Spousal visa - Work endorsement Help Please

[FellowJarman]

Originally Posted by Saartjie

Hi there, if she is here on a work permit but wants to change to a spousal permit with a work endorsement then she should get at least a letter confirming her employment. Also remember that her employer must sign the form. Why is she changing her permit? Is the work permit about to expire? Otherwise I do not see the point of going through the hassle of changing permits as her current one allows her to work. If at all possible I would rather keep the work permit and wait until eligibility for PR kicks in and apply for that.

Hi Saartjie, yes her work permit expires at the end of the year and was told that a spousal visa with work endorsement was much easier should she get a job elsewhere. :S

[Saartjie]

Originally Posted by FellowJarman

Hi Saartjie, yes her work permit expires at the end of the year and was told that a spousal visa with work endorsement was much easier should she get a job elsewhere. :S

Ah ok. Yes then the Spousal Permit should be the better option.

[jhen8305]

Originally Posted by Nostalgia Nut

Hi everyone. I need your help and advice on this problem please... I tried to send a private message to Joaschim but the forum says that no such user exists!?

I am presently on a quota work permit here in SA and my wife is here on an 'accompanying spouse' dependent visa which does not allow her to work.

She has been applying to jobs here for more than a year now and she is not having any luck whatsoever. I don't know if the companies are just not interested in sponsoring her visa or... they expect her to get a work permit first and then approach them???

But how does one get a work permit without a job offer??? Unfortunately she does not qualify for a quota work permit because her field is not in the official list of disciplines. She has an MBA in Finance & Marketing and has a SAQA score of 9 (which I believe is very good).

Is there a way she can get a work permit somehow? We are willing to pay any immigration consultant or agent if needed to. She is still applying to jobs online but it seems that companies don't want to even look at her resume if she doesn't already have a work permit!

Your advice is much appreciated.

same thing for me...about a year now i am looking for a job...i do have dependent permit or relative permit that allows me to stay...but sadly not allowed to work...in our case it's hard top look for a job for an employer most of them i think do not want to hire without a necessary permit or either to apply for it....
but for now I do have an employer in such wants to hire me...but do not want to bother to apply for my work permit...and now i am asking for the job offer....from that employer so i could apply for my work permit...

oh by the way you told that you are in a quota work permit...where can you find a list for scarce and critical skills for this year? I want to apply for a quota permit as for now that I have relative permit...

[Cueball]

Hi all - been manic here and no idea where the time goes. Thought I'd share my experience so far. I've been to the London embassy twice to apply for a spousal visa now.

The first time I was told my wife needed to be with me, since she's the South African, and turned away because I didn't have some paperwork that they hadn't requested either (a letter of support).

The second time I shipped the whole family up on peak time trains only for her to remain seated behind me and not spoken to the whole time. Since I'm currently a self employed journalist, there was a lot of umming and ahing about whether or not I could get a work endorsement to start my own business as a spouse, without the usual commitment to employing 5 people and investing R2.5m in a new venture.

The long and short is that I was told the business would have to be registered in South Africa first, and that (as expected, from talking to people here) the only visa they will issue from London is a Relative's Temporary Permit.

Again, as expected from talking to people here, the London staff swear blind that on arrival I can apply to DHA for a stamp without resubmitting new paperwork, and all will be well. In the end I gave up arguing the point that this wasn't going to happen...

That was last week, and things have changed a bit already in that I've been offered a job by a friend, doing what I do but working for him. That brings our move forward to October, but probably complicates things a bit - although I think that now I have the Relative's Permit on the way, I'll wait until we get to SA to change it.

My understanding is that after 30 days of applying for the change in visa status I'll be able to work for him while the endorsement comes through. At least, since he's a friend, he'll be understanding about that and be prepared to take the risk.

[AbiB]

Originally Posted by Saartjie

Yes that is the form you should use. When I applied for my Spousal I was told to state on my form that I wanted a Section 11(6) Permit (the section refers to the Immigration Act) which is a Spousal Permit. For the work endorsement I just added my offer of employment, my signed employment contract and my employer also signed my form.

Hi Saartjie,

I am also a brit married to a South African and have been on a relatives permit and have now been offered a job. I applied for permanent residence in January but they only received it at head office in may so God knows how long it will take. I am therefore now applying for a spousal permit with work endorsement.

When you filled in form Bi-1740, under which subsection were you then applying? Presumably not relative's? Is it visitor? I can't see spousal in the list of subsections.

Also did you have to supply the SAQA certificate etc, or literally just the letter from your employer?

Finally did your employer have to fill in all of part R and sign the part about repatriation etc? Surely that's not relevant in these cases because repatriating me would deprive my husband and son of their constitutional right to a family life.

Many thanks,

Abi

[AbiB]

Originally Posted by AlMassino

I must say that using a lawyer is not better than doing things yourself. I used a lawyer since march 2011 until now and they did not do a good job. And i paid a lot. I applied for section 11(6) with serious prayer and fasting and it came out in less than a month. I got confirmation sms after a week and after 3 weeks the final collection sms. I had a relatives permit to reside with my wife we married for 4 years next month.

Hi AlMassino,
Can I ask where you applied for section 11(6)?

Also which form did you use? bi-1740?

Many thanks,

Abi

[concord]

Originally Posted by AbiB

When you filled in form Bi-1740, under which subsection were you then applying?

Also did you have to supply the SAQA certificate etc, or literally just the letter from your employer?

Hi, Abi.
I guess Saartije is in Norway on holiday now so she cant answer your questions. You should apply under section 11(6) which regulates spousal permits you apply for. And you dont have to provide your SAQA certificate, a letter from your employer will be enough (but I think your employer must sign the form as well).
Hope it helps.

[claireduplessis]

I have been informed that perm residencies are taking from 12-24 months (mine is now on month 13 ....).

FYI!

[AbiB]

Maybe I'm an idiot for not realising this but just in case it saves someone else any heartache it turns out that to apply for a spousal visa, your spouse must attend with you!
I went to home affairs yesterday to check what I needed for my spousal visa application and they gave me a list of things. I then went again today's with everything I had been told to bring, waited in line for 2 hours with my son who was a bit agitated because we missed his nap and then at the desk they said where's your husband?
I had no idea he had to come with! Obviously I had all his documents and his letter of support etc. I asked her to check all my other documents and she said they were fine.
Luckily my husband was able to leave work and come and then the woman realised that my work letter was not right. My work had said they couldn't give me a contract without a visa and home affairs said I must bring the contract.
So I'm going to see if my work can in fact produce a contract and try again tomorrow. Wish me luck!

[concord]

Originally Posted by AbiB

Maybe I'm an idiot for not realising this but just in case it saves someone else any heartache it turns out that to apply for a spousal visa, your spouse must attend with you!
I went to home affairs yesterday to check what I needed for my spousal visa application and they gave me a list of things. I then went again today's with everything I had been told to bring, waited in line for 2 hours with my son who was a bit agitated because we missed his nap and then at the desk they said where's your husband?
I had no idea he had to come with! Obviously I had all his documents and his letter of support etc. I asked her to check all my other documents and she said they were fine.
Luckily my husband was able to leave work and come and then the woman realised that my work letter was not right. My work had said they couldn't give me a contract without a visa and home affairs said I must bring the contract.
So I'm going to see if my work can in fact produce a contract and try again tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Good luck! In this case we all need it!