Home Affairs issued 12 200 study visas to foreign nationals last year

Foreign nationals are accessing South African higher education opportunities by the thousands.  

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) recently detailed the number of study visas granted to foreign students during the 2023/24 financial year.

DHA also revealed the number of applications received and denied, showing that 67% of all study visa applications were approved.

More than 1.7 million students nationally

DHA were responding to a written parliamentary question posed by the EFF’s Thapelo Mogale earlier in March.

The department confirmed that the total number of applications for South African study visas in the last financial year amounted to 18 115, with 12 219 of those being approved.

The number of foreign applicants is a fraction of the overall number of university applications at just one institute, with the University of Free State confirming to The Citizen earlier this year that they had received 180 000 undergraduate applications for 2025.

Last year, the portfolio committee on higher education heard that university enrolments for 2024 topped 1.1 million, while TVET and community institutions added another 650 000 students.   

Less than 1% overstay study visa

DHA was asked about the steps that were taken to ensure that the approved were, in fact, registered with tertiary education institutions in South Africa.  

The department said all foreign students needed was a correctly completed Form 8 from Home Affairs and an official acceptance letter from the institution confirming the duration of the course.

“This is accompanied by an undertaking by the Registrar or Principal of the learning institution confirming that the student is registered with the relevant legislation,” stated DHA’s response.

Mogale also asked what happened when a study visa holder was no longer registered, as well as how many overstayed the visa in the previous financial year.

“The requirement is that the Registrar or Principal of the learning institution should notify the Director-General that the applicant is no longer registered with such institution,” the DHA stated.

The number of foreign students found to be overstaying their visas was minimal, at just 39 — less than 1% of the number of approved visas.

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