The South African General Work Visa is a work-visa route for foreign nationals who do not qualify under the Critical Skills category but have a genuine offer of employment in South Africa.
The route changed significantly with the introduction of South Africa’s points-based work-visa system in 2024. Older advice about General Work Visas should therefore be treated with caution.
LexMigrate assists foreign nationals and South African employers with General Work Visa applications, including route assessment, points analysis and application preparation.
Start a South African work visa enquiry or WhatsApp LexMigrate.
Who is the General Work Visa for?
This route may be relevant where a foreign national has a genuine South African employment offer but the occupation does not fall within a qualifying Critical Skills category.
The application must now be assessed under the current points-based framework, which considers factors such as qualifications, salary, work experience and Trusted Employer status.
How does the points-based system work?
South Africa introduced a points-based system for General Work Visa and Critical Skills Work Visa applications in October 2024.
The published criteria award points for:
- qualifications;
- the salary offered;
- work experience; and
- an offer from a Trusted Employer.
An offer of employment is mandatory.
The application should therefore be assessed against the current published points framework before submission rather than using the pre-2024 General Work Visa model.
Do I still need a Department of Employment and Labour certificate?
The Minister of Home Affairs issued a waiver in October 2024 for General Work Visa applications adjudicated under the points-based system.
The requirement for the Department of Employment and Labour certificate under regulation 18(3)(a) was waived for applications assessed under the new points-based system.
This was an important change because it removed one of the most burdensome features of the older General Work Visa process.
Do I need a job offer?
Yes. A valid offer of employment is mandatory under the current points-based criteria.
The offer or employment contract should clearly identify the employer, position, salary and terms of employment and should align with the rest of the application.
How does salary affect the application?
The published points-based criteria allocate points according to gross annual salary bands.
Salary should therefore be assessed carefully before submission. The amount stated in the employment offer, application form and supporting evidence should remain consistent.
Because salary thresholds can change, the current published figures should always be checked at the time the application is prepared.
How do qualifications affect the points score?
Qualifications can contribute significantly to the points calculation.
The current system distinguishes between higher NQF levels, with more points available for higher-level qualifications.
Foreign qualifications may need to be evaluated by SAQA or addressed under the current waiver framework.
What happens if my SAQA evaluation is not ready?
The October 2024 waiver provides some flexibility where a SAQA evaluation is not yet available.
Where proof of a SAQA evaluation application is submitted but the final evaluation outcome is still outstanding, Home Affairs may issue the General Work Visa for a limited 12-month period. Where the SAQA evaluation certificate is submitted with the application, the visa may be issued for the period applicable to the route.
This should not be treated as a reason to delay qualification planning. The SAQA process should still be started early.
How does work experience affect the application?
Relevant work experience can contribute points under the current framework.
The experience should be properly evidenced and should support the professional profile and role offered in South Africa.
Years of experience alone are not enough if the evidence does not show what the applicant actually did.
What is a Trusted Employer?
South Africa’s Trusted Employer Scheme allows qualifying employers that have been pre-vetted by Home Affairs to benefit from a more streamlined skilled-migration framework.
An offer from a Trusted Employer attracts additional points under the current points-based system.
Not every employer is part of the scheme. The employer’s status should be confirmed rather than assumed.
What evidence is normally relevant?
The precise evidence depends on the applicant, employer and points strategy.
Broadly, a General Work Visa application may require evidence dealing with:
- identity and passport validity;
- the South African employment offer or contract;
- the applicant’s qualifications;
- SAQA evaluation or proof of a pending SAQA evaluation where applicable;
- work experience;
- salary and remuneration;
- employer undertakings;
- medical and police-clearance requirements;
- the points-based criteria relied upon; and
- the practical filing requirements applicable to the country or VFS centre.
LexMigrate provides a case-specific document request after the points position and employment circumstances have been assessed.
What employer undertakings are required?
South African work-visa applications include employer obligations relating to the employment relationship and immigration compliance.
The employer documents should be drafted carefully and should reflect the actual role and employment terms rather than generic template wording that conflicts with the contract.
Can I apply if my occupation is not on the Critical Skills List?
Potentially, yes. That is one of the reasons the General Work Visa route remains relevant.
The applicant must still satisfy the applicable points-based criteria and the mandatory employment-offer requirement.
General Work Visa or Critical Skills Work Visa?
The correct route depends on the occupation and the applicant’s circumstances.
If the occupation appears on the Critical Skills List and the associated requirements can be met, the Critical Skills route may be the more appropriate category.
If the occupation does not appear on the list, the General Work Visa may need to be assessed under the points system.
Read our Critical Skills Work Visa guide.
Where is the application submitted?
The correct filing location depends on the applicant’s nationality, lawful residence and current immigration status.
Applicants should establish the correct mission or VFS process before finalising the application, particularly where the employee is being recruited from outside South Africa.
Can I enter South Africa as a visitor and then apply?
Do not assume that a visitor can simply enter South Africa and convert to a work visa from inside the country.
The correct application location and change-of-status rules should be assessed before travel. Entering on the wrong basis can create unnecessary immigration problems.
How long does a General Work Visa take?
Processing times vary depending on the filing location, the completeness of the application and Home Affairs’ decision-making process.
Employers should avoid fixing an employee’s start date before the immigration timeline has been considered realistically.
Can a General Work Visa lead to permanent residence?
Potentially, depending on the applicant’s longer-term circumstances and the permanent-residence category relied upon.
Permanent residence is a separate legal process and should not be assumed merely because the person has held a work visa for a period of time.
Common General Work Visa problems
Common problems include:
- using outdated pre-points-system requirements;
- not calculating the points position before submission;
- salary information that conflicts across documents;
- qualification evidence that is incomplete or not properly evaluated;
- weak evidence of work experience;
- assuming the employer is a Trusted Employer when it is not;
- using a Critical Skills occupation that does not genuinely match the role;
- submitting through the wrong mission or filing route; or
- setting an unrealistic employment start date.
How LexMigrate assists
Our assistance can include:
- assessing whether General Work or Critical Skills is the better route;
- calculating the points position;
- reviewing salary, qualifications and experience;
- identifying SAQA requirements;
- reviewing employer and employee evidence;
- providing a tailored document request;
- preparing the application; and
- assisting with longer-term immigration planning.
Hiring a foreign national in South Africa?
Send us the job title, proposed salary, applicant’s nationality, qualifications, years of experience and employer details. We can assess which work-visa route should be considered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the old labour-market certificate still required?
For General Work Visa applications adjudicated under the current points-based system, the October 2024 ministerial waiver removed the regulation 18(3)(a) Department of Employment and Labour certificate requirement.
Can I apply without a degree?
Potentially, depending on how the applicant scores under the current points-based framework. The full points position needs to be assessed.
Can a high salary help?
Yes. Salary is one of the published points criteria. The current threshold should be checked at the time of application.
Does Trusted Employer status matter?
Yes. An offer from a Trusted Employer can contribute points and may make the process more efficient, but it is not the only factor in the application.
Can my spouse work on my General Work Visa?
No automatic work right arises merely because a spouse is accompanying the main applicant. The dependant’s own immigration status and intended activities must be assessed separately.
Start your General Work Visa enquiry
If you are an employer or foreign national and want to assess the General Work Visa route under the current points-based system, LexMigrate can assist.
Contact LexMigrate or WhatsApp LexMigrate.
Last updated: October 2026. Work-visa policy, points criteria and filing procedures can change. This page provides general information and does not guarantee visa eligibility or approval.