South African Intra-Company Transfer Visa

The Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Visa in South Africa is designed for multinational companies to transfer key employees from their foreign branches to their South African offices. It facilitates the temporary relocation of skilled employees to provide expertise and develop skills. It does not allow work-related activities outside of skill transfer and development.

The ICT Visa is non-renewable and valid for a maximum of 4 years. It enables businesses to transfer employees without the need for local recruitment, allowing the integration of expertise within the company’s global framework. Although nothing in South African law prevents this, this visa does not offer a path to permanent residence, as the Department of Home Affairs views the ICT Visa as facilitating the transfer of skills and expertise without the intention of long-term settlement in South Africa. If more time is needed to transfer skills, a new ICT Visa must be applied for from the employee’s home country.

Terminology:

Assignee: An employee assigned to work in a different location temporarily.
Sending Entity: The organisation based outside South Africa sponsoring the employee.
Receiving Entity: The local organisation in South Africa receiving the employee.
We have created a glossary of corporate/business-related terminology for your understanding.

What You Need to Know:

The ICT Visa allows employees to work only within the South African branch of the company that initiated the transfer. It does not grant permission to seek local employment outside the company or engage in business activities unrelated to the specified role.

Who is the ICT Visa for?

This visa is ideal for companies temporarily transferring foreign employees with specialised skills critical to the South African office. Whether for a specific project, strategic initiative, or operational support, the ICT Visa enables businesses to deploy talent seamlessly across borders.

Key Requirements:

• The employee must have worked for the foreign branch (sending entity) for at least 6 months prior to the transfer.
• A formal Transfer of Skills Letter is required, confirming the transfer’s purpose and duration.
• The visa is valid for a maximum of 4 years and cannot be extended.
• Employees may not engage in any other work for the South African business entity beyond the skill transfer specified.
• At least one South African citizen or permanent resident must be employed by the local (receiving) entity.

The Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Visa allows companies to optimise global operations while adhering to South African immigration laws. It ensures that businesses can leverage the expertise of key foreign employees for growth and success in South Africa.

For more information on applying for an Intra-Company Transfer Visa and detailed eligibility criteria, continue reading…

It is absolutely critical that all Documents and Forms pertaining to the application for this visa are procured and legalised correctly, maintaining compliance and validity.

All Required Application Forms can be found at our Immigration Resources

Documentation required to apply for a South African Intra-Company Transfer Work Visa includes:

• The usual personal forms and documents are required for all types of visas in South Africa.
• Department of Home affairs – Application Form 1738 (Form 8)
• Written undertakings by the employer in South Africa.



Party Responsible – Origin/Home/Sending Entity:

• Company Organogram
• Confirmation of Transfer Letter
• Foreign Employment Contract



Party Responsible – Receiving/Local Entity:

• Confirmation of Transfer Letter
• Transfer of Skills Plan
• Certified Copy of I.D(s) of Local Understudy(s)
• Job Description
• Letter of Undertaking
• Certified I.D Copy of Signatory
• Proof or Operation Documents
• Proof of Applicant Accomodation

We have created a guide on all required documents and forms for application to Intra-Company Transfer Work Visa.

Note: While many of the required documents may seem to have no direct cost, there are often associated expenses, such as:

• Legalisation fees: For documents issued outside of South Africa, you need to have them legalised for the embassy or consulate. This could be seen as the most important part of your ICT Work Visa Application
• Translation fees: If documents are not in English, they may need to be translated by a certified translator.
• Courier fees: For sending documents back and forth between different countries.
• Government fees: For obtaining documents like police clearance certificates and medical certificates.

It’s important to factor in these potential costs when budgeting for your ICT visa application.

Additional Costs:

• VFS Application Fees: ZAR R1520
• Department of Home Affairs Application Cost: ZAR R1550
• VFS Premium Lounge (optional): ZAR R500
• Consultation Fees with an Immigration Expert: Varies based on the complexity of your application.

Please note that these costs are subject to change.
It is recommended to check with the relevant authorities and immigration consultants for the most up-to-date information.

