Two doors lead to a South African work visa, and one scorecard decides which one you are standing at. If your occupation appears on the gazetted critical skills list, you score 100 points at once. If it does not, you must assemble 100 points from qualification, salary, experience, language and employer status, and the arithmetic is unforgiving. Several perfectly reasonable applicants cannot reach 100 at all, and it is far cheaper to discover that on paper than after lodging.
The rule, and where it comes from
The points system was determined by the Minister of Home Affairs under sections 19(2) and 19(4) of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002, read with regulations 18(12) and 18(13) of the Immigration Regulations, 2014. Those sub-regulations were inserted by the Third Amendment of the Immigration Regulations, 2014, published as Government Notice 5398 in Government Gazette 51366 on 9 October 2024.
The determination itself was gazetted twice within ten days, and the difference matters:
- Government Notice 5397, Government Gazette 51365, 9 October 2024.
- Government Notice 5448, Government Gazette 51416, 18 October 2024.
The two are otherwise identical, but the later notice raises the Trusted Employer score from 20 points to 30, and prints the lower salary band as R650 976 where the earlier one printed R650 796. Notice 5448 is the later determination, and many summaries still in circulation quote the earlier figures. Check which notice a source used before you trust its numbers.
Both carry the same instruction: an applicant must meet all other prescribed requirements and earn 100 points to obtain a visa.
The scorecard as gazetted
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Occupation on the critical skills list | 100 |
| Qualification at NQF level 9 or 10 | 50 |
| Qualification at NQF level 7 or 8 | 30 |
| Offer of employment (mandatory) above R976 194 gross per annum | 50 |
| Offer of employment between R650 976 and R976 194 gross per annum | 20 |
| Work experience of five to ten years | 20 |
| Work experience of ten years or more | 30 |
| Offer from a Trusted Employer | 30 |
| Proficiency in at least one official language | 10 |
Three things follow from the table itself.
The offer of employment is marked mandatory. There is no points route without a South African job offer.
There is no band below NQF level 7, and none for experience under five years, so those applicants score zero on those lines. The notice also leaves ten years of experience sitting in both bands.
And the route follows the arithmetic. Where the 100 points are reached through a critical skills occupation, the applicant may be issued a critical skills work visa. Where the total is reached through any other combination, it points to a general work visa.
Which visas this applies to, and which it does not
It applies to the general work visa under section 19(2) and the critical skills work visa under section 19(4).
It does not apply to intra-company transfer work visas, which keep their own requirements under regulation 18(8) and run for no more than four years without renewal, nor to corporate, business, study, relative's, spousal and life partner, or retired person's applications.
The remote work visa created in the same October 2024 package is not points-based either. It is a visitor's visa under section 11(1)(b)(iv) of the Act for the prescribed activity of remote work, and the Department's own checklist sets a financial means requirement that it prints as R650 796 gross per annum. Permanent residence sits under sections 26 and 27 and is not governed by these notices, although the critical skills list, determined under sections 19(4) and 27(b), does work for both.
The list in force is the Critical Skills List published as Government Notice R3934 in Government Gazette 49402 of 3 October 2023. Its schedule is organised by OFO occupation code and sets, for each occupation, a minimum qualification and the professional body registration contemplated in regulations 18(5)(a) and (b). Match yourself to an OFO code, not to your job title. Lists are replaced periodically and several commercial sites still circulate the 2022 version, so confirm the current one at dha.gov.za/index.php/notices before you rely on an occupation.
Score yourself before you spend anything
Run the combinations:
- NQF 9 or 10, plus an offer above R976 194: 50 plus 50 equals 100. Qualifies.
- NQF 7 or 8, an offer above R976 194, and six years of experience: 30 plus 50 plus 20 equals 100. Qualifies.
- NQF 9 or 10, an offer of R700 000, and twelve years of experience: 50 plus 20 plus 30 equals 100. Qualifies.
- NQF 7 or 8, an offer of R700 000, twelve years of experience and language proficiency: 30 plus 20 plus 30 plus 10 equals 90. Does not qualify.
Two ceilings catch people, and both sit at 90. On the middle salary band an NQF 7 or 8 applicant stops at 90, even with long experience and a language. So does an applicant holding no qualification at NQF 7 or above, even on the top salary band.
Only three things break through: an offer above R976 194, a qualification evaluated at NQF 9 or 10, or an offer from a Trusted Employer.
