Immigration Directive 13 of 2026
The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, has issued Immigration Directive 13 of 2026, waiving the requirement that applications for visa extensions or changes of status or conditions be submitted at least 60 days before the expiry of an existing visa. The waiver extends to pending applications, relevant appeals and future submissions, provided applications are lodged while the existing visa remains valid.
In her latest opinion published in Daily Maverick, our Claudia Pizzocri examines the significance of this policy reversal and questions why corrective intervention took so long when the consequences of rigid enforcement had become increasingly apparent.
The article considers the considerable prejudice suffered by foreign nationals whose applications were rejected on procedural grounds rather than assessed on their merits, frequently after prolonged processing delays. The consequences have extended beyond individual immigration status, disrupting employment, education, family life and business continuity.
While welcoming the Minister’s intervention, Pizzocri argues that addressing the 60-day filing requirement is only part of the necessary reform. She calls for greater administrative accountability, broader protections for applicants awaiting decisions, and an immigration system in which procedural compliance is matched by lawful, fair and timely decision-making.
Read the full opinion published in Daily Maverick.
Schreiber waives 60-day visa filing rule — too little, too late
Claudia Pizzocri | Eisenberg & Associates Inc.