I DID NOT RENEW MY VISA ON TIME, WHAT CAN I DO?

A foreigner that is unable to renew their visa on time whilst in South Africa will find themselves in the difficult position of not having a current status in the Republic. In terms of the Immigration Act, such foreigner will be deemed to be illegal in the country and will be subject to detention and deportation. Additionally, whilst the said foreigner does not have a current status, they may not apply for any visa or permit through the Department.

However, if such an individual has not already been detained or ordered to depart the country, they may submit an application to the Department requesting a temporary legalisation of their stay. This process is informally referred to as a “Good Cause” application.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS?

The foreigner would have to provide exceptional circumstances that prevented them from submitting an application for a status before the expiration of their previous visa.

The purpose of the “Good Cause” application is to temporarily legalise the individual in order to allow them to submit an application for a visa from within South Africa. The applicant also needs to provide evidence that should the application be successful, they would be in an immediate position to submit a visa application.

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