Renewing Relative/Life Partner/Spousal Permit?

[richjdavies]

Anyone successfully renewed their temporary residence visa since May 2014?
In particular I'm asking about people who have renewed their relative permit (e.g. spousal, life partner, whatever you have)

Mine runs out in 24 days... it really snuck up on me. But I'm always in and out of the country (back and forth to the UK). So just have a couple of questions that would be great if someone knows the answer to:

1. Once my visa runs out can I still travel in and out as a visitor? (I only arrived this morning, and the guy stamped it and told me I only had 24 days left on my current visa, I didn't think at the time to say -- "OK, give me a 90 day visitor one instead please!"
2. Is it better to apply in SA? or in the UK - I'll be back in the UK before my visa runs out... so maybe I should really just apply there and wait it out? What do you think?

Any help, experience, advice would be much appreciated. You're always such a knowledgeable lot!
(and googling keeps just throwing up the same things with people saying what a NEW applicant should do!)

PS - obviously would prefer to be able to go back and forth to the UK (still have to go there for work meetings) and preferably still be able to actually life at home in CT with my wife!! But I'll understand if I can't have it all.

 

[Hamish McPanji]

Apply in SA.

Submit your documents. Leave country before expiry, return and get a visitor visa. Hope that your visa gets issued before the visitor visa expires.

They have become very fussy about people travelling on an expired visa even if you have a receipt for your new application

 

[richjdavies]

That sounds like a plan. IE - apply here, keep my passport, then leave, then make sure I don't come back until my residence visa has expired (otherwise they'll stamp me on my old visa... but if it's expired they'll just treat me like a tourist?)

Any experience doing this recently?

It's really not clear on any of the sites (VFS Global, DHA, etc.) whether they keep your passport or not when renewing... so obviously will need to know that before I go ahead.

 

[ballade]

Hi, they don't keep your passport if submitting at vfs in SA and if you do not renew before it expires you will need to apply/renew from home country and there they keep your passport.

 

[Whatzmyname]

We are applying for Temporary Spousal Permit soon. How long did it take you to get one? Did you apply in UK or SA initially? Thanks!

 

[richjdavies]

We are applying for Temporary Spousal Permit soon. How long did it take you to get one? Did you apply in UK or SA initially? Thanks!

I originally applied in SA -- but that was before May 2014 - it has now changed and if you're from the UK, you HAVE to apply (at least for your first one) in your home-country... as far as I understand it anyway! Luckily I applied before May 2014, but I didn't get my visa until September -- so was at least 5 months then. I hear it is slightly better nowadays... but don't have any experience... yet...

Thanks Ballarde -- so sounds like I should try to apply in SA before it expires then... good plan. Thanks.

I spoke to someone at Integrate Immigration (they were pretty helpful) and said it shouldn't be a problem travelling whilst I'm waiting for visa apart from:
1. I will have to make sure I don't overstay (in particular this means not being in the country when my 2 year visa runs out... say if I come back in 2 days before it runs out, they will only stamp it for 2 days, not give me a nice shiny new tourist visa!!).. and if coming in on a tourist visa, must be <90 days... again, not a problem!
2. If I'm coming in on a tourist visa I must have a flight back to the UK booked (this is not a problem for me!)

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

Definitely apply in ZA asap to renew, note if you can't get an appointment at your nearest VFS Global office soon enough, try the next nearest one etc ... I drove 400km to get an appointment a few weeks earlier, but it worked.

Oh and with your application you need to now include a heart wrenching story addressed to the home affairs director (or whatever the title is) to explain why you are applying late for your renewal, by law it had to be submitted at least 60 days prior to expiry (at least I think it is 60 days, may be more or less)

 

[richjdavies]

Have exactly the same problem here myself... going to run and get my x-rays (walking straight past the sign saying we only do medically necessary x-rays) and then my medical certificate... and then need to decide if I need some kind of stamp on a bank statement or not?

What do you guys think? Bank statements needed as proof of income nowadays?

So far my checklist is:
Passport
Medical
X-ray/radiological
Marriage certificate
"The financial assurance contemplated in Section 18"... 'certified bank statement' it is then?
Forms and proof of payment

(Police Clearance is done there now isn't it?? - https://www.vfsglobal.com/dha/southafrica/pdf/Imm-Dir-No-20.pdf)