Privacy notice

1. Who we are and how to contact us

This notice applies to Rusetat Migration Internation, operating under the Rusetat Migration International brand (“Rusetat”, “we”, “us”). It covers information handled through our public website, enquiries, consultations and the travel, visa, migration, relocation, recruitment and au pair services we provide. Rusetat is the responsible party where it decides why and how your information is used. An airline, employer, government authority or other independent organisation may be a separate responsible party for its own activities.

For a privacy request, address your message to the Information Officer at admin@rusetatmigration.org, or call +27 72 155 5208. Our office is at 269 Von Willich Avenue, Corporate 66 Office Park, Centurion, South Africa. Please arrange visits in advance. Use “Privacy request” in your email subject and give enough information to locate the relevant enquiry or service without attaching a passport or identity document at the outset.

Our public website is rusetatmigrationinternational.org. A separate account or portal can have additional notices explaining its own processing. Those notices supplement this one; this public website notice does not describe every future portal feature.

2. Legal framework and scope

The principal privacy law is the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). It applies to personal information about people and, where applicable, existing organisations. The Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) governs access to records, including qualifying requests to private bodies. These laws must be read with their applicable regulations and amendments.

This notice explains our relationship with you; it is not permission to collect everything mentioned below. The information actually needed depends on the service, your circumstances and the stage of your enquiry. You may browse general information without giving us an application file. A service-specific request must explain what is required, why it is needed and the appropriate delivery channel.

3. Information we may handle

• Enquiry information: your name, contact details, service of interest, destination, nationality or current country where relevant, broad travel dates, and the message you choose to share.
• Client and booking information: traveller names, itinerary preferences, booking references, accommodation or transport requirements, emergency contacts and correspondence about your instructions.
• Visa and migration case information: identity and passport information, immigration history, family circumstances, supporting records and application details where necessary for the agreed service.
• Recruitment and au pair information: employment and education history, CV information, references, placement preferences and host or employer details where relevant and lawfully requested.
• Financial and administrative records: quotations, accepted terms, invoices, payment references, billing details, refund instructions and records needed to resolve a dispute. Do not send card security codes, banking passwords or one-time passwords.
• Technical information: IP address, browser and device information, requested pages, request time, referring information where supplied by your browser, and diagnostic or security records generated by hosting or optional services.
• Communications: messages, instructions and documents you send by email, WhatsApp or another agreed channel, and records of any previous enquiries or conversations.

Some records may include sensitive information or information about other people. Do not submit medical, criminal-history, biometric, religious or other special personal information through a general enquiry or chatbot. Where it is necessary for a particular service, ask for a suitable process first.

4. Where information comes from

Information may come directly from you, a person you authorise, an employer or host family involved in your matter, a travel supplier, or an authority dealing with your application. If you act for someone else, explain your authority and make this notice available to them. A group organiser is not automatically entitled to disclose every traveller’s sensitive information.

Tell us if information is inaccurate or your circumstances change. Examples include a replaced passport, a changed contact number, a different travel date or a change affecting immigration status. We may ask you to verify an instruction before changing a booking, releasing a record or sending a refund.

5. Purposes and grounds for processing

We use relevant information to respond to your enquiry, assess the service requested, arrange a consultation, prepare and deliver an agreed service, communicate with the parties involved, administer payments, handle complaints and protect against fraud or misuse. Information collected for one matter must not be used for an unrelated purpose without an appropriate basis and notice.

Under POPIA section 11, processing requires a lawful justification. Depending on the activity, this may be your consent, steps necessary to conclude or perform your contract, a legal obligation, protection of your legitimate interests, or a legitimate interest of Rusetat or another person. Consent is not the only possible basis, and accepting these notices does not amount to unrestricted consent.

Enquiry details are voluntary, but without a reply address or a description of the service we may be unable to help. Certain information becomes necessary for a booking, application or legal obligation. We will distinguish an optional preference from information needed to perform the requested work. Declining optional marketing does not prevent you from buying a service.

