Migration

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.