South Africa Family Visas
The South African relatives permit and life partner visa allow South African citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their immediate family members to immigrate to South Africa. Either visa may be issued as a temporary or permanent immigration service, however permanent residency depends upon the relationship between the applicant and their sponsor.
Start Your Free Visa Assessment
As South African visa specialists Global Visas assist with applications for all categories of South African visa from short-term tourist visas through to longer-term solutions such as the South African retirement visa and applications for permanent residency. Visit the online assessment area today to find out whether you qualify and begin your application.
South Africa Relatives Visa
The South African relative visa applies to sponsored relatives in a range of categories however, while the temporary permit applies to relatives within the first and second degrees of kinship, which includes parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren and siblings permanent residency in this class applies only to those in the first degree of kinship.
Applying for a Temporary Relatives Permit
Where candidates apply for the South African relative permit as a temporary South African visa, the permit will be granted for up to two years and the applicant must be sponsored by a relative within the first or second degrees of kinship. This sponsoring relative must be either a South African citizen or a South African permanent resident. The main requirement for the sponsor is based upon their ability to financially support their relative during their time living in South Africa. Sponsors must be able to show that they will be able to provide at least 5000 Rand per month.
Apply for Permanent Residency in South Africa
Where permanent residency is sought through the family immigration route, applicants must be related to their sponsors within the first degree of kinship. As with the temporary route the sponsor must agree to financially support the applicant. Due to the lengthy application process it is common for applicants to enter South Africa on a temporary visa first whilst they wait for their grant of permanent residency. However, it is important to note that a successful grant of a temporary family visa does not necessarily guarantee that permanent residency will also be granted.
South African Life Partner Visa
Like the South African relatives permit the life partner visa, sometime referred to as a South African spouse visa, (though this can be misleading as it also applies to common-law and conjugal partners) requires applicants to have a sponsor in place. The sponsor must be a South African citizen or permanent resident and must be either the spouse or partner of the applicant. Like a relatives permit the life partner visa allows the applicant to live and work in South Africa and may be granted as a temporary or permanent residence permit.
Applying for a South African Life Partner Visa
The life partner visa applies to married couples and to those who can demonstrate that their relationship with a common-law or conjugal partner is a mutually exclusive long-term one. The key requirements for this South African visa service are proving the authenticity of the marriage or relationship upon which the application is based. In the case of married couples this may be satisfied by providing the marriage certificate as part of the application. For applicants and sponsors who are not married, it will be necessary to provide documentary evidence which shows that the relationship is exclusive and long standing. In effect this means that the partners must have been cohabiting and intend to do so once in South Africa. An application may be given further support by evidence of mutual financial arrangements.
Where a temporary visa is obtained the above requirements need to be fulfilled, however, where an applicant wishes to obtain permanent residency the parties involved will also need to demonstrate that the relationship has been in existence for a minimum of 5 years when the application is submitted. This applies to both marriages and common-law or conjugal relationships. After the first two years of a permanent life partner permit, the status of the applicant and sponsor will be reviewed to ensure that the marriage or relationship is still in place. If the status of the applicants has changed in this time the permit may be revoked. However, after five years the right to permanent residency cannot be withdrawn.
You can set your application for a South African relative permit or South African life partner visa today by visiting the online assessment area. Just take a few moments to complete one of our straightforward assessment forms and a specialist South African immigration consultant will contact you directly to discuss your requirements. Find out further information on our Student Visas South Africa page.
