With the new regime for the entry of foreigners into Portugal, which comes into force on Sunday, the government intends to provide safe migration and avoid illegal networks, said Minister of State for Equality and Migration Lusa.
“Portugal, by dedicating a visa to searching for work, specifically provides an accessible way to travel safely. This is a concern and priority for the government: anyone who comes to Portugal, to set up their life here, can do so through safe immigration routes,” she explained Isabel Almeida Rodriguez.
The new system for the entry of immigrants into Portugal comes into force on Sunday, with a six-month visa for a foreigner looking for work in the country.
This visa to search for work in Portugal is valid for 120 days and can be extended for another 60 days, and is granted at Portuguese consular posts, which are immediately connected to the Service for Foreigners and Borders and the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP).
According to the new law, in order to apply for a visa to search for work, it is necessary to declare the conditions of residence in Portugal and to prove that the declaration of expression of interest has been submitted for registration with the IEFP and possession of subsistence means equivalent to three minimum monthly wages.
Citizens of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) will also have a visa facilitation system in Portugal, within the scope of the Mobility Agreement between the CPLP Member States.
According to the decree, CPLP citizens can obtain a work search or CPLP residence visa, and they are exempted from submitting valid travel insurance, proof of means of living, copy of return ticket and submitting in person to apply.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted the legal mechanism, considering that there is “no reason” for a foreigner who wants to come to Portugal to look for work to subject himself to illegal networks.
We are talking about a visa obtained from our consular network, where the person guides the application and then goes to the services to continue the process. I do not think that the process that is developed with the consular network, which forces the connection between the person who intends to come to Portugal and our consular network, can be more suitable for a smuggling network than the absence of this mechanism,” he said.
The foreign minister responded to some immigrant associations in Portugal, who warned that this new mechanism could encourage illegal networks.
For the administrator, “It will be much easier for networks to operate in a context where this mechanism does not exist.”
“I don’t think it can be said that the presence of the visa is more favorable than the absence of it,” he added.
Changes to the legal regime for the entry, stay, departure and removal of foreign nationals from national territory establish “procedures that allow the attraction of orderly and integrated immigration, for the development of the country, change the way in which the public administration relates to immigrants and ensure the conditions for the integration of immigrants.”
The new system puts an end to the quota system for immigration, makes it easier to obtain a residence visa for foreign students attending higher education in Portugal and allows nomads to be granted a residence permit or temporary residence visa.
The latest data from the SEF indicated that the number of foreign residents residing in Portugal exceeds 800,000 people, and the Brazilian population is considered the largest, estimated at more than 250,000 people.
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