To work in South Africa as a foreign national you need a visa authorising work. The main categories are the general work visa, the critical skills work visa and the intra-company transfer work visa, each with different requirements and different evidence.
Which category applies determines the entire application. The general work visa requires the employer to show the position could not be filled by a South African, while the critical skills route depends on your occupation appearing on the critical skills list.
Eligibility and Entry Requirements at a Glance
The three main work visa categories are assessed as follows.
- General work visa: requires a job offer and a certificate from the Department of Employment and Labour confirming no suitable South African candidate was found
- Critical skills work visa: requires your occupation to appear on the critical skills list and proof of your qualification and experience
- Intra-company transfer work visa: requires employment with the foreign company for a prescribed period and a transfer to a related South African entity
- All categories require police clearance certificates, a medical report and a radiological report
- All categories require qualifications evaluated by SAQA
- All require proof of the employer registration and good standing
Passport and Travel Document Requirements
Your passport must be valid well beyond the period of stay applied for, with sufficient blank pages.
Applications are generally made from outside South Africa at a South African mission, though limited categories may apply from within the country. The rules on this are strict.
Visa and Supporting Document Requirements
Foreign qualifications must be evaluated by SAQA before the application, and this evaluation takes time. It cannot be done retrospectively.
For the critical skills route, professional body registration or confirmation is commonly required in addition to the qualification, and this differs by occupation.
For the general work visa, the Department of Employment and Labour certification is the binding constraint and is the responsibility of the employer rather than the applicant.
Financial, Health and Entry Conditions
Financial thresholds and prescribed periods for this route are set by regulation and revised periodically. This page does not restate them, because an out-of-date figure would cause exactly the refusal it is meant to prevent. Confirm the current figures with the Department of Home Affairs. The critical skills list itself is revised, and an occupation appearing on it at one point may not appear later.
Working outside the terms of your visa, including for a different employer than the one specified, is a serious breach affecting future applications and can result in being declared undesirable.
How to Prepare or Apply
Start the SAQA evaluation and the police clearance certificates first. Both come from third parties and are the usual cause of delay.
Immigration applications are refused far more often on documentation and procedure than on substance. Where the application is significant to your life, taking advice from a qualified immigration practitioner is prudent rather than optional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What work visa categories are there?
The general work visa, the critical skills work visa and the intra-company transfer work visa, each with different requirements.
What is the critical skills list?
A list of occupations for which South Africa has a skills shortage. It is revised, so confirm that your occupation currently appears on it.
Do I need SAQA evaluation?
Yes. Foreign qualifications must be evaluated by SAQA before the application, and it takes time.
Can I change employers on a work visa?
Not without applying. Working for a different employer than the one specified is a serious breach.
Confirm current requirements, forms, fees and processing times with the Department of Home Affairs, since immigration rules and thresholds change and are applied strictly. See visa requirements and browse all travel and immigration requirements.