Jan Jenkins took the trouble to comment on the Travel News Visa Barometer story on Friday. Clearly a creative thinker herself, she comes up with solutions, and asks why embassies do not take up obvious solutions. This is her input:
Many years ago, there was a similar problem with visas for a country that shall remain nameless – where a backlog built up. After the trade begged, pleaded and threatened, this country sent around 20 of its staff from its Home Office to try and assist. They worked shoulder to shoulder with the local staff. Result? The backlog was cleared speedily and clients could once again obtain visas in an acceptable time frame.
Surely in today's world we don't need to resort to this - the embassies already have ‘paper-checkers’ (VFS etc) who check that all documents are ready for the consular staff to issue the visas (this is the only sensitive and legal part of the issuing process).
The current backlogs could be speeded up by bringing in staff from the embassy’s home country to work alongside the staff already in the embassy for a short time to get the backlog cleared. If it worked conveyor belt style, it would not take very long to get back to normal.
If there is a hold-up with checking papers, why not employ some of our thousands that are unemployed – isn’t this a time when it should be ‘all hands to the pumps’? Can’t we appeal to the ambassadors who represent their countries in SA to ask for a number of home staff to help out in the short term? The task is made easier as most now have online forms and the client pays a hefty sum to receive a visa. Surely some of this revenue can go towards increasing staff complements on a temporary basis.
Has anyone noticed that the African countries are issuing visas in very acceptable time frames and most have brought in extra staff?
Dare I ask this – during COVID when the embassies were closed, why were the staff not working from home? I am sure the paperwork could have been done ready to ‘run’ when reopening time came, without breaching any legal checks etc.
All I know is that my business is heavily impacted by the fact that SA passport holders are being penalised and no government assistance is forthcoming to solve the problem of how to assist SA passport holders get visas.
Visas are needed to get people travelling again so that the tourism sector can get off its knees. Employ people and get businesses flourishing!
