Home Affairs is hoping to extend its working hours into the weekend in order to deal with backlogs.
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says negotiations are continuing with worker unions to create weekend shifts.
Strides have been made, but the department is still plagued by snaking queues, frequent server problems, disinterested staff and corruption.
Currently, Home Affairs offices close at 3.30pm and are not open on weekends.
The minister wants to change that.
“That’s what we want to do, a shift system that the people who come to work on the weekends must not work during the week, for instance,” Motsoaledi said.
“We’re still negotiating with the unions.”