Verification of qualifications is a legal process that must withstand scrutiny in court
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6 February 2020
The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) tasked SAQA on 1 December 2019 to verify the qualifications of graduates who want to work or study overseas. SAQA put measures in place to verify all the qualifications it receives in the shortest possible time.
The turnaround time is 20 working days as the process now includes verifying whether the qualification is:
- Registered on the NQF;
- Offered by a registered and accredited institution or skills development provider; and,
- Lawfully obtained.
Foreign entities no longer accept apostilled certificates issued by designated government officials. They now rely on verification of qualifications as a legal process that follows set procedures, including adherence to the Protection of Personal Information Act (Act 4 of 2013).
SAQA had issued 184 Verification Letters by 20 December 2019, when it closed for the festive season until 5 January 2020. It has already issued 1 374 verification letters in response to the 1490 email requests received during the closure and has put additional resources in place to deal with the backlog as quickly as possible.
Qualification holders must sign a consent form to initiate the process and can arrange to collect their verification letters when SAQA has confirmed completion. SAQA encourages all qualification holders to follow the process outlined on its website to avoid any unnecessary delays.
Issued by: SAQA
Enquiries
Director: Advocacy, Communications and Support
South African Qualifications Authority
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