It’s heartening to finally get some good news from the Department of Home Affairs. Directive 5 of 2023 was issued last Friday which provides for the following:

1. Radiological Reports are no longer required for either Temporary Residence Visa applications or Permanent Residence Permit applications. The exclusion of Radiological Reports is welcomed: They added another layer of paperwork, were quite expensive to get completed, and also led to rejections when the correct details were not included on the reports.

2. Police Clearance certificates are now only required for those countries where the applicant has resided for 12 months or longer during the 5 years immediately preceding the application. This is applicable to both Temporary Residence Visa and Permanent Residence Permit applications.

Both of the above exclusions resulted from the recommendations of Operation Vulindela. Operation Vulindela is a joint initiative between Treasury and the Presidency and it is excellent to note that certain of its recommendations are now being implemented.