The Portuguese government announced this Wednesday (22) the suspension of the issuance of work search visas, a measure that comes into force this Thursday (23) and affects all Portuguese consulates, including in Brazil.
The decision is part of and sanctioned on the 16th by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the current visa model “no longer exists in the manner previously defined by law”. The government informed that the format will be replaced by a new visa aimed exclusively at “highly qualified” professionals, whose eligibility criteria are yet to be detailed.
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The objective, according to the official statement, is to “align migration policy with the country’s needs”, focusing on areas with the greatest demand for labor.
Impact for Brazilians
Brazilians are the group that most requests the work search visa, created in 2024 as an alternative for legal entry into Portugal after the end of the expression of interest mechanism.
The current model allows foreigners to stay in the country for 120 days, extendable for another 60, while they look for a job. Orders already delivered by October 22nd will continue to be evaluated according to the old rules.
The Ministry also informed that, according to the new legislation, requests sent from October 23rd will not be accepted and will be returned to the applicants by the company VFS Global, responsible for intermediating consular processes.
Migration policy
In an interview with the Portuguese newspaper Publicthe Deputy Secretary of State for Labor, Adriano Rafael Moreira, stated that the definition of “highly qualified” will be broad and may include technical professions, such as locksmiths and electricians.
“A locksmith can be highly qualified,” said Moreira, indicating that the government’s intention is to value specific professional skills, not just university training.
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The tightening of rules is part of a package of migration measures by the Democratic Alliance (AD), a center-right coalition led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
In addition to the end of the work search visa, the package establishes new conditions for family reunification: the immigrant will need to prove one year of legal residence in Portugal and one year of cohabitation with their spouse before requesting the move. The exception only applies to families with minor or dependent children.
New phase
The decision represents a turnaround in Portugal’s migration policy, which had been adopting a more open stance since 2022, a period in which it registered a record number of legalized immigrants, most of them of Brazilian origin.
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With the new model, the country tends to restrict the entry flow and prioritize specialized labor, approaching the migration policies of other European Union countries, which have been reviewing rules in light of the high demand for public services and the growth of irregular immigration.