VisaSouth Africa requires a skills plan for company transfer visas
Employers moving staff to a South African affiliate should prepare a training plan alongside the transfer letters and check the receiving mission’s requirements.
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Confirm the assignment fits the company transfer route
This guide concerns an employee of a company abroad who will transfer to a South African branch, subsidiary or affiliate. The regulations for an intra-company transfer work visa call for an overseas employment contract valid for at least six months. The category is tied to the specific position for which South Africa issues the visa. An employee or employer planning a subsequent change in duties should check the permission before treating the transfer as authority for another role.
The regulations limit issuance to four years and provide no renewal in the category. Put the dates of the proposed assignment in the letters. After approval, use the expiry on the actual visa when setting the end date. The four-year ceiling does not extend a shorter permission that the employee receives.
Give the overseas company and the South African host different tasks
The official application form, DHA-1738, has a box for an intra-company transfer work visa. Use the form supplied by the mission and match it to the intended position. The overseas company’s letter confirms the transfer to the South African entity. The South African entity’s letter confirms it will receive the employee and identifies the occupation and capacity in which the employee will work.
Use the Canberra or Washington checklist only if it serves the relevant application. The Washington checklist calls for stamped overseas employment and transfer records. Canberra’s instructions ask for a certified copy of the identification of the person signing the host letter. The regulations also require a separate undertaking from the receiving entity about reimbursement of applicable deportation costs for the employee and dependants.
Make the skills transfer plan specific
The regulations require a plan to transfer skills to a South African citizen or permanent resident. Ottawa asks for the employer and employee to sign the plan and for it to explain what skills will be transferred and when. For example, a technical transfer can identify the work the trainee will learn and when supervised practice begins. Agree on those details before asking the employee to submit the application.
Canberra also asks for information about the trainee, including identification, current position, qualifications and a CV, alongside the applicant’s CV. Ottawa lists local company registration and evidence of good standing with the South African Revenue Service. Build the file around the checklist of the receiving mission and ask the South African company for its documents early.
Check local documents, payment and appointment instructions
Washington’s checklist asks for a passport with two unused visa pages, proof of qualifying residence in the United States, recent financial evidence and a tentative itinerary. Canberra’s page calls for three completely blank pages and an in-person appointment. Obtain the checklist for the office that has jurisdiction over your residence before deciding how many pages or which certified copies to provide.
Ottawa lists a CAD115 application fee paid by money order or certified cheque, while Washington’s checklist lists US$127 where payable. Those are published local examples. Confirm the correct payment amount and the name of the payee with your receiving office. Ottawa’s category page names the Toronto payee, which makes that check especially relevant for a person lodging through Ottawa.
Canberra’s page both describes an estimate of 21 working days for a complete application and says processing time is currently unavailable. Ask that mission for the current estimate when booking and leave time to assemble the employer documents. If assignment dates move, update the two company letters together so the requested position, dates and skills plan still describe the same assignment.
For applicants using Washington, the checklist separately calls for the prescribed medical report and police clearance. It asks for an original FBI certificate and applies a five-year residence lookback to other countries where the applicant lived for at least 12 months after age 18. Check the stated six-month age limit for certificates before fixing the submission date.
