Immigration
Immigration permits with a special relationship to South Africa
Entry and residence are governed by the Aliens Control Act, with work permits required for foreign employment. The dominant practical feature is Lesotho's enclave position: movement to and from South Africa is governed by bilateral arrangements including the Lesotho Exemption Permit dispensation on the South African side.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — The Department of Immigration decides; the High Court reviews.
- Deadline — Work permit: obtained before commencing employment
Governing law
- Aliens Control Act 16 of 1966
- Lesotho Citizenship Order 16 of 1971
In practice
Because Lesotho is entirely surrounded by South Africa and a large part of its workforce is employed there, the operative migration law for most Basotho is South African rather than Lesotho law — a dependency with no parallel elsewhere on the continent.