Source: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/19781351/So-you-want-to-come-and-work-in-south-Africa-and-you-have-chosen
Timestamp: 2013-12-22 07:38:27
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So you want to come and work in south Africa and you have chosen
CHOOSING TO WORK IN SOUTH AFRICA!! V 2.0
So you want to come and work in South Africa and you have chosen Ngwelezana or another rural institution in our area. Good Choice! But before you come there are more than a few administrative hurdles to cross, as you have to get the nod from no fewer than 3 separate government departments. We have prepared this document to try to explain the process, and help you get here with the minimum fuss. You will have to push, and nothing will just happen automatically, papers may well get lost or forgotten, so always keep notes on what you have done, who you have spoken to and keep copies of all documents and forms. We recommend you give the whole process a few months from first written enquiry.
Document outline:-
Part 1 – Getting Registered
Registration with NDOH Registration with HPCSA Work Permit from SA embassy Forms for NDOH reg Forms for HPCSA reg Forms for ECFMG reg
Part 2 - Useful info for living in SA (based on Empangeni/Ngwelezana info) Part 3 – forms you need
Part 1 – Getting Registered Step 1:
You need to write to us ideally via e mail (iht@intekom.co.za) with a copy to Ileana Popa our medical manager (popaf@dohngw.kzntl.gov.za) In your letter of introduction you should elaborate on who you are, what you want to do (preferences and future plans) and when you can assume duty, an estimate. We give much greater preference if you can guarantee one year, preferably longer. Six (6) months is really too short to benefit either yourself or us, and it’s a lot of hassle for everyone for such a short time. Knowing more about you, we will then respond and give you a firm job offer in writing. It will be by e-mail or fax if you prefer. The original job offer with dates and which specific department you will be working in, etc will be sent to you (usually via e mail) upon your acceptance of the preliminarily job offer. Once you have this it’s on to
Offer of employment from National Department of Health. Once you have a job offer and dates from us, you need to get a formal endorsement from the National Department of Health in Pretoria. For this you will have to direct your correspondence to the Foreign Workforce Management Program in Pretoria at The
Director-General, National Department of Health, Private Bag X828, PRETORIA, 0001. You will have to complete the attached application form and need to submit (per fax or post) the following documents:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. A covering letter of introduction (refer to Step 1 above) Copies of: Job offer from prospective Employer (hospital)(an e-mail / fax from us will do) Identity Document or all used pages of primary applicant’s Passport. Spouse’s Identity Document or Passport. If relevant. Marriage Certificate (for the record) Qualifications (English translation) Proof of foreign (previous) professional registration (English translation). This needs certificate of good standing or practising license from your medical council as well as your registration certificate. 9. Curriculum Vitae (Include current fax number, phone number, e-mail and postal address) 10. Latest / last salary slip, if employed previously employed in South Africa. 11. Letter from hospital official / consultant on headed notepaper to say how many post registration years satisfactorily completed (reference letters or service certificate(s)) and another letter to say internship (house jobs) satisfactorily completed (if young graduate). Try your post grad dean’s office. 12. Any other certificates / references you wish to be recorded.
(All documents / communication to the Foreign Workforce Management Program, National Health, can be faxed):
You may fax the documents to Shaun-Allan Smith at 27–12- 312-0535 or post to the address above. Courier or hand delivery address: Shaun-Allan Smith, Program Manager, Foreign Workforce Management Program, c/o The Director-General, National Department of Health, Room 1121, Fed Life building, corner of Church and Prinsloo Streets, Pretoria. E-mail of scanned documents is also acceptable to smiths@health.gov.za Please allow three to four weeks for the processing of your application. To pursue or to motivate for fast tracking of endorsement, contact the Unit by e-mail or at tel no. 0027 – 12 – 312 0722 / 0721 / 0739. Hospital Manager will also pursue directly. Can be dealt with in days if employment is definite.
This is encapsulated in National Department of Health Form 1.
Limited registration (General Practitioner: Public Service) with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA): Once you have sent all your stuff off to Shaun-Allan Smith and received your formal letter of endorsement and ‘NDOH Certificate’ (issued in lieu of Chartered Accounted certificate required in the Immigration Act), the next hurdle is your registration with the HPCSA. It is recommended that all your documents are sent to Sean Allen Smith’s department and they will take them across to the HPCSA for you. .
