- South Africa launched its Trusted Employer Scheme Phase II on July twentieth, twenty twenty-six, for priority processing.
- Eligible firms must maintain a sixty percent local hiring minimum and score at least eighty points.
- The application window for expressions of interest closes September fourth, twenty twenty-six via the official portal.
South Africa opened the Trusted Employer Scheme on 20 July 2026, tying its fast-track visa to 60% local hiring compliance. The second phase gives approved employers a faster lane for visa paperwork and processing. It is aimed at companies that already keep most of their staff local, not firms building a new payroll from scratch. The gate stays narrow.
Dr. Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs, gazetted the rollout. The department said the move sits inside a wider push to reduce red tape, attract investment, and support job creation. The scheme works as an employer-accreditation system, so qualified companies face less paperwork and get priority processing. That makes access conditional, not automatic. The shortcut still has rules.
Only companies in strategic infrastructure, regional or global headquarters, and certain financial-sector entities can apply under Phase II. They still have to meet the selection criteria, and they also need at least 80 points. That score is mandatory. So is the sector test. Firms outside those buckets stay out.
The hiring floor sits at 60% South African citizens or permanent residents. The targeted workers are senior executives, technical specialists, corporate professionals, and investors. The scheme does not cover unskilled or low-wage labor. The workforce mix matters as much as the company profile, because the department wants local staff to remain the base. The program is built for senior talent, not bulk recruitment.
Companies must submit an Expression of Interest through the Home Affairs online TES portal. Approved firms then sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the department before the visa lane fully opens. Once inside, they get simplified requirements and priority processing for visa applications. The process starts online, then becomes formal. The portal is the first gate.
The department set a fixed calendar
| Milestone | Timing |
|---|---|
| Expressions of interest open | 20 July 2026 |
| Expressions of interest close | 4 September 2026 |
| Outcomes due | within 30 working days after the deadline |
The clock is already running. The department set a hard opening and closing window. After the deadline, officials say outcomes are due within 30 working days.
Remote workers use a separate visa
South Africa also keeps a separate Remote Work Visa, also called a Remote Work Visitor Visa. It is not an employer-accreditation program, and it sits outside TES entirely. Published guides cite two different income thresholds, ZAR 1 million/year and ZAR 650,976/year, while also pointing to foreign-source income, health insurance, a clean criminal record, and proof of accommodation. That route is built for remote earners, not sponsoring employers. It is a different track.
The remote-work regime is generally discussed as limiting South African tax exposure on foreign earnings for the first portion of the tax year, but tax residency can still be triggered by presence and facts on the ground. Anyone choosing that route should check filings with a tax professional before arrival. The paperwork is not the only test. Tax questions can follow the traveler.
