Author: Hi5Digital

Reciprocity is the name of the game when it comes to visa regulations, case in point being SA’s recent New Zealand travel regulations.

And as the EU contemplates ending visa-free travel for Americans, South Africans could see their European travel plans eased considerably.

The European Parliament has voted to end visa-free travel for Americans, after the US failed to agree visa-free travel for citizens of five EU countries – Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania.  For now, US citizens can travel to all the aforementioned countries without a visa. But, this might soon change.

If the vote is passed, the European Commission will implement an act to bring the change into effect, after which Americans will have to apply for extra documents to enter the countries.

And while the US passport slips in its power, SA citizens are optimistic about the possibility that a proposal to relax visa requirements for South Africans may soon be a reality.

A formal proposal has been submitted and is now under consideration, according to the DHA – this after Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba announced in September last year that talks were held with the European Union Ambassador Marcus Cornaro regarding the relaxation or elimination of its visa requirements for South African passport holders.

DHA spokesperson Mayihlome Tshwete says the department is now awaiting feedback on the proposal.

UK hard-pressed under Brexit

Andrew Shelton, Managing Director of Cheapflights says, “The process for South African passport holders  to obtain a visa to the EU can be costly and a time-consuming exercise. In some cases it even necessitates an internal flight as well as certain countries only have consulates in Johannesburg. So reports that the EU is considering the relaxation of visa access to member states is great news for South Africans looking to travel to these destinations.”

Shelton cautions that with the decision to exit the EU, current visa regulations for travel to the UK are unlikely to change – or at the very least, will have to be renegotiated separately, adding that with the possibility of visa free travel to the EU could see a change to South Africans’ favourite long haul destination – currently the UK according to its data.

“We’d urge South Africans to keep an eye on these developments when searching for their travel, but especially when it becomes time to actually book their flights to ensure they aren’t stung by changes to the law – in their passports or their pockets.”

US Travel ban continues despite knock in tourism 

And as visa-free travel options may decrease for US citizens, so too Trump’s travel ban has put tourism to the country in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

Trump’s original orders temporarily blocked citizens of Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Libya from coming to the United States and put on hold the US refugee program.

The US Travel Association on Thursday, 2 March, said the Trump administration’s immigration policies are hurting tourism. The non-profit industry organisation said in a statement that there are “mounting signs” of “a broad chilling effect on demand for international travel to the United States.”

On Monday, 6 March Trump was preparing to sign a revised executive order temporarily barring the entry of people from certain Muslim-majority countries and halting the nation’s refugee program.

A White House official told AP that plans to roll out the order are on track for Monday. The official insisted on anonymity in order to discuss the order ahead of the official announcement.

What can be expected of the new US Travel ban? 

Trump administration officials have said the new order aims to overcome the legal challenges to the first. Its goal will be the same: keep would-be terrorists out of the United States while the government reviews the vetting system for refugees and visa applicants from certain parts of the world.

The revised order is expected to remove Iraq from the list of countries whose citizens face a temporary US travel ban for 90 days. That follows pressure from the Pentagon and State Department, which had urged the White House to reconsider, given Iraq’s key role in fighting the Islamic State group.

The new version is also expected to remove language that would give priority to religious minorities. Critics had accused the administration of adding such language to help Christians get into the United States while excluding Muslims.

Trump signed his original executive order in late January, sparking confusion and anger as travellers were detained at US airports and barred from boarding flights at foreign airports.

The signing is expected to spark a new round of lawsuits and controversy.

South Africans travelling to Cuba via the US can no longer apply for visas at a Cuban embassy in South Africa.

The Cuban embassy in Hatfield told eTNW that the changes had been made two weeks ago for security reasons.

Agents need to advise clients who are travelling to Cuba via the US that they must apply for a visa at the airline desks in the US, regardless of the airline they travel with. Agents cannot apply for the visa on behalf of their clients, either through another Cuban embassy or a visa company.

