Visa help please! LPP/Spouse visa

Hi.

I did read your PM, however I prefer to answer in the open forums so that other people may also benefit from my answer.

You are looking for a straight answer.... Hmmmm good luck. Hihi, there are no straight answer when it comes to S.A. home affairs.

Regarding the visas, I dont know what to say, I applied for a LPP and ended up with a relatives visa.
My opinion is that there is not much difference between the visas, and I don't think you must worry yourself to much about that.

If you want to work on your visa it is a very good idea to apply for the visa with a work endorsement, which is a written job offer. I know that is very difficult but if you have the option do that. If you apply and are granted a LPP/relative/spousal visa you are allowed to work you just need the work endorsement, you can apply for that with the visa or afterwards, which could (and properly will) take a very long time.

My advice to you would definitely be to apply from you home country. I applied for a study permit in 2008 and got it in 14 days from the consulate in CPH I applied for my LPP at HA in CT and it took me almost a year to get.
Also I have heard rumours that if you enter SA on a holiday visa you are not allowed to change it to another visa.

About the permanent residence, my understanding is that you have to have lived in SA legally for 5 years before you can apply for PR, but I have heard other people saying otherwise. So I don't know.

As I said straight answers are hard to come by, I think you must contact your local SA consulate and ask them what you need and then just go by that, and apply there. Depending on who you ask you will always get a different answer.     

I hope my answer was a bit helpful, you can always ask again if you need.
Good Luck with everything.

Regards Sarah

Great, thanks so much for your help! I've contacted the high commission here in Australia and am awaiting their reply - could be a while!
Thanks again.

Hi there. I was wondering if you got any feedback of how should the SA authorities be approached? I'm asking because I'm planning to move to SA as my fiance is a SA citizen. From RSA embassy (from Romania, the country in which I live) I got the answer that "I should go in SA with a tourist visa and get married there then apply for a temporary visa". This being the case I'm quite interested on this topic and I would need all the help that I could get. Thank you!

The LPP is a type of Relative's Permit. The Spousal Permit is also a type of Relative's Permit. There is no difference in what you are allowed to do in South Africa. Just some other differences and also in the ease of obtaining the permit.

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ImmigrationSouthAfrica wrote:

The LPP is a type of Relative's Permit. The Spousal Permit is also a type of Relative's Permit. There is no difference in what you are allowed to do in South Africa. Just some other differences and also in the ease of obtaining the permit.

May I ask you a question over here so it could be useful for other people as well?
So you say that LLP and spousal permits are just types of a relative's one. But what I know a relative's permit can't be endorsed for work or study so basically you have to submit a completely new application. And if you have an LLP or a spousal permit you don't have to.
Then another question. I have a relative's TR now which expires next year. When I apply for a renewal of my permit do I have to submit a police clearance report from SA as well (I've spent over 12 months here)? I understand that I'll have to submit certified copies of new medical and X-ray, police clearance reports from the country of my origin. Is it correct?