Archive for the ‘South African Immigration’ Category

I feel we have slightly been neglecting our old friend South Africa on this blog recently, so today I attempt to right the wrongs of past months and hope to pacify the baying crowd that wish to see me strung by the toe-nails as punishment for this gross misdemeanour.

As the World Cup is fast approaching being held in SA, preparations have been well under way for the mass arrival of thousands of lovely football fans to descend on South African immigration and each city hosting games. This has seen some remarkable changes and new buildings being built as well as five new stade de South Africa.

The five new stadiums are now finished and it feels as though June will be upon us before we know what the word stade means. This is all great news; however as with most conundrums there are always umms, this month a few readers have emailed asking just how safe it actually is in South Africa? The simple answer to that, on second-hand knowledge gleamed from ex-SA citizens and the wonderful tool that masquerades itself as Google – is not very safe at all.

This doesn’t look good for the World Cup then!

As readers from all 4-corners of the atlas utter the same sentence it could be interpreted as a bad omen that crime in South Africa is so high. I will not bore you with statistics, nor will I scare you with what crimes South Africa tops world-wide lists for, let’s just say that if murder was a sport then South Africa could may well be competing for the title, however don’t be fooled into thinking it is that bad or everyone would be dead already, yeh know?

So with the reasons for the level of crime in SA a subject that looks as vast and deeply political as their position at the top of the table in brutality, we will try and divert away from that unsightly blemish and concentrate on what are the nicer parts of the country, and if the weirdo’s feel as though they are being left out I will also be listing the worst area’s.

The Global Visas definitive list for the 3 safest and 3 worst parts of South Africa for crime.

Worst

Johannesburg

Johannesburg, or Jo’burg as it is fondly known by people that don’t like the name Johannesburg, is regarded as probably the most dangerous city in SA, with the townships on the outskirts such as Soweto held in poor regard and the downtown area of Hillbrow reported to be a no-go zone. Residents of near by areas will warn you to stay out of this area however if you have to go through it drive as fast as possible and don’t stop.

Durban

As with Jo’burg the most common crime in this city is burglary closely followed by robbery and assault, lovely. This makes the two cities very similar in the predominant type of crime taking place, which if you were wondering is violent crime. Durban actually comes out as the most dangerous city in SA for Africans whereas Jo’burg is for White people. Again you are advised to stay clear of the downtown areas, especially after dark.

Pretoria

Pretoria is to the north of Jo’burg and will host 6 games at its Loftus Versfeld Stadium. The city is relatively safe when compared to Jo’burg; however there is a higher incidence of car-jacking in this city, one method is for the would-be jacker to lie in the road as though they are dead, when a car stops to help they are set upon. Advice to avoid this is to drive as fast as possible at people lying on the floor, this I am assured will see them spring to their feet. Again it seems that the Suburbs are the safer option then compared to downtown.

Safest

Cape Town

This city is located on the south coast and is a leading tourist destination in South Africa, because of this it is undeniably still afflicted by crime, but when compared to the ‘worst’ parts of the country you soon realise it is only a small part of this beautiful city. Within throwing distance of the beach the city centre area has been revamped with new businesses being brought in, this period of growth has seen new modern bars springing up all round the area and creating a diverse and varied nightlife in the city.

Western Cape

This could be classed as technically cheating as the city of Cape Town lies within the Western Cape. However this vast region is home to countless un-touristy destinations along the coast and would be an ideal place to stay while travelling into the city of Cape Town to watch the matches being played there. You will find countless safe areas along the coast here and further up the areas of George and Port Elizabeth.

Eastern Cape

All along the Eastern Cape you will find safe and sleepy towns that have there own modus operandi, the crime rates in places like this are non-existent when compared to the cities. The closest city that will be playing matches will be Jo’burg or Cape Town again. This is a great area to immigrate to although not really any good to be travelling from to watch the World Cup.

So in conclusion it seems that if you are going to watch the World Cup in a few months then you should be heading to the matches being played in Cape Town. If your country is however playing in the Jo that is burg then you will have to take more care. As scary as stories of far away places sound they are often little more than that, I’m not saying go down to Hillbrow and show your face just so they know you’re not scared, I’m just reminding you not to let anything stand in your way from doing what you want and finding out for yourself what your opinion is.