There are 4x parties involved in the application for the ICT work visa.
This includes:

1. Assignee (Applicant)
2. Adjudicating Authority (Department of Home Affairs)
3. Sending Entity
4. Receiving Entity

This means that all parties must ensure that documents are procured, translated if needed, legalised and collated correctly to avoid time and money being wasted in back and forth communciation and application.

Other elements of this visa application that take up time are preparetion and quality checking this application pack before submission.
We recommend that this process is prepared at least 1 month before application is submitted.

Application for an Intra-Company Transfer Visa takes approximately 5 to 20 working days according to VFS.
In our experience, it takes 2-4 weeks for application and a Visa Outcome. It is impossible to predict delays at a local South African Mission/Embassy, so this should also be taken into account for operational lead times.

Note: A visa outcome is the process where the assignee (applicant) is notified that a decsion has been made on their application. This can be a positive or negative outcome (approval or rejection).
If the outcome is a visa approval, the visa itself can be collected in the form of the assignee’s endorsed passport.

1. Determine Eligibility
   • Employment: The applicant must have been employed by the foreign branch (sending entity) for at least six months prior to the transfer.
   • Transfer Purpose: The transfer must be for a specific purpose, such as transferring skills, knowledge, or expertise.
   • Company Relationship: The sending and receiving entities must be related companies (e.g., parent, subsidiary, affiliate).
   • Local Presence: The receiving entity must have at least one South African citizen or permanent resident employed.

   All areas of eligibility can be assessed in the following guide we have created.

2. Gather Required Documents
   • Personal Documents: Valid passport, Police clearance certificate, Medical certificate.
   • Employment Documents: Employment contract, CVs of Applicant and Understudy/s.
   • Company Documents: Company organogram, transfer of skills letter, job description, letter of undertaking from both sending and receiving entities.
   • Supporting Documents: Proof of accommodation, financial statements (if applicable).

   This is the part of your application that is most critical, as a full application pack should be prepared, and quality checked before submission. All document requirements can be found in a checklist we have created.

3. Complete Application Forms
   • Form 1738 (Form 8): This is the main application form for the ICT visa.
   • Supporting Documentation: Ensure all required documents are attached and correctly labelled.
4. Legalise and Translate Documents
   • If documents are issued outside of South Africa, they may need to be legalised or notarised.
   • Any document that is in a different language to English, must be translated by an authorised and qualified person/business.
5. Submit Application
   • Choose Submission Method: You can submit the application in person at a South African embassy or consulate, or through a designated visa application centre (VFS).
   • Pay Fees: Pay the required visa application fees by EFT or Bank Card, while retaining your proof of payment.
6. Await Processing
   • The processing time for an ICT visa can vary, but it typically takes 5-20 working days.
   • It must be noted that many local South African missions/embassies often have their own delays.
7. Receive Visa Outcome
   • You will be notified of the visa decision. If approved, you will receive the ICT Visa endorsed in your passport.
8. Collect Visa (If Approved)
   • If the visa is approved, you can collect your passport with the visa endorsement from the embassy/mission or VFS where you submitted the application.
9. Visa Outcome (If Rejected)
   • If the visa is rejected/denied, the application process must be restarted with the reasons for rejection remedied directly. The previous rejected application should show these details.

Additional Considerations:

• Visa Validity: The ICT visa is valid for a maximum of four years and cannot be extended.
• Accompanying Spouse/Dependants: Family members are eligible for accompanying dependent/spousal visas.
• Work Restrictions: The visa holder is restricted to working only for the receiving entity in South Africa.
• Immigration Consultant: Consider hiring an immigration consultant to assist with the application process and ensure compliance with all requirements.

Disclaimer

At IBN Immigration Solutions, we adhere to Google’s standards for transparency. As a private immigration firm, we follow the regulations outlined in the Immigration Act of South Africa. We are not affiliated with the South African government. Our clients pay for our expertise in handling applications for both temporary and permanent residency. While forms required during the process can be obtained for free at any Department of Home Affairs office, we also provide them as part of our service. Those who prefer to deal directly with the Department of Home Affairs can visit their website at www.dha.gov.za/immigration-services/