South Africa is a popular destination for immigrants, known to have a growing economy, with great business opportunities for investors, incredible weather conditions and beautiful tourist destinations. The country offers immigrants a fresh start and is receptive to international businesses interested in investing in the country’s economy.
So are you ready to move to South Africa for a fresh start? Or are you interested in starting or expanding your business there? If so, then you’ll need an immigration practitioner, to help with the immigration process. Immigration Practitioners are registered with the Department of Home Affairs as professionals who help immigrants with the preparation, submission and monitoring of their visa application. The following blog post will go into detail explaining what is an immigration practitioner in South Africa.
Immigration Practitioner
An immigration practitioner in South Africa is a professional who helps businesses or individuals who are interested in moving to South Africa with their immigration needs. These immigration needs include assisting with visa applications, ensuring that you submitted proper documentation for your visa application and any other immigration-related issues. They prepare written and oral submissions on behalf of their clients, guide them to secure a visa and advocate on their behalf to guarantee the best possible outcome for their application. They help with the process of legally crossing the border in order to become a permanent resident, student or worker in South Africa and measure a client’s chances of their visa being approved. Their ultimate goal is to ensure that you receive your visa.
Immigration practitioners in South Africa are familiar with local immigration laws, requirements needed and the different procedures followed in order to move to South Africa. They can provide advice and guidelines and help with the application of South African visas, such as permanent residency visas, work visas, study visas, travel visas, tourist visas, business visas, visitor’s visas, and many more; and assist in choosing the correct visa which fits their client’s needs. Immigration practitioners also ensure that your immigration process and visa application run smoothly and is successful. They do this by protecting their client’s needs and interests and following legal procedures. Some of their duties include helping with permanent residency appeals, refugee claims, and family sponsorship.
Forum of Immigration Practitioners of South Africa (FIPSA)
Immigration practitioners in South Africa are accredited by the Forum of Immigration Practitioners of South Africa (FIPSA) and registered with the Department of Home Affairs. FIPSA is known as a professional body, which represents immigration practitioners in South Africa and recognised by SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority). The organisation oversees, educates and regulates all South African immigration practitioners. They also offer continued education to their members and have created a space where potential new members are given a platform to train and learn more about the profession, in a structured, responsible manner.
What are the requirements to be an immigration practitioner in South Africa?
In order to be an immigration practitioner in South Africa you need to register with the Department of Home Affairs and meet their eligibility criteria. This eligibility criteria include submitting a police clearance, a commitment in writing, where you agree to abide by the Home Affairs code of conduct for immigration practitioners, and also write an exam set forth by the Director General of Home Affairs. Once all of this is done and you pass your examination you are then issued with an immigration practitioner’s certificate. You also need to be an accredited member of FIPSA. To be recognised as a member of FIPSA, immigration practitioners have to write a comprehensive, challenging three-hour exam, which will test the immigration practitioner’s knowledge of the Immigration Act and regulations, the Bill of Rights and the South African Constitution.
Global Apostille Legalisation Services
Global Apostille is a Pretoria-based legalisation agency that assists corporations and individuals in getting apostilles and embassy legalization services in South Africa for documents to be used abroad. We make the legalization and apostille of South African documents simple for our clients.
Understanding that document authentication can be challenging and time-consuming, our main aim is to ensure our clients feel at ease. Our goal is to lessen this load by offering top-notch apostilling services at reasonable rates, without any hidden charges.
Global Apostille can handle various types of documents on your behalf from Birth Certificate to Power of Attorney. Our service offers a comprehensive solution, ensuring both official translation and legalization processes are straightforward. If you want to know more about our services, feel free to get in touch with us.
Tel: 012 348 3134 | 081 347 6060
Email: info@apostillelegalisation.co.za