If you are thinking of moving to South Africa take a look at our South African immigration page and contact us for a FREE consultation

Move to South Africa for the World Cup 2010.

With only 260 days to go until the World Cup moves to South Africa, things are beginning to reach boiling point for the first ever tournament on African soil.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter was getting hot under the collar after the issue of security in South Africa was again raised by the media.

The normally placid Swede reacted with irritation to repeat suggestions that violence and crime threaten to overshadow the event.

“This is a country that already gets 11 million tourists every year, who go there because they like the place. They have had World Cups in cricket and rugby. Let us please drop these questions and get out there and support and trust the South Africans,” seethed Sepp.

And no wonder he was angry with scare-mongering horror headlines in the English media (Daily Telegraph) that warned England fans are “virtually certain’ to die” at the World Cup. While rival paper the Guardian published figures showing crime in South Africa is on the increase with just nine months to go before the games start:

In Rustenburg, tipped to be the England squad’s base, cases of sex crimes, assault, robbery with aggravating circumstances and kidnapping all increased on the previous year.

Imagine the rise in incidents when the England squad and their Wags arrive!

The 41,000 security officers currently being trained to work in South Africaand handle fans’ security may find themselves better allocated to keeping a 24-hour tantrum watch on England forward Wayne Rooney or having a constant sniper rifle pointed at Danielle Lloyd, the gobby glamour model, Big Brother racist and current ex-Wag of England soccer ace Jermain Dafoe.

Maybe we all need to cool down and take a refreshing cup of fizzy pop? Well, good news is at hand with the announcement that Coca-Cola is sponsoring a pre-tournament 225-day world tour to boost awareness for this little known tournament.

The 2010 World Cup Trophy will be on show across 86 countries and fans will be able to slake their thirst for football with a rare glimpse of the glittering 18-carat gold trophy.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter, surely a lot calmer after hearing about all the millions of pounds his organistion will indirectly gain as a result of the deal,  is backing Coca-Cola as the brand to epitomize the “unique spirit and the celebrations that football inspires.”

The drinks brand will also sponsor a dance contest to find the best dancer at next year’s World Cup. Blatter and the suits at Coke may got a shock when they see warm lager and shouting uncouth barbs at rival fans tend to be the cultural preserve of most football fans.

But as long as you have a valid South African visa, you’ll be welcome to enjoy the World Cup no matter what your tipple or fancy.

Dalai Lama: Praying for a travel visa

Not since he tried to get a South African visa has the Dalai Lama encountered such a furore.

The Tibetan spiritual leader is facing fresh opposition from China as he tries to secure a visitor visa for Taiwan. He is looking to make the trip to comfort survivors of typhoon Morakot which killed around 650 victims earlier this month.

In March this year, the Dalai Lama’s move to South Africa to attend a World Cup conference in Johannesburg was banned by the government. It was thought the ruling was in support of China’s opposition to him being in attendance. The decision forced archbishop Desmond Tutu to pull out of the meeting in protest and Nelson Mandela to join in the uproar.

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has just approved the visit to Taiwan so it looks like the Tibetan will get his visa after all. He wasn’t able to get through South African immigration with such luck.

China correspondent Peter Foster from the Daily Telegraph wrote how “ fascinating” it would be to  to see “how far China is prepared to punish Taiwan”  over the decision.  How “fascinating” is China’s woeful record on political bullying and shocking human rights to the average Telegraph hack, I wonder?

For a man who spreads a lot of peace around the world, the Dalai Lama seems to encounter a lot of trouble securing a visa. Maybe it’s time he used a reputable travel visa consultancy?!

South Africa World Cup news

 Things seem to perking up at last  in South Africa as preparations for the nation’s biggest sporting spectacle gathers fresh steam.

Latest news suggests that the six stadiums to be used for the World Cup games are now 80 per cent complete and bang on their respective schedules to be ready for the tournament.

This is certainly soothing news for all the sponsors and advertisers who must have been getting a little hot around the collar as stories in the press about delays in building work, inadequate transport links for fans, and visitor security problems were getting as many column inches of doom-mongering as levels of testosterone in the bloodstream of Caster Semenya.

This week also sees the launch of the latest visitor information centre  in Polokwane, Limpopo. The R 6.7million state-of-the-art building will join similar centres across South Africa, all geared up to cater for the 450, 000 expected visitors to the country for the soccer spectacular. Just one more goal met in the organisers’ plans.

