South Africa gazettes new remote work visa
South Africa's Department of Home Affairs has announced the gazetting of a new remote work visitor visa and points-based work visa system, marking a significant reform in the country's immigration policy.
The initiative, announced by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber, follows President Cyril Ramaphosa's July 2024 mandate to overhaul the visa regime to attract skills and boost tourism. The remote work visa targets highly paid foreign workers who can contribute to South Africa's economy while working remotely for overseas employers.
The new points-based system introduces a transparent framework for adjudicating critical skills and general work visas, aimed at combating corruption and streamlining the application process. For general work visas outside the Trusted Employer Scheme, a minimum gross annual income threshold of R650,796 has been established to protect local jobs while attracting high-end skills.
Research by the Reserve Bank and International Food Policy Research Institute suggests that increasing high-end skills by just 0.02% of the population could boost annual economic growth by up to 1.2%.
Source: BIZCommunity
