A dire shortage of highly skilled engineers and ICT professionals is severely constraining the growth of South Africa’s high technology sector to the detriment of job creation and economic growth, says Pierre le Roux, group managing director of technology solutions provider, Moyo Business Advisory (MBA).
It is now a matter of when and not if companies employing foreign nationals will be audited by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). The arrest of at least 25 illegal foreign nationals at the beginning of May by the Cape Town Police, accompanied by officials from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), sparked a scramble among the local business community who are concerned that they may unknowingly be employing foreigners who are working in the country illegally.
The work permit process can be time consuming and even painful, depending on your permit categorisation. One question often asked is whether an expatriate should consider a Permanent Residency application sooner, effectively lifting the expatriate’s status above the noise of normal work permit requirements. We found that there can be a significant upside however, depending on the complexities there may also be adverse consequences.
At least 25 illegal foreign nationals has been arrested for contravening the Immigration Act, Cape Town Police said on Thursday.
If home affairs comes knocking will your workforce be compliant? Organisations who employ foreign nationals are obliged to do so in accordance with the requirements of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002, as amended. Under these regulations, they may not take on an immigrant who does not have a legal visa, whose visa does not allow them to work for that employer, or who would be employed in a role other than that stipulated in their visa.