You are welcome to forward (by courier or registered post) “notary public” copies of the required documentation to the delivery / postal address in Step 2. The Program Manager will hand deliver to the Council to ensure that your application does not get ‘lost’. Contact people who ideally should be able to help you at the Council are: • Thembi Nkosi 27 12 338 9350 (e mail uncertain) she is soon to be replaced but replacement not yet appointed. • Helena de Silva 27 12 338 9413 helenad@hpcsa.co.za • Dani Kotze (board manager for Medical and Dental( 012 338 9325/7) • Ms Marthina Venter at tel no. 27-12- 338 9312 MarthinaV@hpcsa.co.za • Ms Nomfundo Godlo at tel no. 27-12-338 9330 NomfundoG@hpcsa.co.za • The switchboard number is 27-12-338 9300 • The Council’s fax number is 27-12- 328 4863 This is the official statement on registration:‘REGISTRATION AS A MEDICAL PRACTITIONER/DENTIST IN THE FAST TRACK CATEGORY’ Applicants who qualified in the developed countries could apply for recognition of their qualifications for the purpose of gaining limited registration for a period that would not exceed 3 (three) years, without having to sit for a formal assessment examination, in order for such practitioners to work during the period in public hospitals in South Africa. The application to be accompanied by:
A STAGE 1 APPLICATION • The attached application form, duly completed. (Form 12) • Copy of degree certificate or other basic qualification in medicine/dentistry and a sworn translation thereof in English (Copies will only be accepted if certified by an attorney in his/her capacity as a notary public and bearing the official stamp. Copies certified by a Commissioner of Oaths only will not be accepted. • Documentary proof of at least three years’ postgraduate/work experience in medicine or dentistry including internship training or equivalent training/experience, issued by the relevant employers. This does not apply to South African citizens. • Verification of credentials by the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates: International Credentials Services (to be obtained by the applicant at own cost) (see separate application form – applicable to medicine only). • A recent original Certificate of Status (Certificate of Good Standing) indicating that the applicant is in good standing, issued by the foreign registration authority where the applicant is currently registered. • Proof of Citizenship, a Passport or Identity Document, duly certified by a notary public as indicated above.
(Note that you should never send your original documents but only the certified copies, and make sure you have spares of EVERYTHING!) However Passport and Degree certificate should be certified by a Notary Public – unfortunately this will set you back the best part of &#163;100 but it is still better than losing your degree certificate.
Do not rely on the post – check that documents have been received after about 2 weeks by phone to Mrs Venter or other contact persons as above. Registered mail is an option – consider a courier. Our advice is to send everything to Sean Allen Smith at the NDOH and ask them to take it to the HPCSA for you. HPCSA is at present (and for some time) in a state of disarray, so expect no one to answer the phone and never expect anyone to call you back. (This is attached in the accompanying forms labelled form 12 for HPCSA)
Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. Whatever rumours you have heard about this
For the ECFMG their form is obtainable from their website http://www.ecfmg.org/eics/apps.html This at present costs $150US, not including all the postage. It’s a 100k (11 page) download in .pdf format called saapp.pdf For form 12 see attached document obtainable from HPCSA website – ignore the bit about exams – you are in the fast track category (not mentioned on the HPCSA website) and don’t need them. Registration fee with the HPCSA is also needed Currently SAR400. Deposit into ABSA bank account for HPCSA current/cheque ZAJJ 061 0000 169. your local bank will give you documentary evidence which you must fax to the HPCSA. Surname must be clearly indicated on the document. fax # 27 12 328 4862.
Work Permit (Section 19(2) of the Immigration Act, 2002 (Act no 13 of 2002) You can only apply for a work permit once you have received your letter of endorsement of your job offer and the prescribed NDOH Certificate from the Foreign Workforce Management Program in the National Department of Health (See Step 2). Actual registration beforehand is not compulsory, as the Immigration Regulations (Schedule A, item 20, column 4, sub item (h)) allows for the applicant to submit a written undertaking to the National Department to register with the Council, upon which the Department will certify the “registerability” of the applicant to Home Affairs. The work permit is done via the Department of Home Affairs and can be handled ideally via your nearest South African Embassy / consulate. You can contact the FWMP (Sean Allen Smith) to get contact persons / details. Our advice would be to obtain your work permit before you depart for South Africa. It is possible to come to South Africa on a visitors’ permit and then to apply for a work permit whilst in the country. The permits are however paid for by yourself and you can for the same price get a work permit beforehand and save yourself time and money. You can apply for a work permit valid for three (3) years. This will give you temporary residency status in South Africa for three years and allow you to take up employment. It is recommended that prospective Employers and Employees agree on three years as an initial period of engagement to allow for maximum first entry.
