Portugal News

The Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) is preparing a response to legalize around 170,000 immigrants from countries outside the European and Portuguese-speaking area with pending cases, said the Minister of Internal Administration today.

The Council of Ministers approved, this Thursday, the creation of the Portuguese Agency for Minorities, Migrations and Asylum (APMMA), which will replace the Aliens and Borders Service (SEF) after its extinction, as well as the High Commission for Migrations.

"The Council of Ministers approved today the creation of the Portuguese Agency for Minorities, Migration and Asylum (APMMA) which succeeds the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) and the High Commission for Migrations in terms of reception and migration", announced the Minister of the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva.

Strike by SEF inspectors threatened to cause severe disturbances at airports over the Easter period.

The SEF Research and Inspection Career Union (SCIF/SEF) suspended this Thursday the first day of the strike scheduled until April 10 to await the decisions of the Council of Ministers on the restructuring of the service.

Citizens can access the 'CPLP portal' through the SEF and ePortugal.gov websites.

The approximately 150,000 immigrants from Portuguese-speaking countries in Portugal with cases pending at the SEF can, as of this Monday, obtain a residence permit automatically through the 'CPLP portal'.
The new platform for obtaining a residence permit in Portugal for citizens of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) within the scope of the mobility agreement between the Member States of the organization was presented on Friday by the Foreigners and Borders Service ( SEF).

The virtual platform will be available Monday morning and will benefit thousands of Brazilians and Africans from the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP)

The Portuguese government presented the digital platform that will allow the automatic regularization of the authorization and renewal of residence processes.

The virtual platform will be available Monday morning on the website of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) and on eportugal.gov.

The European Commission (EC) has announced the possibility of a further extension until 2025 of the EU directive on temporary protection for the reception of Ukrainian refugees.

“The Temporary Protection Directive has proven to be an essential instrument to provide immediate protection in the EU and it should remain part of the toolbox available to the European Union in the future,” according to the EC communique published in Brussels on Wednesday.

Requests for Portuguese nationality now have the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool that allows the service to be done online, through automatic validation  of the authenticity of the documents . In the first phase of the project, the online order will have to be made by representatives.

Portuguese government publishes decree that makes life easier for CPLP citizens, who have been waiting for two years for a document that will allow them to get formal jobs, open bank accounts and rent real estate

The new law published in the Diário da República (DRE), also establishes what has become known as a “Digital Nomad Visa”. The initiative will be granted to professionals who work for companies outside the country in highly qualified categories, either under contract or independently. The foreseen condition is that the link with the company is proven. Further details on the new visa are not yet available.

Portugal has already granted more than 50,000 temporary protections, of which 27% covered minors, the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) revealed on Monday.

According to a note released by the SEF, so far 50,632 temporary protections have been granted to Ukrainian citizens and foreigners residing in that country, divided between 30,309 women and 20,323 men.

The municipalities with the highest number of temporary protections awarded continue to be Lisbon (10,763), Cascais (3,020), Porto (2,450), Sintra (1,733) and Albufeira (1,264).