6. Enquiry forms, website search and downloads

The public contact form and corporate event brief prepare a message in your current browser page. Completing the fields or pressing “Prepare enquiry” does not automatically submit an application or send an enquiry to Rusetat. You choose whether to open an email message, copy the prepared text or contact us through WhatsApp. Once sent, that communication is handled by the selected service and the recipients.

These forms do not intentionally save your answers to local storage or restore them as a saved client file. Your browser can still offer autofill, keep a page open or retain information through its own settings. Clear information on shared devices. If you download a brief, the downloaded file remains under your control on your device and any synced storage you use.

Website search downloads a public index and matches your search in the browser. The website does not intentionally send your search words to an analytics service. The host still receives ordinary requests for the page and search-index file. Please use search for services and information rather than entering an identity number or confidential case narrative.

7. AI chatbot status, maps and external communication services

AI chatbot coming soon. Ruse AI and the automated visa assessment are not currently available on this website. The Ask Ruse button opens an information panel only. It does not connect to an AI provider, load a chatbot frame or send a question for AI processing.

For individual help, contact the Rusetat team or request a Visa Consultation. Use an agreed channel for sensitive documents. If AI services are introduced later, their processing, providers and applicable choices must be explained before use.

Google Maps is embedded only after you choose to load the map. Loading it connects your browser to Google and may allow Google to receive technical information and use its own cookies or storage. Email, WhatsApp and linked external websites similarly operate under their own terms and privacy notices. See Cookies & website preferences for practical controls.

Disabling the chatbot does not itself erase records of previous conversations. Contact the privacy address if you need assistance with a request concerning information previously shared.

8. Sharing information and service providers

Recipients depend on your instructions. They may include staff working on your matter; the legal adviser assigned to your paid service; airlines, accommodation providers, tour or transfer operators; insurers or brokers you choose; employers, host families or recruitment partners; embassies, consulates, Home Affairs, visa application centres and other authorities; and providers supporting communications, hosting, accounting or technical operations.

Only information needed for the relevant activity should be disclosed. For example, a hotel does not need your entire migration file merely because it is arranging accommodation. Where another party processes information for Rusetat as an operator, POPIA sections 20 and 21 require appropriate confidentiality and written security obligations. Independent suppliers and authorities determine their own retention and statutory duties.

We do not offer personal information for sale. Disclosure can also be necessary for a legal duty, lawful process, the protection of rights or the handling of a dispute. A request from a third party is not, by itself, authority to release your file. We may verify identity, authority and the legal basis before responding.

9. International transfers

International travel and migration can require information to reach a destination-country authority, foreign supplier or overseas adviser. Digital communications and hosting can also involve processing outside South Africa. Do not assume that every system or backup is located in South Africa simply because Rusetat has a South African office.

POPIA section 72 regulates transfers abroad. A transfer needs an applicable legal basis, such as adequate protection under law or binding arrangements, valid consent, or a relevant contractual necessity. We must assess the destination, recipient and purpose rather than treating your use of the website as blanket approval. Ask us before sending sensitive records if you need details of the recipients or countries relevant to your matter.

10. Children and special personal information

A family application or travel booking may involve a child. Provide a child’s information only if you are entitled to do so, and keep it out of public chat. We may need to establish the authority of a parent, guardian or other competent person before acting. A family relationship alone does not settle every question of guardianship or consent.

POPIA sections 26–33 address special personal information and sections 34–35 address children’s information. Where those rules apply, an additional lawful authorisation is needed. Sensitive records should be requested for an identified purpose and supplied through an agreed channel. If an application requires health or criminal-history information, ask what portion is necessary and who must receive it rather than sending an unrestricted file.

11. Retention, restriction and deletion

Retention depends on the record and its purpose. Enquiries must be assessed against the time needed for follow-up; client files against service delivery, application follow-up and disputes; financial records against applicable accounting and tax obligations; and technical logs against security and diagnostic needs. There is no single retention period that is appropriate for every record.

