Our
applications for work permit have been approved. At last! I must say that I am
relieved! Let me take you through the whole process.
In May 2012
we were employed by the Church of Sweden. My wife was employed as Church
relation officer and I as a theologian, to be seconded to UKZN. We got some
training in the fall of the year and our departure for RSA was scheduled to 9
January 2013. Around October 2012 the work permit process began. Due to some
unforeseen problems we did not manage to complete the process before our
departure. Our eldest daughter fetched all the documentation and passports at
the South African Embassy and we arrived in RSA on tourist visas.
In January
we made contact with the department of Home Affairs and restarted the process.
Now we had to apply for a change of conditions permit. This means that we
wanted to change our tourist visas into work permits. Or rather exceptional
skills work permits. In retrospect we understand that this kind of permit is
rather difficult to get. If we had supplied photocopies of the title page of my
doctoral thesis and likewise the title page of a book which my wife has edited,
it could have helped. We didn’t understand that. In March we got a message that
our applications were rejected. For a short time we felt quite disappointed.
From
colleagues at the University I have learnt that this is very common. We spoke
to people in the church and got different kinds of advice but finally we made
contact with an agency in Cape Town specialized in helping people with visa
applications. Instead of applying for exceptional skills work permit, we now
applied for voluntary and charitable activities work permit. Some of the
documents we could make use of again. I had taken certified copies, which
helped a lot. A few days ago I received an e-mail telling us that my wife’s
visa was approved. Of course I got confused: why hers and mot mine? But yesterday
I also got mine and we were both relieved.
Of course
it has been frustrating. Without work permit you don’t get a bank account in
RSA. Without a bank account you cannot open different accounts. At the gym we
had to pay a year upfront and it took some time to convince the agent that this
was OK. To get a contract on the mobile phone is also impossible without a bank
account. In short, being without a work permit makes life a bit difficult. We
are of course fortunate having our Swedish bank accounts with visa or master
card. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (ELCSA) has also given
us much support through the Property Management Company (PMC). There is no need
to feel pity for our sake.
Still, this
process has given us an insight. So many people in the world are migrants,
refugees or in any other sense foreigners in another country. Most of them
struggle and suffer extremely. We have experienced a little bit of problems and
it has frustrated us. We have felt unwelcome in another country. It has given
us an understanding for others. Therefore we are grateful. Hopefully we can
remember this when we meet others who come as foreigners to a country.
Hopefully it gives us even more reasons to be open to others. But for now we
celebrate. Thank you, South Africa, for accepting us! I took some time, but now
we feel embraced.
1 comment:
Congratulations! Very interesting process.
I´m looking forward to send and get SMS to and from your SA cellphone.
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