The 2018 passport power index by Henley & Partners placed South Africa at 50th on the global scale. The ‘green mamba’ is offering more opportunities for South Africans besides the 102 visa-free travel options, dual citizenship may be on the cards for South Africans.
The Henley & Partners passport index placed South Africa amongst the top five African passports as it stands at third position for 2018, with the Seychelles taking first place among African countries.
Singapore has taken first place for the most powerful passport in the world in 2018.
Dual nationality opportunties
Moving up in the ranks now allows South African passport holders to apply for dual citizenship.
South Africans are fortunate to be able to retain their local citizenship as the Department of home affairs indicated that dual citizenship is only possible if the other country’s immigration policy allow it.
The UK government allows for dual nationality and South Africans have this option.
Pew Research Centre, an American survey company, conducted a migration study and found that in 2017, the United Kingdom had 210 000 South African migrants. The latest statistics from the Office for National Statistics in the UK revealed that 3103 South Africans received British citizenship by March 2017.
The UK is a popular destination for locals – whether they move to work abroad or to set up new roots and is evident from the large expat community in the country.
Breytenbachs Immigration consultant, JP Breytenbach shared with Traveller24, “Migration for many South Africans is not a permanent status, and many South Africans choose to gain international work experience and move back to South Africa at some stage.”
UK immigration laws
The UK has relaxed immigration laws due to the need for skilled workers due to the impact of Brexit.
Immigration laws that have changed are increasing opportunities for locals;
Tier 2 Skilled Worker Cap
Tier 2 skilled worker cap now exempts Doctors and nurses, meaning a surplus of international doctors and nurses are able to apply to work in the country. This opens up more opportunities for skilled workers applying for certificates of sponsorship such as engineers, teachers and IT professionals.
Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa
Fashion designers including those that work in the TV and film industry are now able to apply for the exceptional talent visa under the endorsement of the Arts council of England (ACE).
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