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The Portuguese government has proposed that the country launches a new route that will offer faster processing of temporary work visas and residence permit applications for foreigners who have received a job offer.
In its proposal, the government said that they are aiming to process these types of applications within a period of 20 days.
However, taking into account the large number of requests that the Portuguese consulates have been receiving and the backlog of applications, there is scepticism that the authorities will be able to provide responses within this given period, Schengen.News reports.
Data show that the Portuguese consulates, especially the one in Brazil, are flooded with applications for work visas. This is causing long delays, which in some cases extend to more than six months.
Commenting on the delays, Immigration lawyer Priscila Corrêa said that consulates do not have enough resources to accommodate all applications, O Globo explains.
The same further stressed that the authorities need to take all the necessary steps to ensure that applicants no longer have to have delays of over six months.
In addition, Portugal’s Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA) is dealing with a large number of applications, which has led to months-long delays.
To help remedy the situation, during a meeting with Portuguese business leaders, the government introduced the so-called “green route” plan to simplify the entry of foreign workers to the country.
Nonetheless, critics have said that this plan will not work unless the country’s consulates and AIMA are organised and adequately staffed.
Brazilians Frustrated With Portugal Visa Delays
Nationals of Brazil have also expressed their frustration about the long waiting period to receive a decision on their visa application.
Some of them said that despite having submitted their applications months ago, they are still waiting for a response from the authorities.
Júlia Schilling Panizzutti is one of the applicants who has been affected by these delays. She disclosed that she had applied for a visa back on August 7, 2024, and is still waiting for a decision.
Júlia explained that in hopes that she would receive her visa faster, she resigned from her job in Brazil, and now she has been left in limbo.
Brazilian students have also complained about the visa delays. A PhD student who has been awarded a scholarship from the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança is facing the same problem.
Source: https://schengen.news/portugals-plan-to-process-work-visas-faster-threatened-by-backlogs/