All this splendid news has prompted one key member of that organising plan to refer to the expected 26 billion eyeballs that will be fixed on television sets and South Africa’s reputation as host, as a potential “30-day commercial” for the country.

The sentiment comes from Honorary Doctor of Philosophy Irvin Khoza and Local Organising Committee Chairman for the World Cup. He mused: “Think of the tournament as a 30-day commercial for South Africa – a 30-day television commercial to be watched by many billions of cumulative audience all around the globe – this is the scale of our opportunity for South Africans to present this country effectively and proactively.”

The LOC chairman further philosophised it was up to South Africans to decide what would be their message. With recent research into South African attitudes towards the World Cup showing a more positive reaction than ever before, that “30-day commercial” could have a happy message to it after all.

And finally… with news just breaking that reality television show and World Cup ratings rival  Big Brother will leave Channel 4 next summer, for anyone who cannot stand the thought of watching a pitch or a house of over-hyped, money-hungry, talentless spooks – the World Cup is at least 60 days less to bear.

With the global economy in a slump, many graduates and jobless professionals are making a point to enjoy what would have been ‘dead time’ by embarking on gap-year adventures.

Game reserve work in South Africa is popular for gap years

Gap year opportunities abound, from working as a ski  instructor to serving drinks and canapés on Caribbean yachts. Compensation for travellers’ hard work varies between handsome wages to paying significant sums for the honour of toiling for a charitable organisation.

South Africa is an enduringly popular gap year destination for the adventurous. The region has game reserves a-plenty needing an extra pair of hands in exchange for room and board. Those seeking a tamer sabbatical may opt to labour away on South African organic farms.

How does one locate these fabulous opportunities so far from home? The most common route is to register for a fee with a site like workaway.info, which dishes up contact information for hosts around the world. Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (wwoof.org) lists host contact details exclusively for organic farm opportunities.

Keep in mind that these types of positions generally exchange room and board for volunteer work, so you need enough savings to cover travel and everyday expenses.

Travellers on gap years often require work permits, depending on the country you’re from and the country you work in. Those requiring South Africa visas should apply well ahead of departure to ensure adequate time for processing.

Is the South Africa 'events' visa an 'own goal'?

A leading South African immigration official has warned that the 2010 Fifa World Cup could attract an influx of migrants to the country after the tournament ends.

“We know that South Africa is a magnet for migration on the continent,” said Morne Fourie of the government organisation that regulates South African immigration.

South Africa has about 5 million undocumented immigrants who have entered the country without a valid South African visa. Experts are warning that ease of entry into the country off the back of the event will create an adverse situation.

At the root of the problem is the special South African “event” visa that the African hosts are the first ever country to implement.

The special visas are for travelling fans who come from countries who would normally have problems obtaining an entry permit. Any fan wishing to take advantage of this new South African entry visa will have to show a valid match ticket, have a place to stay while in South Africa and a return flight ticket home.

Immigration issues have already caused protest and bloodshed across South Africa and continue to do so.

Is the 2010 World Cup in danger of becoming an immigration disaster for South Africa or is it the only way the huge number of fans can most efficiently be streamlined to get to the games?

Immigration ‘own goal’ or tactical visa gameplay? Tell us what you think.

Nelson needs overseas workers with South African visas

South Africa should be tackling its bureacratic work visa system as the nation prepares for 2010 Football World Cup, claims a leading global immigration consultancy.

Immigration experts Global Visas are urging the government to cut down on visa ‘red tape’ to fast track overseas workers to begin work in South Africa and help meet project deadlines.

With only months left until kick-off on June 11 next year, South African employers are desperate to find workers with the necessary skills they require who hold or can obtain a valid South African visa. Global Visas has placed many overseas workers in projects already underway across South Africa.

Regional Manager of Global Visas’ Cape Town office, Robbie Ragless says: “Companies have had to take a shortcut route by sending employees to work here illegally while their South African visa is being processed. The government seems to know about this trend as they are accepting applications within the republic.

Ragless warns of the problems of such an approach. He says: “As per immigration law, one should enter the country on a visa that represents their proposed activities in the country.”

