Getting a UK or Canada visa from South Africa

Which route fits you

Canada: Express Entry. No job offer needed. You are scored on age, education, language and work history, and the highest scores are invited. Until 2 November 2026 a job offer adds no points. From 3 November 2026 an offer in a high-wage occupation adds 50 to 100 points, with no LMIA needed (what changes).

Canada: Provincial Nominee Programs. A nomination adds 600 points and effectively all but secures an invitation.

UK: Skilled Worker. A licensed employer sponsors you first. You must be paid whichever is higher, the general threshold of 41 700 £ (UK Home Office, en vigueur depuis le 22 juillet 2025) or the going rate for your job.

UK: Health and Care Worker. Lower fees and no health surcharge for eligible health and care occupations. Overseas recruitment of care workers (codes 6135 and 6136) closed on 22 July 2025.

UK: Ancestry. For Commonwealth citizens, which South Africans are, with "a grandparent born in the UK or Islands". Five years, no sponsor.

→ Work out your Canadian points: about two minutes, before you spend anything.

What is different for South Africans

You are not exempt from proving your English. Appendix English Language lists 18 majority-English-speaking countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the USA, Malta and a dozen Caribbean states) and South Africa is not on it (Appendix English Language). You need an approved test or a verified English-taught degree. Canada exempts nobody.

A TB test is required for UK stays over six months. South Africa is on the gov.uk list, and only four clinics are approved: Intercare Century City in Cape Town, ShipMed in Durban, and Hatmed and IOM in Pretoria (approved clinic list, updated 7 April 2025). There is no approved clinic in Johannesburg.

Your police clearance can be requested from abroad, but not through Ideco. For Canada, from abroad "you can apply at your nearest South African embassy or by mail to the South African Police Service office" in Pretoria (IRCC South Africa). IRCC states that "certificates from Ideco Biometrics are not valid for immigration purposes". Fingerprints go on a SAPS 91(a) form, taken at a police station (SAPS).

For the UK, post it yourself. gov.uk's South Africa entry says the "South African High Commission is unable to accept applications, but willing to assist" (Countries Q to Z, updated 31 January 2025).

The Ancestry visa genuinely applies. South Africa "re-joined in 1994" after leaving in 1961 (The Commonwealth), so citizens meet the Commonwealth test. The grandparent must have been born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man; a grandparent born in a former colony does not count (Appendix UK Ancestry).

You need a visa to visit either country. South Africa is on the UK's visa national list (Appendix Visitor: Visa National List) and under Canada's "visa-required countries", so it is a visitor visa, not an eTA (IRCC entry requirements).

Documents and steps specific to South Africa

1. Language test. Needed for Canada in every case and for the UK unless your degree is verified as English-taught.
2. Credential assessment (Canada). From an IRCC-designated organisation; it must be "less than 5 years old" when you apply (IRCC ECA).
3. SAPS Police Clearance Certificate. Fingerprints on SAPS 91(a), then post to Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management, Private Bag X308, Pretoria 0001. Canada needs one for every country you lived in for six months or more in a row since age 18.
4. TB test (UK, over six months). Cape Town, Durban or Pretoria only.
5. Biometrics. Canada: VFS Global in Cape Town and Pretoria (VFS Canada). UK: Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg and Pretoria (gov.uk); confirm on the live VFS UK page.
6. Medical exam (Canada). Valid for 12 months.

What it costs from South Africa

Fees are set in Canadian dollars and pounds; we do not convert to rand.

The health surcharge is paid upfront; on a five-year Ancestry visa it is seven times the fee.

Alternatives if the obvious route does not fit

• Health and Care Worker visa (UK): lower fees and no health surcharge for eligible occupations.
• Immigration Salary List (UK): occupations on it use the 33 400 £ (UK Home Office, en vigueur depuis le 22 juillet 2025) threshold and the lower going rate.
• New entrant or PhD thresholds (UK): a reduced general threshold can apply early in a career or with a relevant PhD.
• Global Talent visa (UK): no sponsor or job offer; endorsement in academia, digital technology, or arts and culture.
• Express Entry category draws (Canada): 2026 categories include health care and social services, trades, French-language proficiency and transport; candidates in a category can be invited at lower scores.
• Provincial nomination (Canada): 600 points; many provinces run healthcare and skilled-trades streams.
• Home Care Worker pilots (Canada): intake paused since 19 December 2025, until further notice.
• In-country switching (UK): if already in the UK, a licensed sponsor can often move you into Skilled Worker.