Gernny:
Anyways just because of the sake of the good people here let me share I remember I first applied through vfs when I waited tire I had to go for evisa online I was called on Friday to bring my passport back for visa sticker visa so I don't know how they are issuing this visa that some people are still waiting up till now.

Did you write a statement that you are fully aware this application will take very long? On your Checklist at their office? Plus it’s only short term they are issuing, and it’s long term people that are waiting for visa for almost 5 months now. Someone here is almost 9 months now. I haven’t seen or heard study visas being issued. I don’t know how they are doing it or how they want to do it.

Poetchi:
Please is it officially confirmed that all categories of SA visa need not drop their passports until it has been requested for by the embassy? I am getting different information and want to be sure. Thanks!

It is Confirmed. You can as well check the announcement on the VFS Announcement Page.

chijess:
Goodmorning all, I wish to apply to south Africa to write nclex exam. Please who can help me with required documents please. Thanks in advance.

you should go to another country for this exam because at the moment, Applications are taking very long to get decision now. For the sake of this exam, so you won’t be disappointed. You should Try another country, so you don’t wait so long and the date of the exam passes away. Do you get ?

Momotola16:
What is the difference between e visa and the one you apply for using VFS and go for submission of documents at Lagos?

Avoid submitting physically at the VFS Centers, Applications are now taking very long to get a decision. Some applications spending 8, 9, 10 months in their custody without decisions. Use the E-Visa platform which is not even guaranteed. But if you must apply for E-Visa try 2-3months before you date of departure. It’s an advice though.

Moyosoore2001:
Hello guys ,
Does anybody have update about the study visa now for South Africa or have they issued study visa to anyone or those anybody know about the latest update !
Thank you.

This delay in study visa, it’s everyone that applied from nigeria that’s experiencing this. I don’t think they’ve issued study visa this year at all. Plus the VFS said it’s at the discretion of the consular to know when to issue study visa, that’s there is really no timeline for processing. All we have to do now is to hope. Universities in SA should also play a role in this issuance of Visa. They should have sent list of students accepted for studies to each mission worldwide for fast processing maybe through DHA especially now registration is in progress. I have seen when they’ve expedited visa for students especially those with scholarship like DAAD & Nelson Mandela Scholarships and it was on Twitter.

VFS people are annoying. They know SA is not processing long term Visas and they are collecting application.

Please who is going to University of Johannesburg and still have pending visa decision? Rachyekong have you called VFS to let them know your application is over 8 months. Let them know

Hi Goodmorning Justwise,

Please kindly see the message I got from them, if you dont agree, the number under that message in this screenshot, you can call them and ask for yourself. it’s the same number with that guys screenshot above. Call them and ask is this website for evisa for vfs correct or not. Please that is the only thing I want you to do. They close by 2pm. Try and call before then. Anybody viewing this should also call too. Thanks

Also go on Twitter, mention them on Twitter. Their Twitter page is verified, ask them if that site is from them or not too.
Cc seun justwise

Moyosoore2001:
I submitted my application in Lagos and it was taken to Abuja

What university?

Moyosoore2001:
Good day everyone.
Please i submitted for south africa study visa since october 11 -2022 and up till now have not heard anything from the embassy. Pls who know what the problem is
Thank you

It’s like that for everyone that applied for study visa and long term visas. So I’d advise you to email your school and tell them the situation so they can intervene as well. Did you submit in Lagos or Abuja ?

Myst77:


This is the post that someone shared from VFS confirming the e visa site due to a false accusation made by another member. If you follow the post (by clicking on the handle), you’ll see the back and forth arguments among them as well.

I’ve shared this for the sake of others who may be panicking (not that I owe them any explanation, though lol). The lesson here is to verify info - don’t just rely on Nairaland posts or your own assumptions just because of a challenge that you encountered.

I am not an embassy officer but I’m a frequent traveller and I don’t need to disclose my personal information to prove that my information is authentic. The onus is on the reader to VERIFY.

