petel

Hello all,

My family are planning on moving back to SA quite shortly. I'm a UK citizen, and could apply for a temporary residents permit because my wife is South African. However, I'm a bit concerned about how long it might take to organise in the UK and we are wanting to try and book flights asap. If I was to get a return flight would it be ok for me to enter SA on a tourist visa and simply do the application once we arrive over there? I presume they wouldn't let me in on a tourist visa if I had a one-way ticket (though how would they know )??

Anyone else gone through the process of getting a temp residents permit recently?

MichaelaGabriel

Hi there Petel,

I have just confirmed your question with our immigration practitioner (SNIP)

You can come in on a visitors permit and change the status in South Africa to accompany your South African wife. Keep in mind, when you enter on the visitors permit they will want to see a return ticket (a return ticket to show you will return in 90 days).

If you have been married to your wife for a minimum period of 5 years, you can apply for Permanent Residency for South Africa straight away.

Should you want to apply in the UK, the application takes 10 days to be processed at the South African Embassy (thats if you submit in person and not via courier).

However, the advantage of applying in South Africa is the fact that you have more control over following up on the application, thereby achieving better turnaround times for visas and permits. (SNIP)

(SNIP)

petel

Thanks for the information Michaela. I'm probably going to head across on the tourist visa and then sort out the application on that side.

I'm still not sure if I would definitely need a return ticket though... how would anyone even know either way? Or do the airlines share that information with passport control?

MichaelaGabriel

Hi Petel, yes you really do need a return ticket, as you will not be issued a visitor permit at the airport otherwise. There are two queues - one for foreigners, one for South Africans when you come through passport control. You will have to take the foreigners queue and show your return ticket at passport control. I know its annoying, but that's the way it works here. Feel free to get in touch once you are here to get more information or if you need assistance with your permit. Hope this helps. Have a nice evening, Michaela

petel

I always nip through the locals queue... what with South African wife & kids in tow

MartynK

Depends which queue is longer, it varies. I've had PR for more than 30 years, so I just pick the shorter one! No-one has ever challenged me.

ededed

Me either - even before I had PR. They don't seem to care too much!

MartynK

African airport experiences vary from the humorous to the ugly. Most of mine have been the former, I'm glad to say.

Mozambique, c1993. The arrivals form was long and very detailed, but had been printed or copied on a clapped out machine and was just about indecipherable. I filled it in, guessing what some of the questions were, and presented to to an official who studied it for a long time, holding it upside down. On exit, we put our bags onto the conveyor for the X Ray scan and were told not to bother, because it wasn't working. We then found that the flight was delayed for a few hours for security reasons, because Robert Mugabe was expected and they closed the airspace until he arrived. No problem, we bought a bottle of scotch and some mineral water from the duty free shop, asked the barman for glasses, and settled down in the departure lounge and chatted with one of the flight attendants who was also waiting for them to lift the restriction.

Laura987

Hi, I have recently come to SA on a UK passport (husband is South African) and they asked for proof of a return flight at the airport check in in the UK. I then had to buy a return ticket IN CASH so they would let me fly, I wouldn't risk it . . . .

On this I am doing my application for my temporary residence permit now and wondered if anyone knew what needs to be in the spousal support letter?

Thanks!

Laura987

Hi Petel,

Before you come try and get your medical and radiological reports in the UK as well as apply for your UK police check (I used ACRO).
The rules have changed that you must have had a good faith spousal interview as well now so if you can do that in the SA embassy in UK that will make things easier for you.
I have now sent my application off but it was long winded as we were given a lot of wrong information when we first went to the Home Office.
If I can be of any more help let me know as I wouldn't want anyone else to do all the to and fro'ing we've been doing