The Intra Company Work Visa is also known as a Secondment. It is the best visa for foreign workers coming to South Africa via a secondment.
The visa is available to foreign workers who are based in companies outside South Africa, and who need to take up employment in the subsidiary/head office of the same/affiliated company in South Africa. The visa allows for the transfer between the overseas company and the subsidiary company in South Africa.
It is a temporary visa.
How to qualify for the Intra Company Transfer Work Visa
The head office or branch office of the company must be in South Africa. The foreign national must be employed by the branch/head office based outside South Africa for a period of at least six months.
The visa process requires the companies to set out a transfer of skills plan. The applicant will thus have to prove that a transfer of skills or knowledge to local South African employees will take place.
Spouses and Dependents of the Intra Company Transfer Work Visa
The spouse and biological children can apply with the main applicant for visas to accompany the visa holder to South Africa or to attend school.
Length of Stay
The visa is a temporary visa, and only valid for a period of up to four years. It is also not possible to extend the visa for longer than these four years locally. Dependents can only get their visa for 3 years at a time but it can be extended locally in South Africa to reach the 4-year mark as per the visa granted to the work visa holder.
If the applicant wants to extend the visa to remain longer in South Africa, a new visa application has to be lodged from outside South Africa. You will have to provide full motivation on why you need another ICT visa.
Permanent Residence
Unfortunately, the Intra Company Transfer work visa does not lead to permanent residence in South Africa. The initial visa is granted with the undertaking that the work visa holder will return to his/her position in the group of companies based outside SA.
Please speak to our SA immigration consultants to apply for this visa, or to discuss other work visa options leading to permanent residence.