The only time that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) provides any feedback on the backlog in the processing of visa applications is when it is obliged to appear before Parliament. At DHA’s most recent parliamentary appearance in November the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, provided an update with regards to the backlog. In previous updates he has stated that the backlog would be cleared by June 2024.

In the update he advised that the backlog of temporary residence visas is now at 74 309 applications, and in addition there is a backlog of Permanent Residence Permit applications of 43 944 applications. In straight forward terms no progress at all has been made in eradicating the backlog. In what will come as a surprise to absolutely no-one the Minister has now stated that he expects the backlog to be cleared by November 2024. My personal opinion is that this date is highly unlikely to be achieved.

The Minister then stated the following with regards to the plan to eradicate the backlog.

“The plan aims to move the older Temporary Residency Visas applications from 2022 concurrently with the current applications of 2023. This will be done by splitting the temporary residence visa team into two.”

“The same approach is being implemented for Permanent Residence Permits.”

“The plan includes the utilisation of current capacity in the Immigration Branch supported by the additional officials from other branches, including those in provinces. It also includes those officials who have returned from the Foreign Missions after serving their four-year deployment term.”

“Other options to supplement existing capacity and resources are also being looked at and may be implemented should it be deemed necessary to do so to support the eradication plan.”

Quite what the above actually means is anyone’s guess, but one would have thought that “other options to supplement existing capacity and resources” should already have been implemented considering that no progress has been made in eradicating the backlog.