<\/p>\n
Roxanna Naidoo, Director of Global Strategy at Latita Africa Tax Advisory, said the current climate requires lawful migrants to maintain a clear and defensible paper trail, particularly where visa renewals, waivers or appeals are still pending.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Naidoo explained that a defensible paper trail includes key documents such as a valid passport, current or previous visas, proof of pending applications, waiver or appeal documentation, and official acknowledgements from the Department of Home Affairs. \u201cYou need to be able to prove it very quickly and clearly in writing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She added that individuals should also keep proof of residence, employment records where applicable, and a clear timeline showing entry into the country, visa validity periods and subsequent actions taken.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Naidoo noted that many migrants are complying with legal processes but remain affected by delays within the system. She said that while applications may be pending, the inability to provide documentation on demand can result in unnecessary difficulties. \u201cIt is very common. Many lawful foreign nationals are just stuck in the system,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She advised individuals to remain calm if approached by law enforcement and to avoid confrontation, instead providing documentation where possible. Preparation, she said, is essential to avoid complications. \u201cIf you are only trying to find your documents after you\u2019ve been stopped, you\u2019re already on the back foot,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Naidoo also highlighted concerns for employers, describing the current environment as a compliance wake-up call. She urged businesses to urgently audit their records of foreign national employees to ensure all documentation is valid and aligned with job roles and visa conditions.
\n\u201cEmployers should not wait for an inspection before they check their files,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She stressed the importance of maintaining visa expiry registers, tracking renewals and ensuring coordination between human resources, payroll and management systems.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Naidoo warned that immigration compliance is no longer just an administrative issue but could pose broader business risks if not properly managed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The guidance comes as the Department of Home Affairs moves toward stricter immigration policies under a draft revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Naidoo said the direction is clear, with tighter regulation, increased scrutiny and reduced tolerance for non-compliance. \u201cThe system is moving towards a more controlled, skills-focused and digitally managed framework,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She added that in this environment, professional guidance is becoming increasingly important for both individuals and businesses navigating immigration processes.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":38434,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-38433","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Foreign nationals who are lawfully in South Africa (SA) have been advised not to panic amid ongoing protests, but to ensure they have complete and verifiable documentation to support their legal status in the country.\r\n","published_date":"","news_description":"Foreign nationals who are lawfully in South Africa (SA) have been advised not to panic amid ongoing protests, but to ensure they have complete and verifiable documentation to support their legal status in the country.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/38433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/38433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38435,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/38433\/revisions\/38435"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=38433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}