If you have problems with any of the conditions, contact the FWMP (Smith) to address your concerns in a formal letter. A full medical certificate is a letter from a medical practitioner – ) something on headed note paper from GP or Colleague seems acceptable) to say you are fit and well to work. A copy of the format is available at any Embassy. Do not forget your police clearance certificate. This can usually be obtained from your local police station and does take a little time – but if you submit proof to the Embassy you have applied for it you can proceed with your work permit application. Cost is around &#163;12.00 If you reside in the UK Mr Gerhard Meder in the London Embassy is your man. He can be reached at tel no: 0944-2079258902 or fax number 0944 – 2079301510/3/9 Recently a good contact has also been Mr Miya, 020 792 58923 mailmaster@rsaconsulate.co.uk at the London Embassy. . Mr Miya will most certainly support you in guiding you through the process. Contact him first to get the right forms as it can be confusing – the forms are generic and not designed specifically for your special case.
Buy your plane tickets and get here!
Documents to get Notarised
Don’t Send originals of important documents Try to find a friend who is a notary public (not commissioner of oaths has to be the real thing)– it can get expensive otherwise. We suggest you get 3 copies of each while you are at it as many documents have got lost – especially with the HPCSA. You will need an English translation of all documents if they are in another language. The NDOH generally doesn’t need the certified copies so you can send photocopies/scanned pdf’s while waiting for your special copies for the HPCSA Passport – all used pages Medical Degree Birth Certificate (not usually necessary but you never know) Certificate of good Standing with local medical council (or send original or get 3 originals)
Part 2 - Living in SA - Empangeni
Helpful hints on setting up in SA
A car is a necessity and fuel is about half the price as in the UK. Car hire is impossible without a credit card. Cash or debit cards are unacceptable in SA. You will need passport &amp; licence. UK licence is acceptable, as long as it has your photo on it. Ask around at the hospital if anyone is looking to sell. Good selection of main and used car dealers. Can be expensive compared to UK. Try not to get a banger, breakdown repairs etc can be costly and very inconvenient. Finance cannot be obtained unless you have a bank account set up, and a proven income. You will need 2 passport photos, passport and work permit for licence transfer – the Licensing Dep’t is in Empangeni. Certificate of Roadworthiness (COR) is essential. If buying from a dealer this should all be straightforward. Do remember to ask about warrantee etc. Insurance Car insurance is roughly the same price as the UK. This can be arranged through the AA with roadside assistance included. AA (0861) 010203. Recent doctors used a private company in Durban run by an English lady Annette Van Der Werf (031) 2095141. Or fax (031) 2094612. She was very good and our insurance included household contents. A basic Toyota Tazz 1.3L 4yr old (150k km mileage) cost R54000 (about 5 thousand pounds) from a reputable dealer. McCarthy Toyota 89 Tanner Road, Empangeni Sales Amanda Nagel (035)787 0900 Or fax (035) 787 0373. Toyota were very good and were happy to help when the car had problems. They will also buy the car back after a year if it remains in good condition then you will only lose about R10 000 in the year. A good idea may be to contact them just before you come out to find out what cars they have available.
Accounts &amp; Banking
There are 4 main banks in South Africa but most doctors seem to bank with Standard Bank. There is a main branch in Empangeni and the Customer Consultant there was helpful. Standard Bank, Empangeni Branch, 9 Maxwell St, Empangeni Tel. (035) 9015700 Fax (035) 7723853 Charles Greener (035) 9015736 To open an account you will need a letter from the hospital stating your period of employment and salary, proof of residential address in SA, Two photographic IDs (passport/driving licence). Passport &amp; Permit Birth certificate NDOH job offer Be prepared for half a day sorting this out…don’t try Monday morning! A simple savings account is all that is necessary and it is possible to get debit cards etc linked to this account.
This process can take 1-2 weeks. A cheque account may take up to 3 weeks to come through – hence the savings account is better and has few disadvantages. Transferring money from UK is the best way to open up an account. The costs vary but from Bank of Scotland was 14 pounds plus 0.5% of the total transferred. Traveller’s Cheques are also good but probably a little more expensive.
