Hi SweepStars 👋

We're updating our records and have asked all SweepStars who are foreign nationals to submit their right-to-work documents. We know you have questions, so we've gathered the most common ones here with clear answers.

1. Submitting your documents

How do I submit my documents?

Please submit your documents through your private "Update My Worker Permit" ticket in your app, using this link: 👉 https://bit.ly/permit_update

Make sure that you are connected to WIFI or you have DATA on your phone — this will help you upload the documents easily.

Please DO NOT submit your documents via WhatsApp or in person. The WhatsApp chat lines have been closed and are not monitored for document submissions, so we won't be able to review anything sent there. Documents must come through the ticket link to be received and reviewed. 🔒

Watch these videos below to see how you can submit your documents in the form on the Worker App:

Which link should I use — the WhatsApp group link or the SMS link? 🔗

They are the same link! Both take you directly to the "Update My Worker Permit" ticket in your app. You can use either one — and you only need to submit once. 💙

If you have not submitted your documents after the 17th of July, please do by tapping this link: https://bit.ly/permit_update

Make sure that you are connected to WIFI or you have DATA on your phone — this will help you upload the documents easily.

Can I submit my documents on WhatsApp or in-person at the office?

NO. You cannot send your documents over WhatsApp or come to the office in person to do this. Our new system needs you to do it on your app, so we can store all of your information correctly and safely. 

If you submit or have submitted your documents on WhatsApp it means that Sweepsouth cannot store them, and it means that we won’t be able to record your submission.

If you have not submitted your documents after the 17th of July, please do by tapping this link: https://bit.ly/permit_update

Make sure that you are connected to WIFI or you have DATA on your phone — this will help you upload the documents easily.

I joined SweepSouth recently. Do I still need to submit?

Yes, please. We're currently updating our records and have made a few changes to the information we collect. To keep everything consistent, we're asking everyone who is a foreign national to submit their documents again, even if you've shared them with us before. This helps us make sure we have the right information for every SweepStar.

If you have not submitted your documents after the 17th of July, please do by tapping this link: https://bit.ly/permit_update

Make sure that you are connected to WIFI or you have DATA on your phone — this will help you upload the documents easily.

My documents haven't expired. Do I still need to submit?

Yes, please. Even if your permit is still valid and up to date, we need you to submit your permit details so that we can update our records.

If you have a ZEP, LEP, or Spousal Visa, please remember to include a copy of your passport as well as your permit.

My documents are expired. Do I still need to submit?

YES, even if your documents are expired, you still need to submit them. We need to be able to store this information in our system so we know what the next steps and how to evaluate your application.

I submitted my documents before Friday, 17 July. Do I need to submit again?

Yes, please submit them again using the latest form. We updated the form to include a few extra fields that we now need, so we want to make sure we have the correct information for everyone. We're sorry for the extra step and really appreciate your patience. 💙

If you submitted your documents on or after Friday, 17 July, there's nothing more you need to do.

I gave my documents to my Area Manager. Do I need to submit again?

Yes, please. If you submitted your documents through your Area Manager or on WhatsApp, please submit them again using the new form so that we can make sure we have all the information we need. The new form collects some additional information, so we're asking everyone who submitted before 17 July to resubmit. 

I didn't receive an SMS. Do I still need to submit my documents?

Yes.

The SMS is only a reminder.

If you need to update your right-to-work documents, you should still submit them even if you didn't receive an SMS.

✅ Already submitted your documents and received the message:

"We have received your submission."

Then you do not need to submit again.

2. Trouble submitting my documents

My document won't upload. What should I do?

This usually happens because the file is too large.

Each uploaded file must be a photo, image or PDF that is smaller than 10 MB.

If your file is too large, take a new photo with your phone or take a screenshot of the document.

Then upload the new file.

Make sure the document is still clear and easy to read.

Make sure that you are connected to WIFI or you have DATA on your phone — this will help you upload the documents easily.

3. What to send

Do my documents need to be certified?

No! You do not need to certify anything (no stamps from a police station or post office needed).

Please just send us a clear photo of your original permit or passport. When you take the photo, please make sure:

✅ It's a photo of the real, original document (not a copy of a copy) 

✅ The whole document is in the picture — all four corners, nothing cut off 

✅ The photo is clear and easy to read 

✅ Good light, no blur

I have submitted certified documents - is this okay

If you have already submitted a certified copy, that's okay. 💙

We can accept either a certified copy, a clear photo of the original permit document or passport.

Please wait for us to review your submission. If we need anything else from you, we'll contact you and let you know what is needed.

There is no need to submit again unless we ask you to. Thank you! 💙

I have asylum or refugee status. But I don’t have a passport. Do I need to submit a passport?

No. If you have asylum or refugee status, we only need your asylum permit. You do NOT need to send a passport — that's completely fine and normal for asylum seekers and refugees.