Clients should plan their flights carefully to allow time to apply for the visas at the airline desk. The Cuban embassy in Hatfield estimates that it could take around two to three hours.

Agents should also remind clients to carry the correct documentation (such as passport and application forms, which can be found on the Embassy of Cuba in South Africa’s website) when applying for the visa.

Travellers to Cuba via other destinations will not be affected and can still apply for visas at a Cuban Embassy in South Africa.
Please contact Visalogix for further assistance.

An executive order by President Donald Trump has provoked waves of protest at US airports, where those travelling from seven majority Muslim countries have been detained or turned back.
Signed on Friday, the order has halted the US refugee programme and banned anyone from the countries – Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Syria and Libya – from travelling to the country, even if they have already been approved for a visa, have an existing visa or a green card.
But it also applies to dual citizens holding a passport for one of the seven and another country, such as Britain.

Travellers applying for visas to Belgium will soon need to lodge and pay for their applications with TLS instead of the Belgian Consulate.

A date for the changeover has not yet been set but applicants are advised to keep checking the Consulate’s website for further details, which are expected to be released in the next few days. A link to TLS’s website will also soon be available on the Consulate’s website.

Until further details are revealed, candidates should continue to apply for visas through the Consulate as normal.

On its website, the Consulate says the outsourcing of visas to TLS is expected to make it easier and faster to apply for a C-visa.

Ninety-two additional staff will be deployed at OR Tambo International Airport from December 9 to January 14. Malusi Gigaba, minister of Home Affairs, announced that the additional staff would ensure that all workstations were at 100% capacity, with all cubicles utilised to process passengers.

Funding for the additional staff came from within the department following a reprioritisation process, says the Minister. Although the DHA budgets for the high volumes of travellers during the festive and Easter seasons, the Minister says the budget is not sufficient. “We would wish, on a sustainable basis throughout the year, to increase our capacity at these ports of entry so that we can provide an enjoyable experience for travellers.”

He says the additional staff will be incorporated into a new structure of two shifts a day, which will overlap the shifts of current staff during peak periods. The first shift runs from 06h00 until 11h00, and the second shift from 16h00 until 20h00.

The Minister stresses that this is a temporary solution. “We will require a sustainable solution that appreciates that efficiency, through optimal staff capacity, needs to extend beyond the festive season.”

The DHA is also in discussions with Acsa about rearranging counters to separate South Africans, who do not need to have fingerprints taken, from foreign nationals.

It was also announced that the Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, is expected to make an announcement today (Thursday, December 8) regarding measures to ensure operational efficiency at immigration counters at OR Tambo International Airport.

While not revealing the details of the Minister’s announcement, Mkuseli Apleni, dg of the DHA, suggested that the changes would allow immigration at the airport to operate at full capacity for a limited period of time. Mkuseli confirmed that the department had written to Treasury and Acsa highlighting the shortage of resources experienced by DHA.

Following public comment received in response to the Draft First Amendment of the Immigration Regulations, 2014, the DHA plans to issue a travel advisory early in 2017, making changes to controversial elements such as the unabridged birth certificate for under-18s.

Richard Stoltz, from Immigration Services at the DHA, said that although the Immigration Advisory Board had endorsed the proposed amendments, it was inappropriate to implement the advisory prior to the peak season of global travel.  The delayed implementation will prevent last-minute interference of travellers over the peak period.

haun please do the same as per previous request.

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has announced that from February 2017 it will be possible for South African passport holders to have parents’ details printed in the passports of minors, obviating the need to carry a birth certificate. The announcement was made yesterday, December 7, at a stakeholder meeting to discuss changes to Immigration Regulations to be implemented next year,

The Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in South Africa has introduced two new multiple-entry business visas, which are required by South African passport holders, from December 1.

The three-month visa costs R3 000 and the six-month visa costs R6 000.

A social visa for former Myanmar citizens, a spouse who married a Myanmar citizen or former Myanmar citizen, and their children has also been introduced, costing R750.