22/07/2026
The Trusted Employer Scheme re-opens for Phase II
After much anticipation, the Trusted Employer Scheme (TES) has re-opened for corporate employers who wish to express their interest in being included in Phase II of the scheme.
What is the TES?
The TES is an initiative that was first announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the South Africa Investment Conference in April 2023. The scheme was introduced as part of a broader overhaul of South Africa’s work visa system, aimed at providing a more flexible and expeditious pathway for foreign nationals to obtain work visas in South Africa and attracting the critical skills required to boost foreign investment.
The TES was launched as a pilot programme in October 2023, when the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) invited corporate employers to submit expressions of interest in joining the scheme. Of the approximately 108 companies that applied, 68 were approved by the DHA’s inter-departmental committee following a rigorous evaluation process. The scheme officially came into effect on 1 March 2024.
The implementation of the TES allowed South African corporate employers to more easily attract skills and manage immigration, particularly in the processing of applications for senior executives, technical and highly-skilled personnel, corporate employees, and investors.
Qualifying corporate employers that successfully obtained a TES membership benefited by receiving, among other things, priority processing of visa applications and reduced documentary requirements (including no immediate requirement for the submission of South African Qualifications Authority certificates and proof of professional body registration).
The results of Phase I of the TES have been widely regarded as a success, with some participating corporate employers receiving approvals for visa applications for highly skilled foreign professionals within days of submission. This marked a significant improvement in comparison to the experience of non-TES employers, whose visa applications for skilled foreign talent often remained pending for extended periods.
Phase II of TES
The opening of Phase II of the TES follows the success of Phase I, which provided a more flexible visa application process and reduced requirements, allowing corporate employers to recruit foreign employees more seamlessly.
The overarching objective of Phase II is to support the Government’s efforts in positioning South Africa as Africa’s premier investment destination. Within the TES programme, a qualifying business, investor or corporate employer will benefit from priority processing of visa applications due to reduced requirements and supporting documents. A TES membership will be accepted for both local applications and applications submitted at South African High Commissions abroad. Current corporate account clients are also encouraged to apply for a TES membership.
How will Phase II of the TES work?
Phase II of the TES expands the scheme to include infrastructure projects and corporate employers that maintain a global or regional head office in South Africa. To qualify for membership, a corporate employer, investor or business must demonstrate that it has the financial strength to employ a foreign national, that it runs training programmes for South African citizens, and that it is a good corporate citizen.
The DHA will make use of a points-based scorecard system to ensure that the TES selection process is fair, ethical and transparent. The following three pathways are available for a TES membership:
A minimum score of 80 (out of a possible 100) points is required across any of the above pathways to register as a member of the TES.
Should the above aligns with your Company's status and future endeavours, do contact us at:
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