The Green Mamba, as the South African passport is often dubbed, doesn’t exactly open up emigration doors around the world.

For those South Africans wanting to live and work abroad, it’s often a case of examining the family tree in hopes of finding a relative with a foreign passport, but there are actually options for those whose efforts are unsuccessful.

According to JP Breytenbach, an emigration expert who spoke with BusinessTech, one can apply for a number of visas.

Four of the most popular are outlined below:

Sole Representative Visa

The Sole Representative Visa allows a South African business to establish a business presence in the UK. It allows the South African (or other overseas) company to send one key individual to the UK to establish a wholly owned subsidiary or UK branch for the overseas company.

Advantages of this visa are that there is no need for the involvement of a UK employer or specific start-up capital to qualify under this immigration category, said Breytenbach.

“To qualify as the Sole Representative of the company, the employee must be a senior employee and intend to be employed full time, with full authority to take operational decisions on behalf of the firm.”

Tier 1 Entrepreneur

The Tier 1 Entrepreneur immigration visa provides a sensible opportunity to invest monies in the United Kingdom in a business you set-up, or buy into a business that is already a going concern, said Breytenbach.

Applicants in this category need to invest in the United Kingdom by setting up, or take over, and being actively involved in the running of one or more businesses in the UK.

“One of the main attractions of the Tier 1 Entrepreneur immigration route is that it offers the opportunity for persons to form an entrepreneurial team. This will thus make it easier to qualify, than applying on your own. The £200 000 investment funds for the application are thus shared, subject, of course, to strict criteria,” he said.

However, Breytenbach cautioned that one has to be very careful not to invest in businesses that have not been properly vetted.

Tier 1 Investor

The Tier 1 Investor immigration route is available to high net worth individuals making a substantial financial investment in the United Kingdom.

The applicant has to have money of his/her own, under his/her control, held in a regulated financial institution and disposable in the UK, amounting to no less than £2 million.

The applicant also needs to have opened an account with a UK regulated bank to invest no less than £2 million in the UK, with a choice of various instruments that can be invested in.

Oh, just the £2 million, or around R38 million, squirrelled away in the UK. Got it.

The fourth option is the most popular with South Africans – Tier 2 Skilled Worker

The Tier 2 Skilled Worker visa is  very popular amongst South Africans, said Breytenbach

“This visa, however, requires sponsorship from a UK employer, and one cannot apply for the visa, without the involvement of a UK employer.

“The Tier 2 visa applicant has to fulfil certain skill requirements, and have to have a skilled job offer from a UK employer (Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed UK employer).

“The good news about the Tier 2 immigration route is that the UK Government is looking to expand this route to also include semi-skilled workers, when the UK leaves the EU,” he said.

Ah, yes, the short-sighted and bigoted Brexit vote could actually end up benefitting South Africans looking to move abroad.

What hasn’t been mentioned is the downside of the weather, and having to live in close proximity to the Maybot.

Anyway, this might be something to forward on to your mate who has been threatening to leave for years.

[source:businesstech]