Change in Law creates new types of visas for Portugal in 2022; understand

In July of this year, a new law on foreigners was approved in Portugal, aimed at facilitating and complementing the process of immigrants entering and leaving the European country, given that the flow continues to be intense throughout the year. The government’s aim with this new law and its amendments is to reduce some of the bureaucracy involved in documentation processes so that immigration is encouraged in Portugal.

The change came at the end of July this year, when Parliament approved the proposed changes to Law 23/2007 (known as the Foreigners’ Law). In addition to reducing bureaucracy, some other more specific actions were taken, such as abolishing the quota system for immigration and extending the validity of some documents.

With this amendment, several changes have emerged, including new visas that have been permitted and approved and other changes that simplify and cover, for example, remote workers in these new processes.

New visas approved in Portugal’s Foreigners Law

Visa to look for work

A new visa has been created for people who want to go to Portugal to look for work, i.e. who do not yet have a job in the country. As the visa is only for jobseekers, it lasts 120 days, with the possibility of being extended for a further 60 days. Another advantage of this visa is that it has certain benefits, such as making it easier to obtain a residence permit once an employment relationship has been established and formalized for that period.

Temporary stay and residence visas for digital nomads

A temporary stay visa is one that grants permission to reside in Portugal on a temporary basis, while it is not yet possible to apply for or obtain a permanent visa in Portugal. It was created with the so-called digital nomads in mind, professionals who carry out their subordinate professional activity remotely, outside national territory.

Updating and easing the Law on Foreigners in Portugal

Residence visa for studies

Settlement visas have been made easier for those studying in higher education in Portugal. Anyone who can prove that they are linked to a higher education institution no longer needs SEF’s prior opinion. This authorization is valid for two years and can be extended for longer.

Visa simplification for CPLP citizens

Another facility that directly affects Brazilians is the granting of short-stay, temporary stay or residence visas for citizens covered by the Agreement on Mobility between the Member States of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries) is now exempt from SEF’s prior opinion.

Simplification of procedures and increased validity of documents

Documents have also had their deadlines extended, which eases the bureaucracy surrounding them – the residence permit granted to higher education students or researchers, for example, will now be valid for two years, renewable for equal periods.

Conclusion

These are some of the main changes brought about by the new law, which seeks to encourage immigration into the country, bringing both economic and tourist benefits. It is also worth remembering that, in order to clear up any doubts and even to carry out these processes more safely, the advice is to turn to specialized advice and lawyers who can help with any of the visas mentioned above.