Renewing our Visas - Step 2

We went again to a Home Affairs Office last Tuesday to try to submit our application for a renewal of our South African Visa. Before we went, we had conferred with our friend who had recently submitted her application about what supporting documents we needed with us. She assured me that our list had everything she had brought with her and extra. We also conferred with a woman who has helped others obtain their visa, and she thought we were prepared.

We went to a different Home Affairs Office than the one we had to stand in line outdoors when we went the previous week. This was in another town at greater distance from where we live. But we were glad we tried this new location. We were able to wait indoors, which was nice since there was some rain during that morning. And also, since we arrived early, we were able to sit during our wait. However we were not sure we were waiting in the correct office. The doors were not marked and there were many rooms. And we were not sure that the application that we had filled out was the correct form.

We waited two hours before it was our turn to be seen. The first person at the desk said that she was not doing what we needed, and I was afraid that our wait was all for nothing. But she said that we needed to just go to the desk next to her as soon as that applicant was finished.

When our turn came at the next desk, the woman looked at our supporting documents and said that we were missing proof of our air flight out of the country. I questioned her because it is not until December or January that we expect to fly out. But she said we needed proof of this before we could get our visa extended. I asked her if we had everything else that we needed for our return and she gave us a list of needed articles and assured us that we were only lacking the one thing. I asked if we needed to start all over in the lines, and of course the answer was yes. I asked her which day is less busy, so the lines would not be so long. She said that every day is busy.

Now we are getting help from our sending organization, the Franciscan Mission Service, for the air flight documentation that we need. Then we will try again to get our application accepted at the Home Affairs Office. The two people we had conferred with before we went to the Home Affairs office about the documents needed, said that they had never heard of such a requirement. However they were people from a Religious organization which was perhaps recognized as being a financial support for having the necessary money for a flight ticket. So even though we had proof of our finances with us, more was needed.

We will try again on another Tuesday when we have a day off of work.

Cecilia