If you make a mistake, blame yourself not the person who fed you with info on a social media platform. It’s more annoying when you blame an innocent person who is trying to do good.

Please why are you explaining to a digital illiterate person? Someone you are meant to rain curses and abusive words for false accusations?

JUCEleonu:


We are both in the wait together. Sent another email to them today. How many times have you reached out and what has their response been?

This delay is everywhere not for Nigerians alone. I heard they stopped issuing evisas and most likely to start again next week. The best thing I’ll advise anyone to do, is to apply for sticker visa in Ghana or Dubai. It takes just 3 days to process there. Saw testimonies on Twitter and I was shocked.

ayor2023:
Please does anyone have idea of expected release of study visa, i applied mid december,2022. How can I remind the High commission at Abuja?
Thanks.

There is really no exact date/time but from 12th week you can start expecting. People who applied on Oct/Nov are yet to even get a response. Plus you also need to inform your school about the delay of study Visa in Nigeria so they can follow up as well.

Anniebam:


They should keep doing rubbish. For a country that is facing serious economic meltdown and foreigners leaving their country due to the whole Eskom light rubbish and considering the fact that the larger part of their GDP comes from Tourism, they have refused to have sense. Whoever is in charge of their government is obviously clueless because they are going down the drain. Very annoying stupid country!!!!

What of study visa, people who applied in October, November, December for the 2023 academic session from nigeria are yet to be given a decision. Nigerians constitute the largest in International Student enrollment and yet none of the people from nigeria that applied have been given a decision till now.

H100:
Is there reason for what the South African DHA is doing?

I tire oo

It’s everywhere o, Not just Nigerians. Na the Indians sef Dey suffer am pass. In fact, the French investors were threatening to remove all their companies from SA and take it elsewhere if they don’t address this visa delay and denial issue. Maybe like a scheme to reduce immigrants sha.

1dafulmi:
please when did the person apply?

1st of November

jtw01:
Hi guys, I applied for Tourist Evisa on Dec 05 and got a rejection letter this morning.

Reason; Intended Date of Visit has Lasped

Whereas my intended travel date is in March.

Is there anything I can do?

It would be e-DHA! People should avoid that platform for now. It has so many errors

Momotola16:
I applied for visitors visa on 20th but I wasn't asked to submit my international passport although I paid for DHL. Someone said he submitted his during application. Has the process changed? When will I be asked to submit it?

yes the process changed. from 20th November I guess!

They are issuing visas o! Let’s pray it reach out turn soon enough!! This unexplained delay is really frustrating

Anniebam:


Well the funny thing is , the VFS e visa hasn’t helped relieve the pressure on sticker visa in any way. I would ordinarily assume that those who applied late last year for sticker visa should be getting decisions by now but unfortunately that’s not the case and I know few people in this predicament. Some while waiting for sticker visa had to apply for e visa , now everything is tuck. Even top world countries will not give anyone this amount of stress. SA immigration/ embassy are just so inefficient, same problem those who applied for permit inside SA are facing.

Do you know what’s even funny, it’s a year now Lagos stopped collecting applications and I don’t think there are plans on opening the Lagos office for visa applications. And Abuja receives nothing less than 120 applications in a day and it’s only one person adjudicating. If Lagos should open these pressure would reduce.

Anniebam:
So no update regarding VFS e visa ?🥹🥺 SA visa is really the weapon fashioned against applicants because what in God’s name is going on? The website says 5-10 working days but apparently it’s not so. Also, I have noticed that travel agents have hijacked this VFS e visa, charging people outrageous fees and probably bribing their way through while innocent applicants are made to wait indefinitely. This is a serious eyesore and someone needs to sue VFS 🤧🥲

I suspect the pressure on e-visa is now much because of the slow release of sticker visa. Sticker visa would most likely reach you weeks after your travel date has passed. Plus if you are going for an event or something that has time frame and the event has elapsed, you’d get a refused decision. So that’s why a lot are now avoiding sticker visa & getting the e-visas

Blurpy:
If you need link in getting tourist visa from Nigeria, send a pm before you apply.
Not free though. The consulars in Abj aren’t smiling.

