Problems for naturalised citizens applying for smart ID cards

mylesillidge

mylesillidge

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Strange ID problem haunts Home Affairs

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has been silent on an issue plaguing naturalised citizens who want to apply for a smart ID card.

While these citizens qualify to apply for a smart ID card, doing so requires them to provide their naturalisation certificate, which can be problematic for those who naturalised many years ago.
 
Yep! Until they drop the requirement for my nationalised certificate, that I don't have since it was over 40 years ago, I will stick with my green book.
 
This is crazy, but par for the course at home affairs.

Just applied for my id card as a permanent res, but they issue old ones... Why? Why not just straight to smart ID. Even more so, why not issue an ID card when they give you a permanent residence permit? It's just forms and waiting for absolutely no change. If they issue the PRP there cannot be reason not to issue an ID. Had someone in front of me back after 3 months wait because the form wasn't filled in perfectly, (gap between first and middle name). It's like, you already have every one of these details on the form??? Why don't you consult your own Database... Maddening!

(BTW you need that ID for a SARS number now, and drivers license... But
 
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It's not a problem, it's bureaucracy. Problem implies something to solve. You have to get a certificate from home affairs only to give it to home affairs. Who ever said government makes sense?
 
Swa said:
It's not a problem, it's bureaucracy. Problem implies something to solve. You have to get a certificate from home affairs only to give it to home affairs. Who ever said government makes sense?
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It makes no sense. For most use cases and population, there should really be no need to hand over any documentation as they already have all your details. Unless there is something wrong with your profile, this can be handled as an exception. This whole bureaucratic process seems more about preserving current jobs at the department (and perhaps some outdated systems) than anything else.
 
Im sorry but loosing your Permanent Residence Certificate/Naturalization Certificate is equivalent to loosing your property title deed.

You put it in a file at home with all your other valuable documents, and if your house starts burning, you grab that file.

So if YOU lost it, its honestly your own fault with being careless about it. The Permanent Residence Permit DOES NOT GET REPLACED. You merely get a notification printed from them that you had one. If you travel, you make a copy of it, go get it certified at the police department, and travel with that copy. That's what they accept.

You're lucky its not a share certificate. Because if you loose that...its gone forever. So in all honesty. Keep it filed in a specific file at home with all your other valuable documents, and only take it out when you need it.
 
richjdavies said:
This is crazy, but par for the course at home affairs.

Just applied for my id card as a permanent res, but they issue old ones... Why? Why not just straight to smart ID. Even more so, why not issue an ID card when they give you a permanent residence permit? It's just forms and waiting for absolutely no change. If they issue the PRP there cannot be reason not to issue an ID. Had someone in front of me back after 3 months wait because the form wasn't filled in perfectly, (gap between first and middle name). It's like, you already have every one of these details on the form??? Why don't you consult your own Database... Maddening!

(BTW you need that ID for a SARS number now, and drivers license... But
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An ID and Permanent Residence Process is quite different on their system. Your ID number is also slightly different. Also the one goes to immigration and the others goes to a more domestic division. At immigration they check if youre suitable for a Permanent Residency, if you have any criminal convictions you lied about, and if your marriage is at all fake or not.

AND THEY ARE ALL DATABASES.

Even big financial companies like banks, has multiple systems, yet you're the same one client. They bring it together in presentation for you, but in reality your details can be all over the show in the back end.
 
I agree that is how it is... But why does it have to be that way.

Is the burden of never bothering to integrate or improve processes always going to fall on the end users? How can it be improved?
 
Corelli said:
Im sorry but loosing your Permanent Residence Certificate/Naturalization Certificate is equivalent to loosing your property title deed.

You put it in a file at home with all your other valuable documents, and if your house starts burning, you grab that file.

So if YOU lost it, its honestly your own fault with being careless about it. The Permanent Residence Permit DOES NOT GET REPLACED. You merely get a notification printed from them that you had one. If you travel, you make a copy of it, go get it certified at the police department, and travel with that copy. That's what they accept.

You're lucky its not a share certificate. Because if you loose that...its gone forever. So in all honesty. Keep it filed in a specific file at home with all your other valuable documents, and only take it out when you need it.
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The two serve completely different purposes. Nobody even asks for your PRP if you have an ID. And share certificates haven't been a thing for over a decade.
 
I registered and went.
I was told that there is also a list of birth countries that qualify...
In my case I was not qualifying as yet.
God knows where one can find this list.
 
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