With the highly anticipated implementation of a fair and transparent Points-Based System for work visas, South Africa follows in the footsteps of countries like Canada and Australia and positions itself as a serious contender in attracting global skills necessary for stronger economic growth.
Marisa Jacobs
Managing Director
of Xpatweb
BUSA NEDLAC Business
Representative for Immigration.
The recent gazetted regulatory changes introducing the new Points-Based System (PBS), bring a transparent, objective and predictable structure allowing foreign professionals to evaluate their chances of a successful application for a Critical Skills Work Visa or General Work Visa. The PBS will help prospective applicants understand how their qualifications, work experience, remuneration, language proficiency, and employer status contribute towards the score required for a successful application.
The regulatory changes align closely with countries worldwide who are able to attract top global talent with skills in high demand. This presents South Africa as a compelling alternative for global professionals who might otherwise consider employment in Europe, UK, Canada or Australia for example.
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) says the cutting-edge visa reforms form part of the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) collective mandate to overhaul the visa regime to attract skills and investment and grow the tourism sector.
Dr. Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs, described the new PBS for work visas as one of the single most progressive and pro-jobs regulatory reforms in South Africa in decades.
The introduction of the PBS is more than an immigration update. It is a proactive strategy to attract top talent from all over the world to South Africa, while fostering national development. This approach underscores the country’s commitment to aligning with international standards and creating a system that benefits the nation’s economy, business, and the foreign professionals who choose to make South Africa their home.
The PBS brings more certainty as it provides a checklist of what applicants need and predictability of who will qualify, but also a transparent framework to adjudicate visas in order to help tackle corruption.
Fostering Targeted Economic Growth by Attracting Critical Skills
The points-based system awards the required 100 points to occupations on the critical skills list, incentivising professionals in fields with substantial impact potential. For sectors such as renewable energy, healthcare, and technology, the critical skills list continues to provide a unique opportunity to bridge talent gaps and stimulate long-term economic resilience.
Employers can assess candidate eligibility in advance
Under previous regulations, companies faced uncertainty whether a foreign hire would meet visa requirements where their occupation was not included on the critical skills list. Now, they can strategically assess candidate eligibility in advance, using transparent point allocations for education, salary thresholds, and years of experience. This allows human resources teams to align recruitment strategies directly with regulatory guidelines, improving planning and execution for international hires.
Additionally, the system rewards companies that participate in the Trusted Employer Scheme, offering points benefits to foreign hires of compliant, reputable companies. By incentivising adherence to immigration standards, the Government is enhancing both the credibility of the system and the efficiency of corporate hiring pipelines.
Reducing Bureaucratic Barriers
This reform will go a long way in addressing the bureaucratic hurdles that previously bogged down the visa process. Under the old system, subjective assessments led to delays, inconsistencies, and unpredictable outcomes for applicants. Now, by prioritizing standardised criteria, the points-based system is expected to streamline the entire process, reduce processing times, administrative backlogs, and potential for corruption.
We anticipate this transparency will bring new assurance to companies investing in foreign talent, allowing them to predict timelines and budgets accordingly. For professionals, the clear points-based criteria will reduce the anxiety around immigration decisions and visa applications.