“Companies in South Africa have no choice with massive projects underway and deadlines to meet. It is extremely disappointing to know that the government are unable to expedite or prioritise these applications as it is for the best interests of the country and its people. The last thing we need is the bureaucratic, archaic style of working that has hampered our nation’s growth for many years in the past.”

Even during the current global recession, 415,000 men and women are being employed to work in South Africa on projects across the country as it prepares for Africa’s first ever World Cup. A worldwide call for 15,000 volunteers to help during the tournament was recently issued by the World Cup Organising Committee.

Preparing for the event has been besieged with several major setbacks. Problems include finding accommodation for the estimated 500,000 visiting fans, worker strikes, providing adequate security in a country with one of the world’s highest crimes rates, stadium builds running massively over budget, plus poor transport links to and from the stadiums. Fans and organisers are worried a logistical nightmare is brewing.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter went on record saying that the issues of not enough hotels and poor transport links were “now a big challenge.”

Football legend Franz Beckenbauer, organiser of the 2006 Germany World Cup, was even more worried, saying the organisation for the World Cup in South Africa was “beset by big problems.”

Beckenbauer deemed the problems were not South African made, but an “African problem”, as the continent struggles to host its first ever football World Cup.

But tournament chief Danny Jordaan is upbeat. He sees the 2010 event promising more than just employment opportunities and short-term revenue for South Africa. He believes a successful tournament can “rebrand” the nation.

“When people from overseas describe the country, the brand essence is largely negative. By hosting such a major event, we want to attempt to change that, to show that we can stage a magnificent World Cup that showcases the best of South Africa,” he says.

With less than 11 months to go until the first match kicks off, only time will tell if the decision to move to South Africa the world’s premier football tournament was a success.

A work visa can boost your brainpower

Don’t just take Global Visas’ word for it that living and working abroad is better for your mental health. A research project has proved there is actually a proven link between improved creativity and living abroad.

The study was conducted by two psychologists, William Maddux of INSEAD, a business school in Fontainebleau, France, and Adam Galinsky, of the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago. Their findings were published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and a brief overview of their work is summarised below, in an article featured on the Economist.com website:

Maddux and Galinksky conducted two experiments to test their theory. The first, asked 155 American business students and 55 foreign ones studying in America with a test used by psychologists as a measure of creativity.

To check that they had not merely discovered that creative people are more likely to choose to live abroad, Dr Maddux and Dr Galinsky identified and measured personality traits, such as openness to new experiences, that are known to predict creativity. They then used statistical controls to filter out such factors. Even after that had been done, the statistical relationship between living abroad and creativity remained, indicating that it is something from the experience of living in foreign parts that helps foster creativity.

Given a candle, some matches and a box of drawing pins, the students were asked to attach the candle to a cardboard wall so that no wax would drip on the floor when the candle was lit. (The solution is to use the box as a candleholder and fix it to the wall with the pins.) They found 60% of students who were either living abroad or had spent some time doing so, solved the problem, whereas only 42% of those who had not lived abroad did so.

A follow-up study with 72 Americans and 36 foreigners explored their creative negotiating skills. Pairs of students were asked to play the role of a seller of a petrol station who then needed to get a job and a buyer who would need to hire staff to run the business. The two were likely to reach an impasse because the buyer had been told he could not afford what the seller was told was his minimum price. Nevertheless, where both negotiators had lived abroad 70% struck a deal in which the seller was offered a management job at the petrol station in return for a lower asking price. When neither of the negotiators had lived abroad, none was able to reach a deal.

Given the importance of creativity to working practices and individual self-development and the relevance of multicultural experience in our increasingly globalised world, such research is of insignificance for anyone who makes the effort to obtain a work visa and live abroad, or for employers who recruit from an international pool of workers.

We at Global Visas offer you some handy hints as to how to most efficiently secure your all important work visa:

1.  Patience is paramount in the visa process.
We all know someone who thinks the rules don’t apply to them.  But Immigration laws apply to everyone equally and the process takes time. In only very exceptional cases, fast tracking visas is possible,  but in most cases, the visa process must run its set course. Make sure you plan well head, allowing plenty of time for the visa(s) to be granted.

2.  Don’t book a flight until the visa has been issued.
This may sound like obvious advice, but even the most straightforward cases can be delayed.  Recently we had a client who booked a flight thinking the case visa would be issued in ample time. Unfortunately the employee’s passport was expiring within six months and this prevented a visa being granted.  The visa would have taken 24 hours to secure. His passport took six weeks to renew.

