Initially, delivery is being made in Lisbon, but only for those who did not collect the card at the Post Office because they were not at home at the time of delivery.
Residence permits returned after attempted delivery by the Post Office will be delivered in person to immigrants. The call is being made via email and dozens have already been delivered this week.
This work began in Lisbon, where the mission structure headquarters and the largest service center are located. There is a possibility of extending the delivery to Porto next week.
At least 300 cards are in Lisbon for collection. Delivery is only for those who are called. Others who arrive without being called will not be served.
Currently, most of the people called are for the renewal of the residence permit of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), totaling 110 thousand immigrants. People covered by the transitional regime are also being assisted .
Since the beginning of the campaign, the service has only been provided to people with prior appointments or summons. This is the case, for example, for those who need to bring documents additionally requested in the processes.
Delays
Immigrants who were assisted at the beginning of the campaign, in September, complain that they have not yet received the card at home. Another criticism is that there is no way to check the progress of the process. Secretary of State Rui Armindo Freitas assured that people “will receive [the residence permit] in good time” and that “they should calmly wait for the card”.
The legal deadline is 90 business days. According to Freitas, of the 235,000 people served since September, around 40,000 have already received a decision. Of these, around 26,000 documents are already being issued. The first cards were delivered at the end of January. This number will also include the 110,000 people called to exchange their CPLP card - 40,000 of whom have already been served since last month.