
Sequence it properly: confirm the employer will run and defend the recruitment process, start the SAQA evaluation, obtain police clearances from every relevant country, and only then approach the application. Police clearances and SAQA evaluations are almost always the last documents to arrive.
- Check first whether the Critical Skills route applies — it avoids the labour market test
- Confirm the employer will run a proper recruitment process and defend it
- Start the SAQA evaluation immediately — it gates the professional registration
- Apply for police clearances early; some countries take months
- Ensure the offered terms are not inferior to prevailing local conditions
- Apply for family visas separately — and separately again for a spouse to work
- Renew well before expiry; the certification may need redoing
- Confirm current requirements with the Department of Home Affairs
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a general work visa harder than a critical skills visa?
Because the employer must obtain a certificate from the Department of Employment and Labour confirming the post was advertised and no suitable South African was found. The critical skills route has no such test.
What if my employer will not run the recruitment process?
Then a general work visa is not available, since the certification depends on it. Check whether the Critical Skills List, an intra-company transfer or a business visa fits your circumstances instead.
Can I change employers?
Generally not without a new application. The visa is tied to the employer and position, and working outside its terms is a breach.
Can my spouse work?
Not on an accompanying visa alone. Separate authorisation must be applied for.
Requirements, the labour market certification process, forms, fees and processing times are set by the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Employment and Labour and are revised. Confirm current requirements with both before applying.