(NAIROBI) Church World Service is at the center of a growing dispute between the United States 🇺🇸 and South Africa over the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees, as a stalled visa request for Kenyan staff has slowed case processing and stirred wider political debate.
In July, the U.S. State Department asked Pretoria to fast-track visas for 30 Kenyan staffers hired by CWS’s Resettlement Support Center in Nairobi to work in South Africa for two years on refugee screening. South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has not issued the visas, saying the applicants used a volunteer visa category that bars paid work, while CWS job postings in South Africa list salaried roles. The mismatch has triggered questions about compliance with South African immigration law and has delayed deployments.
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) tapped CWS to manage screening and resettlement for Afrikaners after President Trump signed Executive Order 14204 on February 7, 2025. The order, titled “Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa,” suspended U.S. foreign assistance to South Africa and directed agencies to prioritize humanitarian relief and resettlement for Afrikaners and other racial minorities who can show persecution.
- The first group of 59 white South Africans landed in the U.S. on May 12, 2025.
- An additional 9 arrived in early June.
- By August, at least 68 had arrived under the program.
Policy Moves and First Arrivals
Under the directive, applicants must meet strict criteria to be considered. They must:
- Be South African nationals.
- Identify as Afrikaner or another racial minority in South Africa.
- Show past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution.
- Submit a Statement of Interest to USRAP through official channels.
The U.S. Embassy in Pretoria posts the process and access to the Statement of Interest form on its program page. Applicants can start there: U.S. Embassy Pretoria: Refugee Admissions Program for South Africans.
After filing the statement, candidates wait for screening and interviews by USRAP/CWS staff. Translation is provided when needed. Those approved receive travel and early resettlement help in the U.S., including:
- Initial healthcare
- Job placement support
Refugee status is granted for one year; after that, individuals must apply for a green card to remain permanently.
According to State Department figures shared with partners, interest surged early. By March 2025, the department had received over 8,000 inquiries about the Afrikaner pathway. The rapid setup of the carveout drew attention from policy researchers. Commentary from the Harvard Kennedy School noted that the Afrikaner exception is the only group-specific carveout since the broader suspension of USRAP, showing how quickly the system can mobilize for a favored group.
To guard against fraud, USRAP encourages the public to report concerns through the official channel here: USRAP Fraud Reporting Form. Applicants should not pay anyone for placement; the program does not sell expedited processing.
Important: Do not pay third parties for access or faster processing. Use only the official channels linked above.
Stakeholder Positions and Tension
The South African government rejects the premise of the U.S. program. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said, “no South African citizens can be classified as refugees to any part of the world,” pushing back on the idea that white South Africans face persecution that meets refugee standards. That stance has hardened the visa standoff affecting the Kenyan CWS staff, and by extension, families waiting on interviews.
CWS, a longtime USRAP partner, has voiced misgivings about the narrow focus. President Rick Santos said the group remains committed to serving all eligible refugees, but he urged the U.S. government to restore a robust, fair resettlement system that moves long-waiting populations alongside new caseloads.
Other faith-based partners have taken sharper steps:
- The Episcopal Church ended its resettlement partnership over what it called preferential treatment.
- World Relief said it would serve a small number of Afrikaner arrivals but called for a return to broader resettlement priorities.
Senior U.S. officials close to President Trump have defended the carveout as a response to race-based persecution. Critics say the program is driven by ideology and diverts scarce resources from Afghans, Congolese, Sudanese, Somali and other refugees who have already endured years of vetting.
- VisaVerge.com reports that the administration is weighing a cut to the overall refugee ceiling from 125,000 to 40,000 for FY 2026, while keeping a focus on white South Africans—an approach that would deepen the rift with advocates who want admissions restored for all groups.
Within South Africa, civil society is divided. Organizations like AfriForum argue for international recognition of threats against Afrikaners. Critics counter that claims of “white genocide” are often unsubstantiated or exaggerated for political effect. The broader debate has spilled into court, with litigation such as the ongoing case of Pacito v. Trump challenging the suspension of wider USRAP admissions and the carveout’s implementation.
Visa Row Over CWS Staff
The operational choke point is clear: without South African visas, the Resettlement Support Center cannot place its Nairobi-based Kenyan staff in-country to run interviews and case work.
- Home Affairs has flagged the use of volunteer visas, which prohibit employment, while CWS advertisements describe paid positions.
- Until Pretoria approves a visa category that aligns with South African law, deployments remain on hold.
- That pause slows screening timelines and adds weeks, possibly months, to cases for Afrikaner refugees already in the pipeline.
For families still in South Africa, the delay can mean longer waits for:
- Medical checks
- Security vetting
- Cultural orientation
- Travel bookings
In the United States, local agencies must plan housing, school enrollment for children, and early job placement. When arrivals stall, those plans often lag, and sponsors stand ready without a clear date. The knock-on effect reaches employers who expected new hires through traditional refugee work authorization and communities that prepared to welcome newcomers.
The program’s rules differ from employment-based visas such as H-2A. Refugees enter with a humanitarian status that allows them to work and access core services, then file for permanent residency after one year. That path leads to stability and, in time, citizenship—but only if screening moves at pace and post-arrival services keep up.
As of August 28, 2025, the visa dispute remains unresolved. South African authorities have shown little appetite to stretch immigration rules for paid foreign staff, and CWS cannot lawfully deploy workers under a volunteer category. The result is a slow drip of arrivals, even as public interest in the pathway grows.
What Applicants Should Do Now
If you believe you qualify, take these steps:
- Review eligibility and submit the Statement of Interest via the embassy page: U.S. Embassy Pretoria: Refugee Admissions Program for South Africans.
- Prepare documents that show identity, Afrikaner or racial minority status, and evidence of past harm or specific threats.
- Keep copies of all submissions and do not pay third parties for access or faster processing.
- Report suspected scams through the official USRAP Fraud Reporting Form.
Key takeaway: Whether the Afrikaner carveout grows or remains a small, contested exception will hinge on two fronts: Pretoria’s decision on visas for CWS’s Kenyan staff and Washington’s choices on the FY 2026 refugee ceiling. Both decisions carry immediate consequences for people stuck in limbo—and for a resettlement system stretched between politics and promise.
This Article in a Nutshell
The Afrikaner resettlement carveout under Executive Order 14204 has created diplomatic tension between the United States and South Africa and operational bottlenecks for Church World Service. Washington requested visas for 30 Kenyan staff to be deployed to South Africa’s in-country screening, but Pretoria paused approvals over the use of volunteer visas for roles advertised as paid. The pathway has led to at least 68 arrivals by August 2025 and drew more than 8,000 inquiries by March 2025. Eligibility requires South African nationality, Afrikaner or other minority identification, and evidence of persecution. Visa holds slow interviews, medical checks, vetting and travel, affecting both applicants and U.S. resettlement partners. The program’s scale and fairness are contested domestically and internationally; its near-term progress depends on Pretoria’s visa decision and Washington’s FY2026 refugee cap.
