The most commonly known work visa type is the so-called “general work visa”. Here, the prospective employer needs to motivate his need for the foreign applicant’s specific qualifications, skills or experience and to submit proof of his efforts to recruit a local candidate (amongst other things by way of an advertisement of the position in a specific format). Further, the applicant’s qualifications need to be evaluated by the South African evaluation authorities (SAQA Evaluation), which can be time-consuming and costly. Through the amendments of May 2014, the (now no longer optional) requirement of a recommendation by the Department of Labour was introduced. Obtaining such recommendation requires a number of processes by the prospective employer and may be time-consuming, and thus the lead times for general work visas have increased substantially. ProWay will guide employers safely through this process.