The Trusted Employer Scheme (TES) has recently made significant strides, marking an important update for participating companies and their employees. This initiative, overseen by the Department of Home Affairs, has reached the next phase, with companies being contacted by the DHA, indicating an in-principle acceptance into the Trusted Employer Scheme. Currently, all our clients that applied have received approval.
What is the Trusted Employer Scheme?
The Trusted Employer Scheme is designed to streamline the hiring of foreign workers by South African companies. This program allows qualifying employers to benefit from faster and simpler procedures for employing international talent.
The main goal of the scheme is to acknowledge and incentivise participants by reducing the documentation needed and accelerating visa application processing.
Implications of Approval
The sending of these acceptance letters is undeniably good news; however, it doesn’t answer questions we still have regarding the scheme. The exact implications of this approval remain unclear, and the finer details of what this means in practice, particularly concerning the advantages it offers, are yet to be explained.
The next step in the launch of the scheme involves the Department of Home Affairs signing a memorandum of understanding or a service delivery memorandum with the approved employers. This agreement is expected to lay out the specifics of the collaboration. We also hope that the DHA will release information regarding the reduced requirements for work visa applications, as no official publication has been made in this regard.
Conclusion
While the approval of various companies under this scheme is an encouraging sign, the practical benefits and operational details are still a matter of speculation. We hope more information will be made available soon, and that the DHA manages to pilot this scheme effectively.
Written by Andreas Krensel, Managing Director
Edited by Simon Carletti, PR and Creative Supervisor
