I like my life entirely private but today I've hit that special level of kak frustration that only Home Affairs and dry toilet paper can provide and I’d appreciate some input. TL;DR: It's been over 8 years and I'm still waiting for Permanent Residency. My life is on hold since 2006 The story: I moved here from Kenya with my Mama when I was 12. She got her PR, but mine was rejected because my SAn stepdad isn’t my daddy until he adopts me :( . We then reapplied in 2018 under her (she's a citizen now). I called them every single day. I emailed. I got the same generic, useless responses. For 5 whole years, my application was just sitting there, gathering more dust than your mom’s special plates in that cabinet no one can touch. Then, in November last year, they finally gave me an answer: Rejected. The reason? They said I had "no evidence of a spousal relationship nor a valid visa." The problem? I never applied as a spouse! I applied as a child of a PR holder. Also, I’ve always made sure my visa are valid and maintained way before deadlines since I’ve been here. It's on their system! So now I've appealed, and the waiting game continues. My Problem: Because of this visa I am on, I can't legally work. For a DECADE, my life has been in a queue. In that time, I've educated myself and now heading for an entire industry change, I got married and divorced too... I've even learned enough Afrikaans to argue with a traffic officer! Die hond blaf! I feel more South African than some farmers y’know. But without that piece of paper, I'm stuck. At this rate, it feels like tenders are approved faster than my PR. So, my fellow South Africans, I'm asking for your help. What can I do? Who can I call? Has anyone been through this and won? P.S. I'm also looking for a kickass lawyer in Joburg/Pretoria/East Rand who actually knows their stuff and doesn't just tell me to "keep waiting” and has a high success rate with such cases. Any advice would mean the world. Danko, guys.   submitted by   /u/Automatic-Air922 [link]   [comments]