Question NW3185 to the Minister of Home Affairs
01 November 2023 - NW3185
De Freitas, Mr MS to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
With reference to his reply to question 2018 on 28 June 2023, what (a) steps have been taken to improve the average turn-around time and (b)(i) processes, (ii) procedures, (iii) milestones and (iv) deadlines are being put in place to assist and facilitate applicants who have incomplete and/or incorrectly completed applications?
Reply:
a) The Department has instituted weekly management meetings chaired by the Director-General. The purpose of the meeting is to monitor performance on the turnaround times for targets that are at risk of not being achieved. The Acting Deputy Director-General: Immigration Services also has weekly performance monitoring meetings with the management of Permitting where a status report is tabled on the progress being made against the visa and permits backlog.
(b)(i-iii) The department has developed a backlog eradication plan which aims to have the backlogs cleared. The plan aims to move the older Temporary Residency Visas applications from 2022 concurrently with the current applications of 2023. This will be done by splitting the temporary residence visa team into two. The same approach is being implemented for Permanent Residence Permits. The plan includes the utilisation of current capacity in the Immigration Branch supported by the additional officials from other branches including those in Provinces. It also includes those officials who have returned from the Foreign Missions after serving their four-year deployment term. Other options to supplement existing capacity and resources are also being looked at and may be implemented should it be deemed necessary to do so to support the eradication plan. The Department is also reviewing the immigration permitting delegations as well as Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s). The department envisages to have cleared the backlog by June 2024 for all categories of visas.
(b)(iv) With regards to incomplete or incorrectly completed applications, Immigration Regulation 9 prescribes that an application for any visa referred to in section 11 up to and including sections 20 and 22 of the Act shall be made together with all supporting documents. Once an application is received at Home Affairs it is processed with the documents that were submitted by the applicant. The Department is therefore unable to assist applicants with incomplete documents once an application has been received at the adjudication hub. A checklist available at the time of applications is one tool that assists and guides applicants to submit all required documents.
END