No extensions for Lesotho permit initiative
- Published on 26 Sep 2016
- HR Pulse
One week left for Basotho to apply
Waiting Game: Basotho nationals wait patiently to apply for the Lesotho Special Permit which will allow them to live and work in South Africa legally. The deadline for applications is 30 September – with no extension. To date only 12% of an estimated 400 000 Lesotho nationals living in South Africa have applied.
In an effort to push up the number of applicants for the Lesotho Special Permit (LSP) and create a one-stop shop to save applicants’ time, the South African Department of Home Affairs announced a new special provision that allows Basotho to apply for the Lesotho Special Permit, at the VFS Global-operated application centres, without passports.
30 September is the deadline for undocumented Basotho who work, study or do business in South Africa to get the necessary assistance in order to regularise their stay. Lesotho nationals have only seven days left to visit one of the 11 LSP where they will be assisted with their permit applications. The LSP project was launched in March this year, following which, a three-month extension was granted on 30 June to allow more time for Basotho nationals to apply.
To date, only 12% (or 77 720 people) of the estimated 400 000 Lesotho nationals living in South Africa have applied for the LSP. Of these, 50 303 have made the necessary payment and booked appointments to visit VFS Global centres countrywide to complete the process.
Basotho who have still not applied must do so speedily or will miss this unique opportunity.
People with passports expiring within the next two years and having the LSP visa in them, can use both their old and new passports. In these cases, there would be no need to apply and pay for transfer of LSP visas.
South Africa had earlier granted amnesty to all Basotho nationals until 31 December 2016 to handover fraudulent SA IDs at dedicated Home Affairs offices. Those who comply will be eligible to apply for LSP with the application closing date remaining 30 September 2016.
The Department will make these concessions applicable:
- People with Lesotho ID cards but without valid passports can apply for LSP by 30 September 2016. However, they must provide their passports by 31 December 2016.
- Those who have submitted a fully completed application form but have not paid for their visa can do so by 31 December 2016.
In November, 2016, the department will gazette names of all persons who applied but did not finalise their applications, and provide for a one-month grace period to submit all outstanding information by 31 December 2016.
To be helped with online form filling, Basotho should visit www.vfsglobal.com/lsp/southafrica or call the LSP call centre on 087 230 0411 for enquiries.
Those who have applied have until the end of December 2016 to pay for the special permit and present their valid passports to receive the permit.
