Expert Info
on 19 Sep 2019
Hi, Greetings of the Day!!
My husband is supposed to visit Johannesburg for an assignment. He is most probably going to have a critical skill/General work visa for the purpose, as his project is going to be around 2 years.
Me having a spouse visa, can I apply for a work permit for South Africa?
Can I obtain a work permit by paying myself or through a consultancy like in USA for H1B? OR in South Africa also I need to have sponsorship from the employer?
Hi Ashmita,
As far as I am aware, trailing spouses don't have the right to work in South Africa but they can stay in the country.
Most people work around this by becoming digital nomads and working remotely. That way they can get paid into a foreign account and earn foreign currency. If it is just a short term project, this can work pretty well.
. If you plan on staying in South Africa long term and secure a job offer perhaps you can get a general work permit. Are you on the critical skills list at all? What is your field of work?
For more information on your options check out the Work Permits for South Africa page.