The draft tax law amendments for 2017 has been published by National Treasury on 19 Jul 2017, which contains the much-anticipated details on tax treatment of South Africans performing their employment abroad
General work visas are proving virtually impossible to renew, since the implementation of the current immigration laws on 26 May 2014, when the Department of Labour took on a more significant role in the process.
Holders of general work visas, the most commonly sought visa for foreign professionals working and living in South Africa are finding it practically impossible to renew their visas.
Following the cabinet approval of the Department of Home Affairs’ White Paper regarding the targets to be met by 2063 of South Africa’s migration and immigration status, South African citizens who wish to travel abroad for more than three (3) months will soon be required to register with the Government.
The Department of Home Affairs established that they do not have 4 616 Permanent Residency applications that were submitted prior to June 2014 on file, as per the source of their Track and Trace system.
A solution pertaining to the above has been provided by the Department, whereby any individual who applied for Permanent Residence prior to 02 June 2014 and whose particulars appear on the list published in the National Government Gazette, may re-submit their Permanent Residency applications at their earliest convenience.
As the African saying goes, a leopard cannot change its spots and the zebra its stripes. Perhaps there are some lessons to be learned, optimistic but also cautionary, now that the immigration fraternity pass on the baton to fellow professionals with vested interests in National Treasury and SARS.