Consulate-General of South Africa in Mumbai

@Batman:

I strongly suggest you speak to your consultant who helped you with your previous application to find out if he can expedite the Relatives visa application. I did the same and like you I was also lucky enough to have a good consultant by my side.

If you don't mind sharing who is this consultant of yours? have a feeling he is the same as mine.

Dino and Pratik
@Dino, Bhai my university is 3rd class really. Not that great. To get my degree out it took my 3 months. So just to say it depends upon university NO.

@Pratik, to your second point, the VFS list is an indicative list compiled by the directions given out by the consulate. The directions given out by the DHA SA does not contain resignation letter. You can appeal writing in directly to the DHA. We have a whatsapp group already running which discusses all this.

Relatives visa
I have booked confirmed flights after 2 months from the date of submission so I guess I am cutting it REAL close here. The tickets are booked by my company anyway, but it will be a pay of getting it moved since it would be on my expense. :|

@Batman: thanks for your response.

I think SAQA hugely depends on the university you did your degree from as well. If they respond timely, they will process the certification soon.

@Batman: to answer your question, it takes roughly 30-60 days. I have seen people receive it in 45 days but some unfortunate cases it took 60.

SAQA
My SAQA application took 10 days to come through. IITPSA took 1 week flat. I had a good consultant here in SA. Not that he had connections, I had the right docs at the right time, mine was with a degree.

@Batman: Exactly. Thanks for this. The Indian government cannot do much because these decisions are purely controlled by SA consulate.

General question for CSV applicants
How long did your SAQA certificate take to arrive? Anyone here received a CSV visa without a college degree?

Dino's point
To add to Dino's 3rd point, I raised a query on the PMO portal which got forwarded to the external ministry and it was SHOT DOWN because the VISA process is entirely a prerogative of the sovereign nation's consulate decisions.

@Pratik:

I am sorry to hear your experience but there are several things I find incorrect with your arguments:

- Firstly, the list of documents mentioned on VFS website is purely 'indicative' and not necessarily complete. There have been multiple cases where the VFS personnel was kind enough to tell me and advise me a few hacks on how to get the response quickly and asked for additional documents although not required by the embassy but simply to boost my application. So blaming one call centre person's lack of knowledge and generalising it for the entire VFS seems unfair.

- Secondly, there is never a 'deliberate' attempt by VFS to not let your application go through. Had it been the case, most people would have had the same response as you received and VFS would be out of business.

- Thirdly, it is not a substantial issue to bring it up to the department of external affairs and is definitely not worthy of being 'protected by the Indian government'