Portugal to issue work visas in less than one month

Portugal plans to streamline the process of granting work visas to migrant workers, aiming to issue them in less than a month.

This initiative is part of the country’s efforts to address severe labour shortages, requiring between 50,000 to 100,000 international workers annually.

The need for the large influx of international workers was highlighted in a recent survey conducted by the General Union of Workers, which analysed various sectors of the labour market.

This move to expedite work visas comes in response to widespread reports of long delays in obtaining visas in Portugal, which have hindered the work visa process of migrant workers.

“Portugal aims to grant work visas to immigrants in less than a month”, António Leitão Amaro, Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, said.

Visa delays have persisted for those interested in reaching Portugal, including for work purposes.

Local media reports indicated that waiting times for foreigners to obtain a visa for Portugal had increased significantly, especially for applicants from certain countries with delays sometimes reaching up to six months.

Read also: Top 10 work visa pathways for skilled professionals in 2024

These prolonged delays had been attributed to the increased strain on Portuguese embassies and consulates following the abolishment of the Expression of Interest programme in June of last year.

This programme previously allowed individuals to enter Portugal as tourists and subsequently apply to work legally.

In response to these issues, employers urged the Portuguese government to expedite the visa process, warning that prolonged worker shortages could hamper the country’s economic growth. They emphasised that in the construction sector alone, an estimated 80,000 workers are needed to meet demand.

Consular prepares for prompt services

However, some immigration lawyers have mentioned that Portugal’s government’s proposal to issue work visas in less than a month is unrealistic.

“Today, it takes months to get a visa. Just 50 more employees in the various consulates will not solve the problems. Portugal has many consulates,” Elizabeth Lima, an immigration lawyer said.

According to Lima, there are not enough resources that would permit authorities in Portugal to achieve the goal of issuing visas in such a short period of time.

Regardless of this, consular services are required to issue a statement on whether or not they are able to grant a visa within 20 days.

“We have made our commitment, and you can make yours. We have added 50 more employees to the consular posts, we have accelerated the response capacity of AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum), and we have guaranteed a response time”, the representative at the Consular office said.