25 Sep Work Visas? Really?
There has been quite a ruckus over the last few weeks as a result of the change in South African Immigration Law and the new “visas” required to come into South Africa. There is a lot of back and forth about why, who, how and where to apply for this paperwork and whether it is completely necessary.
Essentially, an S11(2) is a “work authorisation” that is added to a tourist visa and is applicable for anyone coming into the country for a short-term work contract. The paperwork is issued for anywhere from 30 – 90 days and can be extended for a maximum of an additional 90 days, while in South Africa. It is no longer legal for people to work in South Africa on a normal tourist visa and deportation is applicable to offenders. It will now be strictly monitored.
Previously, Red Petal Productions would put in the applications and acquire the paperwork for all our clients through our local home affairs. This is the biggest change for all foreign personnel, as now each application needs to be done in person. Applications can be handed in at the applicants local South African Consulate or Embassy and should take 5 working days to process. The applications need to be done in the country of residence and may not be applied for in one country and then collected in another. The S11(2) can only be utilised for one entry into South Africa and should one need to come back at a later stage another application is required.
Due to the confusion as a result of the sudden change in the process, the South African Commercial Producers Association, the Cape Film Commission and numerous other industry representatives have been dealing directly with the Ministry of Home Affairs in trying to negotiate application requirements that better suit our industry. At this time, this is an ever changing landscape and to make things simpler and avoid confusion, Red Petal Productions will update clients at the budgeting stages as to the current requirements for the S11(2) applications in their countries. The 5 days application processing time should be factored into scheduling when plotting out each job.
There are numerous options for making the application process smoother and more efficient in each country and when the need arises, Red Petal Productions will assist our clients every step of the way.