A passport is only needed for other permit types, like the ZEP (where we need your Zimbabwean passport too). If you happen to have a passport as well, you're welcome to include it, but it's not required.

How do I enter my permit expiry date? 📅

Please enter your permit expiry date in this format: DD/MM/YYYY

✅ Correct examples:

• 23/08/2027
• 21/11/2030
• 31/12/2021

❌ Please do NOT enter:

• 10/04/2018 = 31/12/2021
• 31 December 2021 = 31/12/2021

I have filled in my info on the form but when I tap 'Submit' button, it is refusing. What do I do?

If you have filled in all the questions but you cannot press the button 'Submit' at the bottom, this means that you have either:

1. Skipped some questions that you NEED to fill in or,

2. You have not done the expiry date correctly

If this happens to you, scroll up on the form and check that you have:

1️⃣ Filled in all the questions with a RED STAR (*) ✅

2️⃣ Typed in your dates correctly in the expiry date questions ✅

For example, if your permit expires on the 1st of January 2022, then you need to type this into the box:

01/01/2022

You cannot submit just a receipt

A right to work is shown by an actual permit — either a valid work visa/permit that allows independent work, or an asylum or refugee permit. What to submit:

📄 If you have a valid permit: submit a clear copy of the permit.

📄 If you have a permit that has expired and you've applied to renew it: submit a clear copy of the expired permit AND the renewal receipt together.

A VFS waiver receipt on its own cannot be accepted. A waiver is Home Affairs allowing you to leave out one requirement so you can apply for a visa — it is not a permit and does not confirm a right to work, so there is no option to submit it on its own.

Which document type should I choose on the form?

Choose the document that gives you the right to work.

For example:

• ZEP → Select ZEP

• LEP → Select LEP

• Asylum Seeker Permit → Select Asylum

⚠️ Do not choose Waiver.

A waiver is not a right-to-work document.

My old passport was stolen or lost

Because your ZEP was lost with your old passport, we'll need to see three things. Please send them through your private ticket as follows:

1️⃣ A certified copy of your ZEP — upload this under the permit section.

2️⃣ A certified copy of your OLD passport (the one the ZEP was in) — please upload this under the receipt upload option.

3️⃣ Your NEW passport — upload this under the passport section.

We need all three because your ZEP shows your old passport number, so we use the old passport to confirm the ZEP was yours, and the new passport to confirm your identity today.

Please note: we will consider these submissions, but we can't guarantee the outcome until we've reviewed them.

⚠️ Very important — please act on this now: you should apply to Home Affairs to have a new ZEP placed in your new passport as soon as possible. This is the proper long-term fix and the strongest proof of your right to work, so please start that process straight away and send us the new ZEP once you have it.

I have an expired permit what must I submit?

If you're currently waiting for your permit to be renewed, you should enter the expiry date from your previous permit.

When you first joined us, you would have provided a permit. If that permit later expired and you applied to renew it, you should also have received a renewal receipt or acknowledgement showing that you've applied for renewal. So you should still have your previous asylum permit on hand.

To help with the expiry date field: your asylum permit has a "valid until" date on it. This is the date you need to enter on the form, even if that date has already passed while you're waiting for Home Affairs to process your renewal.

Please submit:

📄 A clear copy of your previous/expired asylum permit

📅 The "valid until" date shown on that permit as the expiry date

📄 A clear copy of your renewal receipt or acknowledgement from Home Affairs / the Refugee Reception Office

My permit is in my old passport, but I forgot to upload my new passport. What should I do?

If you've already submitted your documents, you do not need to start again. Simply open your existing right-to-work ticket and reply to it, attaching your new passport.

This will make sure we have:
📄 Your permit
🛂 Your old passport (the passport that contains your permit)
🛂 Your new passport

If you're unable to reply to your existing ticket, you can submit your documents again using this link: 👉 https://bit.ly/permit_update

When completing the form, please upload:

📄 Your permit → Permit section
🛂 Your old passport (the passport containing your permit) → Passport section
🛂 Your new passport → Proof of Application / Receipt section

Even if your old passport has expired, that's still the passport we need because it contains your permit. 💙

My passport is about to expire. What should I do?

Please submit your current passport together with your permit before your passport is cancelled.

Once you receive your new passport, arrange with Home Affairs or the relevant authority to have your permit transferred if required.

You can then send us your updated passport so we can update our records.

I accidentally uploaded the wrong passport. What should I do?

Don't start again.

Simply reply to your existing right-to-work ticket and upload the correct passport.

Do not complete the form again.

I'm a permanent resident. What should I upload?

You can upload either:

🆔 Your South African ID

or

📄 Your Permanent Residence Certificate.

The form asks for an expiry date.

Permanent residence doesn't expire.

Simply enter today's date and we'll know from your document that your status is permanent.

