Immigration law in South Africa is a dynamic and constantly evolving area of legal practice, shaped by frequent legislative amendments, policy directives and circulars, administrative discretion, and an expanding body of court judgments. Attorneys practising in this field are required not only to understand the Immigration Act 13 of 2002 and the Immigration Regulations, 2014, but also to navigate the practical realities of the Department of Home Affairs’ interpretation and implementation thereof.

This webinar provides a comprehensive and practical introduction to South African immigration law, aimed at attorneys considering entering the immigration law space, as well as those already practising who require a structured refresher on the legal framework, application processes, and available remedies.

The course focuses on the core statutory principles and procedural mechanisms governing immigration matters, with particular emphasis on temporary residence visas, permanent residence permits, enforcement measures, internal remedies, and discretionary relief, while also addressing current concessions, directives, and recent judicial developments that continue to shape decision-making within the Department of Home Affairs.
Topics to be covered will include:

·         Overview of the Immigration Act and Regulations including the legislative framework and key compliance principles;

·         Temporary residence visas and permanent residence permits, including the main categories, requirements, and practical application considerations;

·         Work visas, including critical skills and general work visas, and the current points-based system;

·         Appeals, representations, and other internal remedies following refusals or adverse decisions;

·         Prohibited and undesirable foreign nationals, including overstays, non-compliance, and available remedies;

·         Zimbabwean and Lesotho Exemption Permits (ZEPs and LEPs), including the current legal position and future implications;

·         The impact of recent court judgments on the interpretation and application of the Immigration Act and Regulations; and

·         The Draft Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection issued by the Department of Home Affairs in December 2025.

Benefits of attending
This webinar is an essential resource for immigration and legal practitioners who practise, or intend to practise, in the field of South African immigration law. Attendees will:
·         Gain practical insights from an experienced immigration law practitioner on the application of the Immigration Act and Regulations;

·         Develop a clear understanding of temporary residence visas and permanent residence permits, including the main categories, requirements, and practical application considerations;

·         Improve knowledge of work visas and the current points-based system, including eligibility criteria and practical implications for foreign nationals and employers;

·         Stay up-to-date with the latest concessions, departmental directives, circulars, and recent court judgments, and understand their practical application in advising clients;

·         Learn how to properly evaluate whether clients qualify for assistance, including when it is not legally appropriate to accept instructions and other ethical considerations;

·         Develop skills to assist clients with refusals, adverse decisions, appeals, and representations, including practical strategies for successful outcomes;

·         Enhance the ability to advise and assist foreign nationals who have been excluded, banned, or declared undesirable from South Africa; and[L1]

·          [L1]Is there a bullet point missing below here, or should the ‘and’ appear at the end of the previous bullet point?

Presenter
Mr. Marcus Malan
LLB (UP), LLM (UNISA), PhD Candidate – Immigration Law (Wits)
Admitted Attorney | Notary Public | Registered Marriage Officer
Chairperson: Immigration & Refugee Law Committee of the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA)

Mr Malan is a seasoned South African immigration law attorney with over 15 years’ experience, with a strong practical and academic focus on immigration law. He is currently a third-year student at the University of Witwatersrand pursuing a PhD in Immigration Law and the primary focus of his doctoral research is the exclusion of foreign nationals from South Africa in terms of the Immigration Act.

As Chairperson of the Immigration and Refugee Law Committee of the LSSA, Mr Malan regularly advises fellow legal practitioners, contributes to national discourse on immigration law reform, and provides training to legal professionals through accredited legal education platforms.

He is the founder and director of MA Malan Attorneys, a Pretoria-based specialist immigration law firm established in 2010. Through the firm, he advises and assists private clients, corporate entities, universities, and religious organisations on a wide range of immigration matters, including visa and permanent residence options, appeals, the removal of bans, and related regulatory compliance issues.
Date
30 & 31 March 2026 (10:00 – 12:30)

Closing date for registrations: 29 March 2026

Certification
Attendance is mandatory to qualify for a certificate.

Who should register?

·         Practising Legal Practitioners  and Candidate Legal Practitioners  practising in property law, litigation, conveyancing, or eviction matters

·         Property Practitioners and Estate Agents involved in residential leasing, tenant management, and dispute resolution

·         Legal Support Staff who assist with lease enforcement, eviction applications, and compliance processes

·         Property Managers, Body Corporate and HOA Representatives responsible for managing residential rental portfolios and addressing tenant disputes

·         In-house Legal Advisors dealing with housing, rental compliance, or property-related risk

·         Developers and Property Owners seeking a clearer understanding of their rights and obligations under residential rental and eviction law

Registration

Registration fee categories (including VAT):

Practising Legal Practitioners:     R1 610.00 (including VAT) per participant
Candidate Legal Practitioners:    R 810.00 (including VAT) per participant
Others | Non-legal Practitioners: R 2 570.00 (including VAT) per participant
How to register

Kindly note that registrations are done online. For certification purposes, participants should register individually, using their own email address. This will enable the system to generate a unique username and password for each person.

STEP 1: 

Payment should be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT) only. You are required to upload the proof of payment (PDF) in step 2 – (Online registration form). Should an invoice be required to effect payment, replace the proof of payment document with a note (Word) requesting an invoice.

LSSA banking details: Account name: Law Society of South Africa | Bank: FNB Pretoria | Branch code: 251445 | Account no: 6200 9641 079 | Reference: Surname, Initials and Cellphone

STEP 2:
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

STEP 3: 

Once you have registered to participate, you will receive a system-generated confirmation e-mail that we have received your registration documentation.  Twenty-four hours before the course starts, you will receive an e-mail with the link to the course (Microsoft Teams) as well as your course material . Read the instructions in the e-mail carefully. If you do not receive this said email, please check your Spam / Junk folder, or e-mail Seminars@LSSALEAD.ORG.ZA, the day before the Webinar start.

Attendees must ensure that they have access to MS Teams well in advance. Kindly test your link as soon as you get it.

For more information about this course contact Seminars Department:
Email: Seminars@LSSALEAD.org.za  .

Please take note

·         The LSSA will not accept liability if the fees are not paid into the designated LSSA bank account.

·         The course is conducted in English only.

·         The course will be delivered through MS TEAMS. Please ensure that you have MS TEAMS installed on your computer prior to the commencement of the course.

·         Please note: In accordance with company policy and copyright protection, no recordings or PowerPoint presentations will be shared. Additionally, unauthorized recording or transcription is not permitted, as it may violate LSSA’s organizational or class policies.

·         You will receive the material as well as the link to the course via email, +-24 hours before commencement of the course. Test your links as soon as you receive these links.  If you do not receive the said email, look in your junk mail folder. If it is not there, contact Seminars@LSSALEAD.org.za.

·         No cancellations will be accepted after the course material and link have been shared. Participants who do not cancel timeously and/or fail to attend the course will forfeit the amount paid towards this course.

·         Should you need to cancel your registration, you need to do so in writing before the course link and material are shared. No cancelation will be accepted after it has been made available and failure to comply with this will result in the full fee being charged.

·         LSSA/LEAD shall have the right in its sole discretion to postpone or cancel tuition in any programme initially advertised and offered based on insufficient demand. Should LSSA/LEAD cancel the proposed training, registered delegates will be given reasonable notice of the cancellation and all fees paid by the delegate will be refunded.