[makPret]

Guys is it real that minor under 21 can apply for citizenship with just PR and circumvent 5 year rule have read tht on some sites

 

[makPret]

I heard if they are applying with a parent then the 5 yr tule won’t matter

damn cause i'm 18 and my PR should be coming out one of these days and my mom just applied like last month. well idk they just took her documents and said they must first and for her to come check in 3 months then after she'd officially apply. cause if i can i'd like to apply immediately as my PR comes out due to this rule i found

 

[makPret]

whilst waiting for citizenship must you remain in the country and how is this enforced? like for eg you move somewhere cause i might move to for studies alone and i not be done with citizenship process by then

 

[makPret]

Even after they have given you the citizenship, if you leave the country and not set your foot back in the country for 3 years, you automatically lose the citizenship. I heard they wanted to reduce that time period from 3 years to just 1 year.
So I guess, if you apply and leave, then they wont give you - IF they find out.

are you not cofusing with PR... i know PR is the one where if u leave for 3 years you lose... never heard of such with citizenship

 

[makPret]

This is for PR and not citizenship...

I could apply for citizenship then dip… and come back once i find out process is done… they rly do not enforce these checks

 

[makPret]

Well, you've given DHA a good reason to reject your application. The official at home affairs who received my application told me that as long as the decision (to approve or not) is pending, at head office they will still check that the 90-day compliance rule is not broken. I know someone whose application was rejected for having left the country for 2 years while decision was still pending. It was clearly stated as the reason for not approving.

The only way I get citizenship atp is if I stay in SA for my Uni studies cause then i wont care if it takes a while to process. Cause i cannot up opportunity to study in when they offer citizenship in 3/5 years with a wayyyy more powerful port

 

[makPret]

It's now your decision. I can't say if it's right or wrong. Studying in could be really good for you. You can apply for citizenship after your studies when you've relocated to SA. That's IF citizenship for non-SA born people is still allowed. I think SA wants to go the route of UAE where by you'll never be SA citizen if you were not born in SA or if not born of SA parent/s. But maybe your parents will be SA citizens by then and you can still apply for citizenship. I can't say for sure. It's a gamble you're going to have to take.

tbh as long as i keep my PR in check i have no real need for citizenship. Plus its not even assured if I can apply now as I've only read on a few websites that Minors Under 21 can apply for naturalization right away without the 5 year rule

 

[makPret]

I hope you submitted your PRP verification at VFS and not at DHA. The one at DHA takes very long to come out. I am not sure if under the new minister it will be quicker but before the new minister it was taking years to come out.

I think the trick is to identify the DHA office you will be submitting the Naturalisation Application, then go and ask the requirements there. Like you said different DHA offices have different requirements. You also need to speak to someone who actually accepts the naturalisation applications and not any random DHA official as this function is quite specialised.

Not OP but my Mom who recently decided to apply for Naturalisation is applying at DHA office in Pretoria like in Town. They just took copies of her PR, her police certificate and other docs said they must first then she will come back and proper apply. Is this normal procedure?

 

[makPret]

I want to try there,how is the long queue there?
Did she make an appointment or just walk-in?

She just walked in to the 3rd floor of the building. Not much a que at all.

 

[makPret]

All this hassle they give people about proof of PR and delays knowing very well that DG will not sign any certificates. Especially it's not enough to stay with just PR these days because when you apply for job it will be tough rather have citizenship and boost your chances some more

 

[makPret]

So I quite recently got my PRP and am 18... was lurking on this sub. Mom and sis both applied for Naturalization in like August as they've had PRP since 2013.

I read somewhere on the Western Cape Gov website that since i'm a Minor Under 21 I can also apply for naturalization? Does that mean I don't have to wait 5 years to do so? am not sure if anyone here can clarify that'd be great!

 

[makPret]

During my induction that is what the guy who was doing the induction said. But only after your parent has been granted the citizenship.

okay so if my mom(pending application) gets her citizenship before i turn 21. I can apply without having to do the 5 year requirements? (am 18 now)

with the new DA leader in Home Affairs can we see the process being faster in 2025?

 

[makPret]

If you are 5 years on PRP then your mom can also apply for your naturalisation, now. You do not need to wait for your mom to first get her naturalisation.
I do not know if the DA minister will be willing to sign the certificates, which by now should be 10s of thousands (just my guess based on the number of people I saw in one day of my inductions).

No the thing is I only got my PR this month. My Mom is the one who has been on PR for over 10 years I thought since am under 21 I can apply now instead of waiting 5 years until 2030 when id be eligible

 

[makPret]

I don't understand... if the department clearly has no intention to sign certificates or award citizenship to long-term foreigners with PR why do they still accept applications and do inductions?

Also is it not possible for people who are waiting to file a class lawsuit to get their certificates signed?

 

[makPret]

I think because you are now considered an adult you will need to fulfill 5 years on PRP before you can apply for Citizenship, children under 18 can be added to parents' applications if they already hold PRP. Your best bet is to go and visit the nearest large DHa office that accepts Naturalisations and enquire there directly

Yea that's what I think i'll have my Mom double check with them next time she goes to check status of her application. I head read on the Western Cape Government website Minor Children Under 21 so I was thinking otherwise but will have it confirmed.

 

[makPret]

My Mom applied for verification at Home Affairs office in Pretoria in August 2023. They just took her copies of PRP, ID, Zim and SA police clearance and said they need to documents before she can apply.

They did not require the letter of dual citizenship at that point. She also did not get proof of PRP at VFS which i heard speeds process im not sure. Up to now they aren't done ing anyone with an idea as to how long it takes?

 

[makPret]

Citizenship applications that lacked POP from 2022 were declined (sort of). This guy who applied in 2019 and was made to reapply in 2022 (apparently the main application form was missing from his file) has had his application languishing in the long queue. When he talks to people at call centre, they say that the processing of his application will continue when he brings POP. He is still waiting for POP from vfs. But this time the application was not returned to the office of application.

Your mom has to wait for her POP. No DHA office will take her application without POP.

In 2019, l applied for verification of PR from DHA office. After 3 years of endless waiting, I applied for POP at vfs in 2022. At the time the official who took my finger prints didn't advise me of the vfs alternative. When I went back to that DHA office in 2024, I found him pleading with a lady to consider applying from vfs. That he couldn't put a time limit on the waiting period of their own 'verification of PR'. Adding that 'it can take 5, 10 years, ... I don't know'. And then he asked me to explain to her about my painful experience.

Dual citizenship letter will be required at the time of filling the citizenship application forms. There was no need to tell her that at the 'verification of PR' stage. If she doesn't get a positive outcome of that verification, then there's no need to have that dual citizenship letter by someone who has not qualified to apply for citizenship.

So My Mom should get verification of PR from VFS... then get new Police certificates from home country + South Africa so then she can go directly to Home Affairs to immediately apply for Naturalization?

 

[makPret]

it only takes a few months through VFS so if you mom wants to get it done sooner she should simply re-apply via VFS 9 my own proof of PRP took 5 months) applying via DHA directly takes years

once you got your Proof of PRP... you were able to directly apply for your Naturalization at Home Affairs office?

 

[makPret]

Anyone who's used eHomeAffairs to apply for SmartID? I filled in the form and all for my Mom and submitted but when on the tab for ing ing documents it said 'None Required' I'm worried whether that is normal. I'm yet to pay so can't book an appointment at a bank branch yet.

 

[makPret]

Just just need to take her ID Book and permanent residency certificate

I got off the phone with the lady at Home Affairs all is good. I can proceed to pay on the website and book a date. She brings her originals there