My permit has been lost, stolen or destroyed. What should I do?

We're very sorry this happened. 💙

Please send us anything you still have.

For example:

📄 A copy or photo of your permit.

📄 A police case number.

📄 An affidavit.

📄 A Home Affairs or VFS reference number.

Please also start the process of replacing your permit.

Unfortunately, we can't verify your right to work without supporting documents.

4. ZEP & LEP questions

I have a ZEP but haven't applied for a waiver. Will my profile be suspended?

No — not applying for a waiver does not automatically mean your profile will be suspended. 💙

For the ZEP, what matters to us is two things: that you have a valid ZEP, and that the government's ZEP extension is still running. While that extension is in place, your ZEP allows you to work with us — you don't need to have applied for a waiver.

The waiver is a separate step some people take if they want to move onto a different visa later on. It can be helpful for your own long-term plans, but it isn't something we require to keep your account active.

To complete your check, please send through your private ticket: 

✅ A clear photo of your ZEP permit 

✅ A clear photo of your Zimbabwean passport

My ZEP/LEP has been extended. What expiry date should I enter?

We understand that ZEP and LEP permits are currently valid until 28 May next year under the government extension. However, please still enter the expiry date shown on your permit when you submit your documents. Our system requires us to keep this information on record for every permit.

LEP expiry date

If you have a Lesotho Exemption Permit (LEP), please enter the expiry date that is printed on your permit when completing the form, even though the LEP has been extended until 28 May 2027.

We understand that the government has extended the validity of these permits. However, our system requires us to record the expiry date that appears on the permit itself.

So please:

📅 Enter the expiry date shown on your LEP

📄 Upload a copy of your LEP

📄 Upload a copy of your passport

Thank you for helping us keep our records complete and up to date. 💙

5. Asylum document submission

If you hold an asylum permit (Section 22), here is what to submit through your private ticket:

📄 If your permit is current: submit a clear photo of your asylum permit.

📄 If your permit has expired: submit a clear photo of your expired permit AND proof that you've applied to renew it (your renewal acknowledgement or slip from the Refugee Reception Office).

📌 Please note: your asylum permit must show that you are allowed to work. Some asylum permits carry a "no work" condition — if yours is marked this way, it does not permit working with us. Please make sure the conditions on your permit are clearly visible in your photo.

Please make sure the whole document is in the photo and easy to read. A passport is not needed for asylum permits. 💙

My asylum permit has expired. Can I still submit it?

Yes.

If you've applied to renew your asylum permit, please submit:

📄 Your expired asylum permit.

📄 Your Refugee Reception Office renewal acknowledgement or receipt.

Enter the expiry date shown on your permit, even if it has already passed.

We'll review both documents together.

6. After you've submitted

I've submitted my documents but haven't heard back. What now? ⏳

✅ If you submitted your documents on or after 17 July and received the message saying, "We have received your submission," your documents were submitted successfully. You do not need to submit them again.

Please remember that submission and verification are two different steps:

📄 Submission means we've received your documents.

🔍 Verification is when our team reviews your documents and confirms the outcome.

📌 The 31 July deadline is for submitting your documents, not for verification. We've received many more submissions than expected, so verification is taking longer than we originally hoped. We're working through every submission as quickly as we can.

😊🌟 Nothing will happen to your account while you're waiting for your documents to be verified. We'll contact you once we've completed your review or if we need any additional information.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. 💙

How do I know if my documents were submitted successfully?

If you submitted your documents on or after 17 July, you should have received this message:

"We have received your submission."

✅ If you received this message, we've received your documents.

You do not need to submit them again.

❗ If you did not receive this message, your submission was not successful.

Please submit your documents again using the latest submission link.

Will you tell me if something is missing from my submission?

Yes.

If we need any additional documents or information to complete your right-to-work verification, we'll contact you through your existing ticket.

Our message will explain exactly what is still required and what you need to do next.

There's no need to open a new ticket or submit a new application unless we've asked you to do so.

7. Extra support

Which organisations can help me with my permit?

We know this process can be stressful, and we want to make sure you have support. These organisations can help with your permit or your situation, for free or at low cost:

• Department of Home Affairs — your application & status: www.dha.gov.za, 0800 60 11 90
• VFS Global — visa applications & tracking: visa.vfsglobal.com/zaf/en/dha, 012 425 3000 (ZEP: 012 425 3020, LEP: 012 425 3024)
• Legal Aid South Africa — free legal help: 0800 110 110, www.legal-aid.co.za
• Lawyers for Human Rights — free help for refugees & migrants: www.lhr.org.za
• Scalabrini Centre, Cape Town — help for migrants & refugees: www.scalabrini.org.za, 021 465 6433

Please use official channels only and never pay a bribe. 

Sweepsouth CANNOT give legal advice, but these organisations can. 💙