Temporary visa application office opens in Cape Town

IMPACT – HIGH

What is the change? A temporary visa application office has opened to replace the VFS visa application center in Cape Town, which temporarily closed last week.

What does the change mean? Applicants may submit applications and collect their visas at the new location – 47 Strand Street, 5^th Floor, Cape Town – rather than having to travel to George or Port Elizabeth, as originally announced. The office will accept applications from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and applicants may collect their decisions between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. It will accept urgent requests from 9 a.m. to noon on a walk-in basis.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate.
• Visas/permits affected: All visas and permits.
• Who is affected: All applicants submitting applications at the Cape Town visa application center.
• Impact on processing times: Delays should be mitigated by the opening of the temporary location.
• Business impact: Applicants should note the specified hours for submission and collection at the temporary location.

Background: VFS announced the temporary closure of its Cape Town visa application center last week with little notice and few details. Applicants were redirected to George or Port Elizabeth visa application centers, which are both hundreds of kilometers away.

VFS has now announced the temporary location will service Cape Town applicants during the closure of its main office.

BAL Analysis: Employers and individuals submitting applications in Cape Town will save significant time and inconvenience as they will not need to travel to another location, but they should factor in potential delays at the temporary location.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

Copyright © 2016 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.