Do Non-SA Citizens still have their PR when immigrating back to SA

[jeff]

Hello,

I am a Non Sa Citizen who has given PR in South Africa for the last 20 odd years

I immigrated to Australia for the last 1 year, and now I might want to go back to SA,for good,

do I still have PR in SA or was that cancelled when I arrived in OZ last year,must I apply again to go back

Is there any link to this from the South African Home affairs website?

Ho long must one be away from South Africa for the need to reapply for PR.

Who can we use to ship a 20ft container back to SA?

Thanks so much

[Queensland Girl]

Hi Jeff.

Maybe try www.homecomingrevolution.co.za

Good Luck on your journey.

[LeeInOz]

Is there any link to this from the South African Home affairs website?

Ho long must one be away from South Africa for the need to reapply for PR.

Who can we use to ship a 20ft container back to SA?

Jeff

I would phone the High Commision in Canberra and ask

http://www.sahc.org.au/

http://www.sahc.org.au/contact.htm

but if you want to try South Africa http://www.dfa.gov.za/

[RichardH]

Hi Jeff

By living as a permanent resident in South Africa for more than 5 years you actually qualify to become a citizen.

Permanent residency in South Africa is as the word suggests is permanent, it is not like a 175 visa which expires.

So you will have no problem to go back to SA.

Every time I renew my foreign passport I take my original permanent residency documents to home affairs and they stamp another permanent residency stamp into the passport.

They don't care where I have been or what I have been doing in previous years.

I have never bothered with a South African passport even though like you I am eligibile for one.

If you want to ensure that you can really secure your permanent status in SA going forward then apply for a SA passport when you get back.

Hope this helps.

Richard

[jeff]

Thanks so much for the replys,

I was just concerned as when I immigrated to OZ the Souh African department

picks that up and not to sure If I can have "dual residence"

Was just worried when I land at Johannesburg Airport and there could be a problem

at the immigration dept

As long as my perment residence in SA was not cancelled im happy

[Jordy]

I was just concerned as when I immigrated to OZ the Souh African department

picks that up

Did you formally emigrate? If not then according to South Africa you did not "immigrate to OZ" but rather are classified as a "South African resident temporarily abroad". This classification has nothing whatsoever to do with having Aus PR or not.

[jeff]

Did you formally emigrate? If not then according to South Africa you did not "immigrate to OZ" but rather are classified as a "South African resident temporarily abroad". This classification has nothing whatsoever to do with having Aus PR or not.

As far as I remember (been under a lot of stress) we did say we "formally emmigreated to OZ"

would that mean we have to re apply to get our South African PR to get into SA tho we have been away for 1 year?

[MannyT]

Hello,

I am a Non Sa Citizen who has given PR in South Africa for the last 20 odd years

I immigrated to Australia for the last 1 year, and now I might want to go back to SA,for good,

do I still have PR in SA or was that cancelled when I arrived in OZ last year,must I apply again to go back

Is there any link to this from the South African Home affairs website?

Ho long must one be away from South Africa for the need to reapply for PR.

Who can we use to ship a 20ft container back to SA?

Thanks so much

If you have a re-entry visa in you passport - no problem