Trusted Employer status belongs to the employer, not to you, so ask for written confirmation. Expressions of interest for Phase II of the Trusted Employer Scheme opened on 20 July 2026 under Gazette 55036 and close on 4 September 2026, with outcomes issued within 30 working days of the closing date. If your employer misses this round, watch the notices page.
What evidences each scored element
Occupation. Written confirmation from a professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA under section 13(1)(i) of the National Qualifications Framework Act, or from a relevant government department, confirming your skills or qualifications and appropriate post-qualification experience (regulation 18(5)(a)). Where registration is required by law, add proof of application for a certificate of registration with that body (regulation 18(5)(b)).
Qualification level. A SAQA evaluation establishes the NQF level. Two ministerial waivers signed on 8 October 2024 under section 31(2)(c) changed what you must hold at lodgement under the points system. For critical skills work visas, the SAQA evaluation requirement in regulation 18(5)(c) is waived. For general work visas, regulation 18(3)(b) is partially waived: where the SAQA outcome is not yet available at application, proof of an application submitted to SAQA results in the visa being issued for 12 months. Check SAQA's current process and fees directly; turnaround varies.
Salary offered. A signed offer or contract stating the conditions of employment and the gross annual figure. For a critical skills application it should also state the occupation and capacity, matching the occupation you selected from the list.
Work experience. Neither notice prescribes a form of proof, so dated reference letters stating role, duties and exact employment periods carry the weight.
Language proficiency. Worth 10 points, and this is the honest gap in the framework. Neither notice prescribes a test, a certificate or a standard. Treat those 10 points as uncertain and try to reach 100 without them.
Employer status. Full particulars of the employer, including proof of registration with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission where applicable (regulation 18(3)(c)), plus the employer's written undertakings under regulations 18(1)(a), 18(3)(d) and 18(3)(e).
The points are a gate, not the whole application
Reaching 100 creates no entitlement. You still file Form 8 (DHA-1738) with a valid passport that expires no less than 30 days after your intended date of departure from the Republic (regulation 9(1)(a)). A police clearance certificate is required from the police or security authority in each country where you resided for 12 months or longer after turning 18, and it may not be older than six months when you submit it. On a renewal or extension the Regulations require only a South African certificate, not foreign ones. A yellow fever certificate applies where your travel route requires it (regulation 9(1)(b)). Both work visas are issued for a period not exceeding five years (regulations 18(4) and 18(6)). An extension must be submitted in person no less than 60 days before your current visa expires, and where the visa was issued for less than 30 days, no later than seven working days before expiry (regulation 9(8)(c)).
Two burdens have fallen away. The Department of Employment and Labour certificate required under regulation 18(3)(a) was waived for general work visas adjudicated under the points system by the ministerial waiver of 8 October 2024. And the medical and radiological report required under regulation 9(1)(c), together with its permanent residence equivalent, was waived by Ministerial Immigration Directive No. 10 of 2026, signed on 8 July 2026 and published in Government Gazette 55016 on 17 July 2026, again under section 31(2)(c). Published commentary indicates it reaches applications already lodged and pending.
Section 31(2)(c) is also the route where a genuine applicant cannot meet a prescribed requirement: it empowers the Minister, for good cause, to waive a prescribed requirement or form on application. Both October 2024 waivers close with the same caution: a waiver is permission to submit an application. It grants no status and decides nothing.
Finally, keep policy and law apart. Cabinet approved the revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection on 3 April 2026, proposing further points-based reform. Until legislation follows and is gazetted, the October 2024 framework governs your file.
What to do next
- Confirm whether your occupation is on the current list by OFO code, and check the minimum qualification set against it.
- If you are relying on qualification points, start the SAQA evaluation before anything else in the pack.
- Score yourself against the table above and write down which line is weakest.
- If you land below 100, take the gap to your employer before applying. A revised offer, a Trusted Employer application or a different route is a conversation, not an appeal.
- Order police clearances for every qualifying country early, because foreign clearances usually set the timeline.
Legalyze can run the pre-assessment and build the pack. The Eligibility Check is free and returns an indicative route shortlist. The DIY Application Kit, from R1,500, gives you a personalised requirements map, document checklist and template pack for self-filing. Guided Application, from R5,500, adds pack preparation and a consistency review of names, dates and evidence. Full-Service Coordination, from R8,500, covers end-to-end matter coordination, with referral to an admitted practitioner where reserved legal work arises. Legalyze provides administrative support rather than legal representation, and no service provider can promise a government outcome.
This is general orientation on the current framework, not advice on your individual circumstances.