About the ISSA
Immigrant support and agents in South Africa are the first contacts for thousands of migrants seeking help with their documentation and legality. The sad reality however is that the list of individuals rendering these support services are offering a service that is not regulated, hence making it easy for fraudsters and scammers to exploit the vulnerable list of people in need of documentation.
15,234 signed petitions, by migrants or people living in and outside South Africa who have had someone they know get defrauded, have called for a formal body or regulating association that would help the public in identifying legitimate individuals offering the support services to migrants.
The Immigrant Support Services Association was established in 2020 (ISSA) to represent legitimate and qualified individuals offering support services. The ISSA brings together professionals, in representing the Immigrant support services in South Africa.
View the ISSA constitution here.
The ISSA
- speaks nationally on behalf of the migrant support professionals;
- provides leadership and support to the profession through policy development and stakeholder relations;
- interrogates and makes input on policies in the public interest;
- provides practical vocational training to professionals, to better equip them to assist migrants;
- publishes public news through digital journal platforms, which circulates to all professionals, migrants and the general public;
- maintains standards by setting examination papers for the Attorneys Admission, Conveyancing and Notarial professional competency-based examinations for attorneys; and
- maintains a national database of accredited members.
The ISSA also
- Set up the Migrants development Fund together with its constituent members and other migrant movement associations to assist ISSA practitioners and support migrant projects;
- Undertakes advocacy initiatives
- provider of relevant and affordable continuing professional development for professionals;
Empowers the public by
- Providing public information;
- Providing the independent Trustline facility to report perceived corruption and fraud by support professionals;
- Cooperating with local and international stakeholders
Empowers professionals through
- E-learning and subsidised seminars and courses;
- Providing newsletters, advisories and guidelines free of charge to migrants, support agencies, and professionals;