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Relative's Visa

South AfricaFamily

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

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Explore pathways in South Africa Read the five questions ↓

Which family relationships qualify?

A member of the immediate family of a South African citizen or permanent resident qualifies. Immediate family means persons within the second step of kinship, where marriage or a spousal relationship counts as one step but any common antecedent does not.

See recorded sources

Who may sponsor or bring the family member, and what immigration/citizenship status must that person hold?

The anchor is a South African citizen or a permanent resident. The Regulations frame the relationship as kinship between the applicant and the citizen or permanent resident contemplated in section 18(1) of the Act, and make that person the source of the financial assurance, except where the South African citizen or permanent resident is a dependent child. The official source does not describe any separate sponsorship undertaking or registration by the anchor relative.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured source does not state whether the citizen or permanent resident must reside in South Africa, or give any undertaking beyond the financial assurance.
  • The Immigration Regulations, 2014 were captured as published on 22 May 2014; later amendments to them, including the amendment that inserted regulation 18(12) and (13) referred to by the 2024 points-based system notice, were not captured in this run and could have changed this text.
  • Immigration Regulations, 2014 (GN R413, Gazette 37679, 22 May 2014)
    (b) proof of kinship, within the second step, between the applicant and the citizen or permanent resident as contemplated in section 18(1) of the Act in the form of-
  • Immigration Regulations, 2014 (GN R413, Gazette 37679, 22 May 2014)
    (2) The financial assurance contemplated in section 18(1) of the Act shall be an amount, per person and per month, as determined from time to time by the Minister by notice in the Gazette, to be proven by means of a current salary advice or a certified bank statement not older than three months at the time of application: Provided that the financial assurance shall not be required where the South African citizen or permanent resident is a dependent child.

What is important for proving marriage, partnership, parentage, custody, dependency or another qualifying relationship?

The Regulations require an unabridged birth certificate and, where necessary, paternity test results, as proof of kinship within the second step. The general application requirements add, for dependent children accompanying or joining the applicant, proof of parental responsibilities and rights or written consent in the form of an affidavit from the other parent or legal guardian, and, for an accompanying spouse, a copy of a marriage certificate or proof of a relationship as contemplated in regulation 3. The official source does not state when paternity testing becomes necessary or who bears its cost.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured source does not state when paternity test results become necessary, who orders them, or who pays.
  • The Immigration Regulations, 2014 were captured as published on 22 May 2014; later amendments to them, including the amendment that inserted regulation 18(12) and (13) referred to by the 2024 points-based system notice, were not captured in this run and could have changed this text.

What important financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities apply?

There is a financial assurance, but the Regulations do not fix its amount. The assurance contemplated in section 18(1) of the Act is an amount, per person and per month, determined from time to time by the Minister by notice in the Gazette, to be proven by means of a current salary advice or a certified bank statement not older than three months at the time of application. It is not required where the South African citizen or permanent resident is a dependent child. The Regulations state no accommodation or insurance requirement specific to this visa.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured source does not state the monthly financial assurance amount; it is set by a separate Ministerial notice in the Gazette that was not captured in this run.
  • The captured source states no accommodation or medical-insurance requirement specific to the relative's visa.
  • The Immigration Regulations, 2014 were captured as published on 22 May 2014; later amendments to them, including the amendment that inserted regulation 18(12) and (13) referred to by the 2024 points-based system notice, were not captured in this run and could have changed this text.

How does the application work at a high level, what rights does the family member receive, how long does the status last, and how can it become independent or longer-term where officially stated?

A relative's visa may be issued for a maximum period of two years at a time, and the holder may not conduct work. The application is made on Form 8 with all supporting documents, a valid passport for each applicant and, where the applicant travelled or intends travelling from or through a yellow fever endemic area, a yellow fever vaccination certificate. It must be submitted in person at a South African mission where the applicant is ordinarily resident or holds citizenship, or at a mission designated by the Director-General for countries without a South African mission.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured sources state no path from a relative's visa to permanent residence and no renewal procedure specific to it.

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

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