Moving to SA-Visa

maggs · #1 (**permalink**) 19th June 2008, 06:08 PM

Hi all,

Just joined the forum. We are thinking of moving from the UK to SA and wonder if people here can advice us on companies they used to do the visa application. I work as a Management Consultant for a large blue chip org and have found getting a job in SA a challenge. I'm told by the recruitment agents in SA that my CV looks impressive but employers in SA don't want to go through the work permit application process.

I' also worried about taking the risk of going there without a job, dragging my husband and daughter along. Are there people here that experienced something similar but eventually moved to SA? If so, how did you go about it. Or can anyone help?

Thank you in advance for your answers.

Regards

Maggs

Deepdiver47 · #2 (**permalink**) 20th June 2008, 07:24 AM

Hi.

A tad off topic, but consider many things before moving here. I arrived in the late 80's and it has been a wondrous experience, but the national destabilization is becoming a worry. I live in Cape Town which, thank heavens, is greatly unaffected, but Joburg isn’t as lucky. Crime IS rampant, to such a point that, with two small daughters, my wife and I won’t give up the relative security of the Western Cape to move to ridiculously lucrative jobs there.

The ongoing collapse of Zimbabwe is also causing a massive influx of refugees from the north - Pretoria and Jhb being first stops on the way south - and with it comes more financial hardship - read crime.

We are still here, obviously, but I worry for my kids. If I was single or married with no kids it would be different, I would have no problem with living the good life, even in Jhb where there is real money to be made, but I would never forgive myself if I put others who have no independent choice in danger.

I don’t want to be the purveyor of doom and gloom, there are enough of those. I would just like you to consider all the issues before committing.

Regards . .

Deepdiver47 · #3 (**permalink**) 20th June 2008, 07:40 AM

Wow . . I found your link using Google and didnt see all the threads on SA and crime, stats etc before I posted my reply to you. My apologies for something that everyone seems to have virtually exhausted somewhere else!

seeker · #4 (**permalink**) 25th June 2008, 07:09 PM

maggs,

I have been working with Intergate-Immigration for the past two months. They were recommended to me by an American girl who is marrying a SAcan. I have found them to be very knowledgeable and helpful on everything from proper documentation to solid financial advice. You can find them easily on the web - google SA immigration.

Anu · #5 (**permalink**) 3rd July 2008, 10:00 AM

Oh intergate Immigration cn only help if u hav job there already.. They are like any other company who does Visa processing.. I was in contact with them too.. Initially they showed as they gonna do VISA very easily.. but later on nothing was done.....

They may tell you that.. For VISA you need job offer and othyer documnet.. By the time u get job they will do ur other documents...
And then they gonna charge you for other documents...

And Finally you will find that you have paid them for processing other documents, but still donthave job.

The biggest problem in getting job is, Employer needs to run Ad on news paper... And that u need to attach with your VISA application, And Employers have to state that they were not able to find and resource or people who applied for the job were not upto he mark...
FOr that Ad only they need to pay around 100K+ ZAR....

Thast wh no emplyer goes for this option.. instead they take people from companies.. who bring people in SA in Intra Company Transfer Visa....

Thast all i know abt VISA thing in SA....

Hope it helps you and warns you not to pay for anything till you have job offer and proof of Ad in your hand.

Cheers
Anu

seeker · #6 (**permalink**) 3rd July 2008, 07:26 PM

Thanks Anu,

I'm familiar with the requirements on imiigrating with an employment visa. We are not going that route. We will be starting our own business.

Anu · #7 (**permalink**) 4th July 2008, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seeker

Thanks Anu,

I'm familiar with the requirements on imiigrating with an employment visa. We are not going that route. We will be starting our own business.

Hey Seeker,

you know what, That's the right way to move in SA, Start your own business, But i am sure you must be familiar with goverment law of having Black Patner, and you need to employ some minimum number of South Africaans...

That all information you can get on immigration website....

Best of luck for your Business

Cheers
Anu

Deepdiver47 · #8 (**permalink**) 4th July 2008, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anu

Hey Seeker,

you know what, That's the right way to move in SA, Start your own business, But i am sure you must be familiar with goverment law of having Black Patner, and you need to employ some minimum number of South Africaans...

That all information you can get on immigration website....

Best of luck for your Business

Cheers
Anu

Hey Anu. Are you sure you have to have a black (PDI) business partner? Doesnt apply to me as I have permanent residence, but someone asked me about it the other day and I couldnt answer. My company regularly does BBEEE assessments and even without PDI ownership we score highly. Not doubting you, just if you have info please share!!

clarewood931 · #9 (**permalink**) 5th July 2008, 08:21 AM

Hi Maggs

We have found that if you go through an employer thay sort the visa out but you have a lot of work to do first and one of the main things is if you are qualified at a trade that helps loads as it makes getting your work visa easyer.

Also there are diffrent visas temp and perm we were told its better to get the temp first as that is the easy one then you go for the perm which you get with no problems when you are out there.

We also have been told that port elisabeth is one of the best places to live.

Hope this helps.

clare

My husbands in civils so we had to fill out a ECSA and a SAQA but there is web sites for all like this

Anu · #10 (**permalink**) 7th July 2008, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deepdiver47

Hey Anu. Are you sure you have to have a black (PDI) business partner? Doesnt apply to me as I have permanent residence, but someone asked me about it the other day and I couldnt answer. My company regularly does BBEEE assessments and even without PDI ownership we score highly. Not doubting you, just if you have info please share!!

Okay when i was in SA, i heard abt it alot... In fact i had plan of opening restourant.. My friend who opened a restourant told me that.. He has a black patner....As things get easy for you once you have black patner.

I guess for South African's it is easy to own Business without having a black patner.. but i guess having a black partner helps...

As my other friends dad has Garment business in Grahmstown, he dont have any black partner( but they are local..so they can have business with Balck partner )... So she was telling few things take time... I dont have details abt those things.. But yah all those thing are related to Goverment permits and all.....

things are definately difficult for Outsiders....

Cheers
Anu