Domestic worker can finally visit her family back home

I AM HOPING you can help us with regards to Home Affairs, VFS Global and my domestic worker, Beatrice’s work visa.

Beatrice applied for her work visa last year, which we had to go through a company called VFS Global and she had to pay R870. After a period of about 12 weeks she was sent an SMS to collect the visa.

On collection she was asked to check the spelling of her name etc, which she did and it was spelt incorrectly. She was then told to reapply for an amount of R150 – and that the visa would be ready in eight-12 weeks. That was in February last year.

After the period of 12 weeks we continuously checked the VFS Global website to see if it was ready and were informed that it was with Home Affairs.

This continued until September when I got the hell in and wrote on Twitter to Home Affairs and asked what on earth was going on. I was given an e-mail address. They informed me that the visa had been dispatched to VFS Global on July 26.

Beatrice immediately hopped in a taxi to go to Bruma from Randburg to collect her visa. No SMS was ever sent to her but we thought we would try our luck as it was already September.

On arrival the lady behind the counter refused to read the e-mails and simply told Beatrice that her visa was still with Home Affairs and called the next person in the queue.

Eventually Beatrice asked to speak to a manager who read the e-mails and told her that they do not have it – simply stated – implying that it must have been “sent back” to Home Affairs.

When Beatrice returned, we phoned VFS Pretoria and the Home Affairs lady, and were told to please e-mail the query to them and they would get onto it.

We have since heard nothing and our e-mails are ignored, and during our phone calls we are continuously being told that the visa is with Home Affairs from VFS and Home Affairs says it is with VFS.

We don’t know where to turn anymore as this is coming to a year now that Beatrice would be waiting for this visa and no one seems to care.

Beatrice is from Zimbabwe and has gone about her visa application in the correct ways and still she is being treated like this.

I am absolutely desperate now for Beatrice as she cannot travel to Zimbabwe without this visa or else she will be deported and not allowed back into the country. She has not seen her family, especially her mom who hasn’t been well, for nearly two-and-a-half years.

Beatrice has gone about her visa in all the right ways

Georgie: After some to-ing and fro-ing, the issue was resolved. Beatrice is able to visit her family. Nadia Wicks from VFS Global contacted her to say the visa was ready for collection. Thanks also to Elzabe Fisher and Mala Arulappen at the DHA for their kind assistance.