Motsoaledi tells tourists not to panic over visa extension applications
Motsoaledi was speaking at a media briefing on Sunday after the department came under fire for a circular that was issued in December, instructing tourists awaiting a response to their visa extension application to return to their home countries.
Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi during a media briefing on immigration matters on 17 March 2024. Picture: GCIS
JOHANNESBURG - Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the department has no intention of destroying the tourism sector by forcing foreign nationals awaiting visa outcomes to leave the country.
Motsoaledi was speaking at a media briefing on Sunday after the department came under fire for a circular that was issued in December.
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The circular instructed foreigners who had not received a response to their applications to extend their stay in the country by the end of last month to return to their home countries.
Motsoaledi said there is no need for tourists to panic as the department is experiencing a backlog.
He says tourists will be able to stay in the country if they have evidence they are awaiting an outcome of an application to extend their visa.
"In case your visa expires before the department has responded to your application, that receipt will act as an extension of your visa until such time that you get a response - positive or negative from the department."
Motsoaledi said the circular did not create any major problems with law enforcement for tourists who are currently in the predicament.
"It is with that in mind that we approached [Tourism] Minister [Patricia] de Lille to find out how many people approached her as a consequence of action emanating from this circular. She informed us that only one case was referred to her department."