South Africa Clamps Down on ‘25-Year-Old Retirees’ Exploiting Visa Rules

• South Africa is overhauling its retirement and work visa rule to prevent young foreigners from exploiting the system
• Immigration experts warn that future visas and permanent residence will be tied to economic contribution
• Public comments on the draft White Paper must be submitted by 31 January 2026

South Africa’s retirement visa rules are set for a major overhaul. The Department of Home Affairs says it wants to stop young foreigners from exploiting the system after reports that people as young as 25 have been granted “retirement visas” and then went on to work in the country.

A report from BusinessTech outlined details from the Home Affairs Department’s draft White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration, and Refugee Protection released on 12 December 2025.

According to immigration experts at Xpatweb, future work visas and permanent residency applications will be strongly tied to how much foreign nationals contribute to South Africa’s economy. The draft aims to tighten rules for retirement visas, including introducing a minimum age threshold for applicants, increasing financial requirements to align with South Africa’s cost of living, and allowing waivers only in exceptional circumstances.

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What does the draft propose?

The draft paper also aims to reshape South Africa’s visa system to attract migrants who will boost the economy. Currently, visas for relatives make up 28% of applications, while critical skills and business visas account for just 5% and 1%, respectively.

Among the proposed changes are a Skilled Worker Visa, which combines existing Critical Skills and General Work visas and requires employers to sponsor foreign workers for the length of their contracts; a Start-Up Visa for innovators and entrepreneurs who wish to launch businesses in South Africa; an Investment Visa, which replaces the current Business Visa and sets minimum capital and employment quotas; a Sectoral Work Visa, which replaces corporate visas; and a Sports and Arts Visa, aimed at performers, athletes, coaches, and industry professionals.

Permanent residence and citizenship decisions will also shift from being based primarily on the length of time someone has lived in South Africa to a merit-based system. Points will be awarded for skills, job creation, investments, and contributions to research, innovation, or community development, following models used in Canada, Australia, and the UK. Public comments on the draft must be submitted by 31 January 2026.

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Ugandan woman shares frustration over South African Visa rejection.

In February 2025, a Ugandan woman spoke out about the difficulties of securing a South African visa. She explained that she had planned a relaxing visit to South Africa, booking flights and a hotel in advance, only to have her tourist visa rejected. Authorities cited unclear reasons for her visit and mentioned that Ugandan applicants often face stricter scrutiny due to past incidents involving criminals entering the country. Immigration expert Andreas Krensel of IBN Immigration Solutions weighed in and said common reasons visas are denied include missing or incorrect supporting documents, insufficient proof of financial means to support oneself during the visit, and submitting outdated or incorrectly completed application forms.

Two visa-related Briefly News articles

In previous news, Briefly reported that former South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, had her United States visa revoked unexpectedly. Pandor confirmed she received an email from the US Consulate on 20 November 2025 informing her of the revocation, which did not explain. Pandor described the revocation as perplexing, since no further details were provided by the consulate.

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In another case, the US State Department revoked the visa of a South African national who mocked Americans grieving the death of Charlie Kirk on social media. The individual allegedly described the grieving rally as “racist” and accused it of promoting a “white nationalist” agenda. The revocation was part of a broader effort targeting at least six foreign nationals from countries including Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, and Paraguay who were accused of publicly celebrating Kirk’s death. The department shared screenshots of the alleged offensive posts on X.

Source: Briefly News