Be prepared not to get paid on time the 1st month. For foreign graduates , particularly SMO / PMO positions, the ‘Head Office’ in Pietermaritzburg have to authorise the contract, which in our experience can mean a fair amount of red tape. You will need: 2 x Human Resourses bank forms to be stamped by your bank Letters from Medical manager – Initial job offer and certification of post and salary Passport and work permit HPCSA certificate or card NDOH certificate and copies of original medical +/- post grad certificates C.V Equal opportunities form, skills audit form etc…(you got this from the NDOH)
In the rental sector most properties are completely unfurnished i.e. no fridge/cooker etc. Typical rent per month in the private sector for a 3 bedroom house in Empangeni is R 3000R 6000. There seems to be a reasonable range on the market, and are let along similar lines to assured short hold tenancies in the UK. Many of our doctors live in Mtunzini, a scenic village 30k south of Empangeni with its own parks board reserve and good access to beach etc. Best is to contact some of the existing batch of doctors. Rental of a furnished two bedroom bungalow with two bathrooms and a sea view cost us R3000/month. But expect to pay between R3-5000 for this. Interciti Real Estate is one that has been helpful (083 6320230) Very cheap accommodation is available in hospital flats (Vista) in Empangeni if you need somewhere to stay initially – but it is basic. This can be arranged with the hospital manager. These do have some basic appliances and some help can be provided with furnishing.
Telekom telephone line can be installed. Passport is required and a deposit of R500 Electric may be pre-paid or meter. In the case of a meter a deposit of R 1000 is needed. Tell them you are doctor and the line must be installed as an emergency for call outs. You will then get preferential treatment. Cell Phones are easily obtainable. You should be able to get a pay as you go SIM card for your phone but be careful your overseas phone is not locked to one network
Preschool starts at 3yrs+, ‘proper’ (infants) at 6 yrs. Essentially it seems that the first year of formal schooling starts a year later here than in the UK, but by 8yrs or so the difference has evened out. There’s good daycare for over 2’s, and some good care for infants, but you need a really good look around. There is a good selection of preschools and some excellent primary and high schools. Private education more common and cheaper than the UK. Better standards of behaviour and general politeness but more homework! School day runs from 7ish to 1-ish, which works well in the hot climate. On the whole a very child friendly place.
This can be arranged through many agencies which all have web pages.
We freighted 3.5 cubic meters of boxes – books, children’s toys etc… from port to port this worked out at &#163;650. In addition, customs charges in South Africa were approx. &#163;300. Cars can be freighted but administration seemed too laborious for us. Re-sale in S.A is effectively prohibited.
Hospital security seems good. Being out and about in the day (07:00-17:00) is safe. Bars on open windows are the norm and many residents here own a dog. This is a smallish town; people are friendly and enjoy listening to the smattering of Zulu that you may be able to say!
Part 3 – forms you will need
APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION, WORK/STUDY PERMIT AND/OR EMPLOYMENT Application to the National Department of Health (NDOH), PRETORIA Surname: __________________ Address: __________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ First Names: _____________________ Tel (H): _________________________ Tel (W): _________________________ Fax: ____________________________ E-mail: __________________________ Cell: ____________________________
Introduction / Covering letter stating some background and what you are applying for Copies of the following documents (if applicable / where available – statement on why not): Identity Document or all used origin:________________________ Spouse’s Identity Document _____________________ (recent) pages or of Passport. Country Country of of
Marriage Certificate - Date of Marriage: _______________________ Qualifications (Include English translation) Proof of verification of qualification(s) Proof of foreign professional registration status (English translation) Curriculum Vitae (Include current fax number, phone number, e-mail and postal address) South African permanent residence certificate (if applicable) Previous or current South African work permit (if applicable) Note: All first-time applicants: The NDOH will secure a job offer on your behalf from State Sector Employers. The Department prioritise areas of need. Latest salary slip, if employed Current employment contract, if signed already Service Certificates / Reference Letters You may fax the documents to Shaun-Allan Smith at 012-312-0535 or post to Private Bag X828, Room 2608 CIVITAS, Pretoria, 0001. Please include this page with the other documents. Please allow three to four weeks for the processing of your application. TO PURSUE, TEL: 012-3120722 / 0721 / 0739 _____________________________ ___________________________ Signature (applicant) Date
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