Home affairs' digital transformation streamlines visa process, cuts backlogs

In a significant move to modernise its services, the home affairs department has announced a shift to electronic delivery of visa waiver outcomes, aiming to expedite turnaround times.

“In the first phase of the rollout, the outcome of waiver applications for holders of Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs) will be sent digitally, effective immediately. Over time, this digital-first approach will be extended to other applicants in the visa and permit regime,” said home affairs spokesperson Siya Qoza.

This transition means applicants will no longer need to visit a VFS branch to collect physical copies of their waiver letters.

Beginning on August 29, ZEP holders have been receiving their waiver letters digitally in PDF format via e-mail. This digital approach will soon be expanded to include all applicants, streamlining the process and facilitating easier submission of mainstream visa applications.

“This simple embrace of a digital-first approach to processing waivers has also significantly accelerated our work to clear the permitting backlog that dates back a decade, which started out at more than 306,000 unprocessed applications,” said home affairs minister Leon Schreiber. 

“Through this change we have been able to process 60,582 outstanding ZEP waiver applications, many of which date to 2022.

“Another 22,529 ZEP waiver applications are set to be processed soon, further reducing the backlog.” 

Schreiber emphasised the broader significance of this change.

“While this step on its own may be a small one, it is meaningful as part of our larger quest to clamp down on corruption and to enhance efficiency of services by transforming home affairs into a digital-first department.”

TimesLIVE