Tag: immigration law

It’s 2050, a climate changed world where humans and the digital devices are closely entwined. Natural disasters such as drought, famine and floods are the order of the day. Government is making living all that much harder. Many people are displaced as new immigration laws come into effect and the gap between the haves and the have nots widens.

For the many Zimbabwean nationals living in South Africa – and their employers – the upcoming expiry date for the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP), has been a cause for major concern. The ZEP was initially established to allow Zimbabweans in South Africa, legal and illegally living and working here, to come forward and regularise their stay – without the need to apply for regular visas.

James Meade, British recipient of the Nobel Prize in economics, reported in 1961 that Mauritius faced a bleak future. The country was reliant on a single crop (sugar), subject to weather and price shocks, threatened by over-population, had no potential alternative job opportunities, was multi-ethnic, had large income inequalities, and had experienced political conflict.

Whether you are a South African looking for work opportunities abroad, or a foreign national wanting to work in South Africa, you still need a work permit or a visa to make the transition. However, job seekers the world over are quick to send out their CV’s and engaging foreign companies without knowing what exactly a work permit is or why they need one.

Following a shift towards global recruitment processes, many South Africans have succumbed to the lustre of opportunities that lie in wait in foreign countries. Eager to find international career advancement, or simply to earn a foreign salary, they put their skills and qualifications on the line and begin applying for work overseas.