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Exchange Visa — cultural, economic, social or educational programme

South AfricaYouth mobility

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Which nationalities and age range can participate?

A section 22(a) exchange visa is for a foreigner participating in a programme of cultural, economic or social exchange organised or administered by an organ of state or a learning institution, in conjunction with a learning institution or an organ of a foreign state. The official source does not state a nationality list or an age range.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured Act and Regulations state no nationality list and no age range for section 22(a) exchange visas.
  • https://www.dha.gov.za/images/PDFs/IMMIGRATION-ACT-2002---UPDATED-2015.pdf
    An exchange visa may be issued by the Director-General to a foreigner - (a) participating in a programme of cultural, economic or social exchange, organised or administered by an organ of state or a learning institution, in conjunction with a learning institution or an organ of a foreign state, provided that-

What combination of travel, work, study or training does the programme permit?

The visa is for taking part in a cultural, economic or social exchange programme run by an organ of the State or a public higher education institution together with an organ of a foreign state. What the participant actually does is defined by the programme: for a programme run by a South African learning institution, the responsible department or institution's letter must outline the activities, terms and conditions and duration of the programme.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • No official source reached states a general right to work or to study outside the programme for this section 22(a) visa; none is asserted.

What are the defining limitations: quota, ballot, previous participation, employer limits, study limits or equivalent?

The organising organ of state or learning institution must report to the Director-General on the stages and completion of the programme, with other prescribed information, on Form 16. The Act allows it to be prescribed that, for certain programmes, on expiry of the visa the foreigner may not qualify for a status until he or she has complied with a prescribed period of physical presence in his or her foreign country or of domicile outside the Republic. The official source does not state a quota, ballot or previous-participation limit.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • No quota, ballot or previous-participation limit is stated in the captured sources.

What funds, insurance, onward travel or similar preparation is particularly important?

Applicants must submit proof of a valid return air flight ticket or a written undertaking by the organ of state, learning institution or employer accepting responsibility for the return or deportation costs; a police clearance certificate from the country of ordinary residence; and proof of medical cover for the whole exchange period with a medical scheme registered under the Medical Schemes Act. The official source does not state an amount of funds the applicant must hold.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.dha.gov.za/images/PDFs/ImmigrationRegulations2014-Updated2018-compressed.pdf
    (2) An applicant for an exchange visa in terms of section 22(a) or (b) of the Act, shall submit- (a) proof of a valid return air flight ticket or written undertaking by the organ of state, learning institution or employer accepting responsibility for the return or deportation costs of the applicant, as the case may be; (b) a police clearance certificate from country of ordinary residence; and (c) proof of medical cover for the duration of the exchange period with a medical scheme registered in terms of the Medical Schemes Act.

How long can the person stay, can the programme be extended or repeated, and what happens when it ends?

The exchange visa may be issued for a period not exceeding the period of the exchange programme. The prescribed period under section 22(a)(ii) that a person must stay out of the Republic before applying for a different type of visa to return is one year. The official source does not state whether the visa can be extended or the programme repeated.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured sources do not state whether the visa can be extended or the programme repeated.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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