3.  Visa restrictions last longer than you think
Every visa comes with rules and conditions that must be adhered to. And that means even after your employee has arrived in ther host country. Your company must continue to track and manage their visa status any changes to their role, leave your employment, or extend their stay beyond their visa expiry date, then such changes must be reported to the relevant authorities and the visa amended. A visa only ceases to be an issue after your employee has returned back to their home country.

4.  Be prepared for others’ mistakes
It is not uncommon for a government employee to misread a form and then reject a perfectly acceptable case, or for a busy line manager to forget to sign a box.  Don’t panic! Immigration decisions made in error are common and there are procedures to correct them.  Managers in host countries often do not recognise the importance of just one form but with a close eye these things can be picked up early enough not to affect the case.

5.  Keep it simple
Your business maybe rocket science or even dealing with complex brain surgery. But that should not make securing your work permit any more difficult.  Immigration laws are the same regardless of what your company does.  The law is blind to certain details even if they are critical to your business.  When dealing with visas, keep it simple and only focus on the laws and what they are asking for to administer that law.  Ensure  your explanations on visa applications meet the requirement of the Immigration law only.  Offering explanations of how complex your business is will only confuse the officer charged with dealing with the case.  Stay focused on the rules.

6.  Protect your brand
Governments the world over need to show they are no pushover when it comes to enforcing Immigration law. Do not allow your brand to become that ’six o clock news’ example.  Always aim to ensure your staff remain compliant with the Immigration law at all times in all countries.  Immigration audits which show up any negative issues can have an adverse impact on a business’s reputation and should be avoided.  Even if you make a mistake but tried your best that will go a long way in your favour.

7.  Use a reputable Immigration consultancy
Make sure any immigration consultancy you use is up to the job. Do they have registered offices? Do their staff have the experience and, most importantly, are they qualified to address Immigration issues for the host country that you require?  In many regions across the world local “immigration advisors” operate with no supervision or control.  Their limited resources and knowledge can lead to difficulties and should be avoided.  Aim to secure the services of a company that is able to assist pre-departure and has offices in the host country.

8. Understand dependents
Dependents of employees often want to study or work in the host country.  Usually it’s a straightforward process to make the necessary arrangements or to explain why they are unable to do so if restrictions apply. Whatever the outcome, dependents are as important to the main applicant as his or her own visa.  The visa process may change depending on when the dependents apply for their visa.  Polygamous marriages are banned in many countries but acceptable in others, as are gay marriages and the maximum age a child can be a dependent.  Make sure you take into account all the issues before confirming a secondment the expat declines later due to family reasons.

9.  Localised staff can bring you benefits
Many on expat benefits find it hard to give them up, but a company can make big savings if they localise their expats quickly.  If a person elects to stay in a host country, you should be ready to arrange residency and even citizenship in that country.  It will mark the end of expatriate status and localise the employee in a supportive way.

10.  If in any doubt, ask
Immigration law tends to be one of the most complex areas of any country’s legislation.  Our team are always happy to answer our clients’ questions and we would prefer they confirmed facts rather than assumed them.  Our reputation is attached to the success of our clients international mobility programs and we want to get it right 100% of the time.  Whatever your question, we want to hear about them because you are important and so is your business

For all your work visa needs, let Global Visas be your one stop immigration advice and solution finder.

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UK immigration minister 'getting tough'

Such is the threat to our country’s security, and the apparent ambivalence of several governments around the world, UK immigration has taken matters into their own hands to stem the flow of smugglers and ‘terror suspects’.

South Africa, a country with historical ties to colonial UK, once stood high in the demographics of international arrival numbers. Almost half a million greeted UK immigration officials in 2007, but security experts have long believed the country is being used as a back door for terrorists and people smugglers because it’s so easy to obtain passports illegally.

Out of non-EU countries, South Africa ranked fifth after the US, Australia, Canada and Japan in terms of visitors. 168,000 South Africans came to the UK to visit friends and relatives in 2007, 46,200 on UK business visas and a further 6,983 on the working holiday maker visa.

What a shame then the government of South Africa has failed to meet the same requirements their commonwealth neighbour Botswana has.

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