Sticker or e-visa?

Omo this E-visa delay is everywhere o not just Nigerians, seem they’ve stopped attending to the e-visa..nawa o! Sticker visa no go area, E-visa too wan turn no go area. If you ask them now they will say it’s COVID

Myst77:


I think you may have misread my post - please read it again. I stated: “…After your study, you can apply for a SA job role that falls under the critical skills list but, note that you may have to apply for such jobs from Nigeria if your study visa expires before you get a job. Don’t overstay to avoid a ban….”

Thanks.

Okay I didn’t understand before but now you’ve shed more life I totally understand
Thanks.

Myst77:


Not sure anyone can tell you with certainty if it is worth it or not because each person has a different SA immigration experience (some good, and some bad). It’s a risk only you can decide to make by yourself. But if you do decide to take the risk, do it with great awareness (and not ignorantly or naively) by researching about what you need to do to relocate to SA successfully and legitimately (whether temporarily or permanently).

With study visa, you can only stay for the period of your study. If you’re thinking of staying further after your study, one option is the work visa route. You can start by studying a course or getting a degree that will make you attractive for hire in SA. It’s better to equip yourself with a skill/qualification that falls under the SA official critical skills list, click this link to see the skills/qualifications that are critical: https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202208/47182gon2334.pdf

After your study, you can apply for a SA job role that falls under the critical skills list but, note that you may have to apply for such jobs from Nigeria if your study visa expires before you get a job. Don’t overstay to avoid a ban.

If you do get an SA critical skills job, you can then apply for a critical skills work visa (CSV). CSV is the easiest route to secure a permanent residency through employment if you have held the CSV for at least, 5 years after which you can apply for permanent residency (check VFS and DHA site online for more details).

This is only a theory of course and just one option, the reality may be different if you consider long visa processing time, possible visa application rejection, affordability of school fees, availability of jobs for a foreigner, SA employer’s willingness to hire a foreigner, general economy, etc. So please, don’t take this as a confirmation that going the study route is worth it! Do your research, get more info from SA immigrants, and know your strengths. All the best!

So if I want to apply for CSV, I have to come down to Nigeria to make such application at VFS Nigeria? Even when my study visa is yet to expire ?

Gernny:
Visa processing how?

He meant for reservations. You know the embassy requires flight reservation?

I think They’ve started issuing Long term visas already!! This is from an applicant that applied in Mid-October

mekuscato:
I applied for student visa since 25th November 2022, my school is starting lectures on 6th February 2023 and I have not gotten any respond for my visa uptil now.
Please what should I do because I have to pay my school fees on or before 3rd February 2023 but I can't pay when I have not received my visa

We are in the same boat o, I applied too in early November on the 7th same visa category, Nothing too. By 1st of February if I don’t hear from them I’ll be planning to withdraw my passport because I don’t even have patience for any kind of delay at this point. They said they have deployed extra staff members to Abuja to sort out and prioritize those going for Business & Study. It’s still very slow as those who even applied for long term in October are yet to receive a decision. I won’t even blame them because Lagos embassy have refused to process visa so the whole visa pressure is at the Abuja embassy. Try and message your school international office and send your VFS receipt & Passport to them, they should help you in a way

AskGod07:

Will I book for appointment if I wanted to apply for South Africa tourism sticker visa at VFS? sorry my last visa in 2021 I did walk-in. Is anyone know how many month South Africa stick visa comes out? I was told they didn’t collected int passport anymore.

If you know you have the patience to wait for about 6 months to get the sticker visa, you can apply for it. Yes they don’t take passport again. Sept/October applicants are still waiting for a decision with the purpose of travel defeated. So I’d advise you to apply through E-Vfs and apply like at least three weeks to your date of departure.

bayfed:
This people matter don tire me, since October no update from them.

What category of visa?