Good day, Sir.

I am Mr. Ibukunoluwa Akinrinde with passport number A12764938. I am writing regarding the 20 months pending issuance of my study visa appeal despite providing the directed 1-year Momentum Medical Insurance Cover within the stipulated appeal period. I really urgently have an inevitable World Bank invitation to Nigeria between the 10th-15th of December, 2024.

I came into South Africa on the 1st of September, 2021 for a Ph.D Programme in Economics at North West University (NWU). This was after I had to wait for 18 months before being issued my visa in Nigeria. Upon issuance, my first study visa dated that my duration in South Africa was for February 2020 to February 2023, which was not accurate due to the 18 months delay in the issuance of my visa in August 2021.

Hence, I only had 18 months left on my study visa upon arrival. Since February 2023, my study visa has elapsed and I had applied for a renewal at the approval of my school 3 months before the expiry date. The application was denied on grounds that I used Essential Medical Insurance. At the time I did this application, the Home Affairs still accepted Essential Medical Insurance before changing its policy. This is so because colleagues in my university who applied using Essential Medical Insurance two month before my application all got there visas within 2-4 months.

The decision letter received from VFS requested that I had a few days to correct my medical cover from Essential Medical Insurance to the approved 1-year Momentum Medical Insurance cover, which I did within the stipulated days for appeal, on March, 2023, with the appeal application number TRA3782690.

Since these 20 months of awaiting appeal approval, I have not being able to go for research conferences or pursue developmental opportunities outside the country as allowable in my Ph.D programme. This has been a huge limitation to my studies, while other colleagues that applied for visas at about the same time got theirs.

Right now, I have an urgent need to unavoidably go to Nigeria for a very timely invite from the World Bank, while I intend to return within 5 days so I can continue with my studies and quite frequently have to travel in and out afterwards.

Each time I reached out to DHA, via the help of an immigration attorney, I have not been adequately attended to. I am at critical stages of my Ph.D research and do not want to be shut out of South Africa once I leave urgently for Nigeria; hence, my request for my study visa renewal.

Provided below are my passport biodata page, my NWU Invitation Letter (stipulating my studies last till December 2026), my Immigration Attorney's letter and annexes, and my VFS Online Tracking Outcome.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,
Ibukunoluwa Akinrinde