South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has refiled changes to its work-permit regime, introducing a nomad visa for remote workers.
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By Antony Sguazzin
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs refiled long-awaited changes to its work-permit regime to allow for the creation of a so-called nomad visa for remote workers. ___STEADY_PAYWALL___
The May 20 gazetting of the changes, which had last month been withdrawn after the department failed to observe a mandatory period for public comment, means that the changes are now law.
It’s also seeking to allow people employed and paid by companies elsewhere to live in the country as long as they earn at least 1 million rand ($55,404) annually. The visa comes with a short-term tax exemption.
The step, acting on recommendations made by the office of the president, comes amid criticism from some of the nation’s biggest foreign-owned employers over their inability to get technicians and executives into the country. South Africa’s byzantine system means applicants can wait for more than a year to get a work permit even though a poor local education system has left companies without skilled workers.
Read also:
- South Africa revamps work visas to tackle skills crisis and investor woes
- SA’s shocking skills shortage crisis and Visa red tape strangle economic growth, jobs, and investor confidence
- South African Tourism Minister proposes Visa easing to attract Chinese and Indian visitors
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