Under POPIA section 14, information must not be kept indefinitely merely because storage is available. When no lawful reason remains, records must be destroyed, deleted or de-identified appropriately. A legal hold or unresolved claim may require retention or restricted use. Request the retention basis for your particular records if you need a specific explanation.

Deletion from an active system may not immediately remove protected backup copies. Any remaining copies must remain protected and not be used for an unrelated purpose. Records held independently by an airline, government authority or other responsible party must be addressed to that party. We can help identify the relevant recipient where appropriate.

12. Security and suspected compromises

POPIA sections 19–22 require reasonable safeguards and appropriate action when information may have been compromised. Safeguards must be proportionate to the risks of the information and the service. No website, messaging platform or storage system can promise absolute security. Do not share passwords or one-time codes, and verify unexpected requests for payments or documents by calling our published number.

Report a suspected disclosure, lost document or suspicious message to admin@rusetatmigration.org, using “Privacy incident” in the subject. Describe what happened and how we can contact you; do not redistribute a compromised file to demonstrate the problem.

Where section 22 applies, the responsible party must notify the Information Regulator and affected people as soon as reasonably possible after discovery, subject to the statutory qualifications. The notice must explain the available information and practical protective steps. South African law does not impose a universal GDPR-style 72-hour rule for every POPIA incident.

The Information Regulator publishes security-compromise notification guidance. Notification and investigation must follow the requirements applicable to the incident, including any lawful restrictions relating to a criminal investigation.

13. Marketing and communication choices

A service update, appointment message or response to your enquiry is different from a promotional campaign. Sending us an enquiry does not subscribe you to unrestricted marketing. For unsolicited electronic direct marketing, POPIA section 69 generally requires consent or the limited existing-customer exception for the responsible party’s own similar offerings, with the required opportunity to object.

You can ask us to stop promotional messages by replying with your preference or contacting our office. Marketing messages must identify the sender and provide a workable opt-out. Withdrawing marketing consent does not cancel an active booking or prevent necessary service communications. A minimal suppression record may be needed to honour your choice rather than contacting you again.

14. Your rights and how to make a request

You may ask whether we hold your personal information, request access, seek correction or qualifying deletion, object where the law allows, withdraw consent for consent-based processing, and complain about unlawful handling. POPIA sections 23–25 and the relevant PAIA procedures govern access and correction. Withdrawal does not undo lawful past processing or remove a separate legal retention duty.

Email the Information Officer through our published contact address. Explain the right you want to exercise, the enquiry or service concerned, and a safe reply channel. We may verify identity or authority using proportionate information. Do not email a full identity document unless an appropriate verification process has been explained. Any permitted fee and the applicable procedure must be explained before a charge is incurred.

We will assess the request under the applicable statutory process and explain any lawful refusal, redaction, extension or retention requirement. PAIA access to a private body’s non-personal records has its own requirements, including the connection to exercising or protecting a right. This privacy notice is not a substitute for a PAIA section 51 manual. Contact the office for the applicable record-access process and manual information.

Where POPIA section 71 applies, you have protection concerning certain decisions based solely on automated processing with legal or substantial effects. Ruse’s suggestions are not an authority’s decision. Request human involvement in a service discussion rather than relying on an automated response to make a binding choice.

15. Complaints, changes and official resources

You may raise a concern directly with us, but this does not remove your right to approach the Information Regulator. Its eServices portal, POPIA forms and current contact details explain the available routes. POPIA complaints can be directed to POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za; PAIA complaints use the Regulator’s PAIA process.

We may update this notice when services, technology or legal requirements change. The version date identifies the current text. A new notice does not retrospectively authorise an incompatible use of information or remove rights already held. For a materially different purpose, the necessary notice and lawful basis must be addressed before that processing starts.

Primary references: POPIA; PAIA; and the Information Regulator’s guidance notes. References explain the applicable framework; they do not assert that an authority has endorsed Rusetat or certified its systems.