South Africa’s “critical skills visa” is the Critical Skills Work Visa.

It’s designed for occupations on the published Critical Skills List; scoring 100 points can be achieved simply by being in a listed occupation, then you still submit SAQA evaluation, professional registration where required, and a suitable employment contract.

A “work permit” usually refers to the General Work Visa, used when the job is not on the Critical Skills List. Under the points-based rules, you must also reach 100 points, but you typically rely on a combination of salary, qualifications, experience, language and—importantly—an offer from a Trusted Employer.

The general route is usually harder and more employer-dependent; the critical-skills route is more targeted and often faster to justify in practice.