The Department of Home Affairs has revised Immigration Directive No. 22 of 2025, extending temporary concessions for foreign nationals due to pending waiver and visa appeal applications. These revisions come as processing delays continue, even after clearing other visa backlogs.

Key points of the revision (effective 1 October 2025):

• Waiver Applications: Applicants with pending waiver applications are granted a temporary extension until 31 March 2026. Travel is permitted under certain conditions, and non-visa exempt applicants must apply for a port-of-entry visa.
• Visa Appeal Applications: Long-term visa applicants appealing a negative decision will also have their current visa status extended until 31 March 2026. Travel is allowed with proper documentation.
• Eligibility: Applies only to applicants legally admitted into South Africa via VFS Global with verifiable receipts.
• Other Applicants: Those who submitted applications before 7 March 2024 and remain pending should urgently contact the Home Affairs Contact Centre

For full details of the revised directive, read here: [Link]