Home Affairs R50 million visa system tender on the table
The bidding process for a visa and permit applications management tender worth R50 million closed on 25 February 2022.
Home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s confirmed the closing date in response to questions asked by the Democratic Alliance’s Adrian Roos.
The current contract, awarded to VFS Global in December 2010, expires in December this year. The new contract is valued at R50 million according to the tender document.
According to Motsoaledi, the current bid specifications for the appointment of a project officer to manage the project were approved by the Bid Specification Committee on 9 February.
Roos also asked if there would be an alternative review process other than a formal appeal by VFS.
Motsoaledi explained that an applicant aggrieved by a decision of the director-general could apply for a review or appeal of the decision within ten working days.
“The Immigration Act and its Regulations stipulate that the Director-General may from time to time designate any place to receive applications,” he said.
VFS Global is the service provider designated to receive applications on behalf of the Department of Home Affairs.
“Section 8(6) of The Immigration Act states that an applicant aggrieved by a decision of the Director-General contemplated in subsection (5) may, within 10 working days of receipt of that decision, make an application in the prescribed manner to the Minister for the review or appeal of that decision,” Motsoaledi explained.
“Appeals, similar to all visa and permit applications, must be submitted through an office designated by the Director-General. Visa Application Centres operated by VFS are such designated offices,” he added.
Home Affairs is expected to launch an e-visa platform by March this year, and according to finance minister Enoch Godongwana, the system will be available to applicants in 15 countries.
The countries that will be able to receive South African e-visas include:
- Cameroon
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Iran
- Mexico
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Saudi Arabia
- Uganda
However, while inroads seem to have been made into developing the e-visa platform, the government has been promising this system since 2018.
The pilot project launched that same year and is yet to service all the countries initially meant to be included in the beta phase.
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