You had a lot of fun during your second year of study in South Africa but you’re now going to be returning home. That means you’ll need to renew your Studying Visa in South Africa before your return date. What should you do?

A study visa in South Africa is made for students wanting to study for a certain period of time to upgrade their skills. This visa is issued for a particular duration or the entire year or even longer if the person has started his studies. More information you can get from your friends, family or from your school.

You have applied for the study visa then, so you can proceed with your higher studies in South Africa. Although the process of getting a student visa is never easy and overall tedious, but this time it’s different, because you have decided not to be mere spectator but active participant in making your dreams true.

[/symple_toggle] [symple_toggle title=”Main Reason to travel”] South Africa is a beautiful place to visit and tour around the country. But your enjoyment of the country should not be limited to simply touring the land. You should also consider studying and enrolling in South African universities to gain knowledge in courses that hold some significance in your professional and personal life. A study visa is what you need if you’re planning to go there for this purpose.

Renewing Study Visa In South Africa

One of the most important things that any person needs to do when moving abroad is to make sure that you have easy access to their home country’s embassy. This allows you to keep your paperwork and personal records in order for when you will be required to use it at a later date. This is because even if our goals and dreams are big, the obstacles we will face might be even bigger.

Renewing your study visa

If you hold an existing study permit or study visa, and wish to extend your study period in South Africa, you should read the below information.

Firstly, let us deal with the terminology and what is the difference between a study permit and a study visa.

What’s the difference between a study permit and study visa?

It’s a cosmetic difference that came about with new immigration regulations in June 2014. Wishing to clarify the difference in types of applications the Department of Home Affairs altered the terminology to distinguish between temporary applications and permanent applications:

• Applications for temporary residence are now referred to as visas
• Applications for permanent residence are now referred to as permits

Therefore those wishing to study, as it falls under a temporary category, will now apply for a study visa. Those holding the ‘old’ study permits need not worry as the below information applies to them as well and they are in no way prejudiced against.

Can I apply for an extension of my study visa / permit?

Yes you can.

When do I need to apply?

Applications for renewing / extending your study visa or permit must be made in good time. The minimum period of time to submit your application for a renewal is 60 days prior to the expiry of your existing permit or visa.

Where should I apply?

As you are already in South Africa on a valid study permit or visa, you may make your application here.

What are the requirements?

The requirements are the same as if applying for a new study visa:

• See here for more details if you are a student at a higher learning institution
• See here for more details if you are applying for your dependant child to attend school

Can Intergate Immigration help?

For more information or to make an application for renewing or extending your study visa or study permit either call us on the above numbers or use the links below:

Getting help with your visa or permit application

We welcome the opportunity to consult with you as to your eligibility for a visa /permit and answer any questions you may have with no obligation.

You can take our free one minute assessment here or request a call back for more information. Or simply call us at +27 (0)21 424 2460.