On October 29, 2023, Portugal’s immigration agency moved SEF to AIMA Portugal. The intention was to reduce the waiting time for applications because the new immigration office, AIMA, would be more capable of processing them in the expected period.
Although the AIMA has yet to satisfy expectations, there is finally hope for optimizing the process, and it appears that with the recent statement, Portugal passvisa applications will be processed in a timely way.
Government’s announcement on 25th June, 2024: The Portuguese Council of Ministers has passed a Resolution to establish a “Mission Structure for the Recovery of Pending Cases” at AIMA, which will analyze and decide on pending cases of foreigner regularization.
The Mission Structure will be operational until June 2, 2025, with up to 300 staff providing administrative processing and applicant assistance. The Portuguese government has also adopted the Migration Action Plan. AIMA aims to generate a mission to extend the validity of passports and visas by one year, until June 30, 2025.
In June 2024, the Portuguese Prime Minister announced an Action Plan for Migrations, which will impact the current state of the Portuguese immigration framework. The Government’s Action Plan addresses four areas of concern: immigration regulation, attracting foreign talent, immigrant integration, and institutional reorganization.
The government seems willing to address the existing backlog and establish a transitional regime to handle applications already submitted under the expression of interest system.
How Will the New Action Plan Affect Your Application?
The Portuguese government’s new strategy plans to reduce the backlog in the immigration system. If the number of staff at significant consulates increases, the government’s goal of processing applications efficiently will become a reality. All in all, this is good news for applicants whose processes were slowed by the perfect storm of COVID-19, the Ukraine-Russia war, and a significant increase in the volume of applications and service strikes.
Some of the measures announced are especially related to reducing the waiting times for the evaluations of visa applications. Measure 4 involves creating a task force to resolve pending processes, divided into hiring, training, online analysis, and in-person conclusion, using facilities outside the Immigration Office. Measure 35 strengthens AIMA’s human and technological resources.
Other Innovative Strategies in the Action Plan: Social Investment for Immigrant Integration
One of the initiatives under the broader Action Plan for Migrations is the “intermediation and accreditation of social investment” via the Fund for Asylum, Migration, and Integration (FAMI). António Leitão Amaro described social investment as a novel concept that uses investing to promote solidarity and redistribution.
Among 42 measures announced in the Action Plan, measure 32 proposes an intermediary system potentially managed by FAMI to link investors with philanthropic organizations working on social causes. The system aims to channel the private capital into social investment in immigrant integration projects, such as investments in reception equipment and infrastructure, integration projects, and assistance for immigrants in vulnerable situations.
The details of the social investment program are still being formulated, so some questions remain unanswered. We are waiting for the expected official announcements to learn about the details.
A Potential Win-Win
Portugal’s new approach holds promise for investors. The plan will take time to impact the identified pending cases. However, it is rewarding to realize that the inputs provided by the various market players are being heard. We can understand that the Portuguese government is working on strengthening resources, simplifying procedures, digitalization, decentralization, and challenging investment in Portugal’s identified needs.
You can see the full announcement of the Portuguese government here.
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