The definition of a “highly qualified” individual will be established through a decree by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, Labor, and Education.
Alongside the EU Blue Card (a specific residence permit for qualified professionals) and Residence Permits for Investment (formerly known as ‘golden visas’), only highly qualified professionals will have facilitated family reunification processes.
According to the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, the aim of the newly announced legal changes is to establish “strict regulation where the rules are tightened” while maintaining “commitments to humanism.”
A minimum requirement of two years of legal residence will be imposed on those wishing to apply for family reunification, the minister stated at a press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting.
Only minor dependents of candidates residing in Portugal will be eligible for family reunification, thereby excluding the possibility of using this mechanism to regularize the status of individuals in irregular situations in Portugal.
“The visa to come to Portugal without a contract or promise of employment will remain solely for highly qualified individuals,” stated Leitão Amaro.
For this purpose, the government plans to engage with “higher education institutions and their representative organizations” to propose a system inspired by one adopted with employer associations, ensuring entry channels for workers and seeking to provide “predictability and agility when the conditions for attracting talent are met,” the minister said.
Regarding the renewal of residency cards, which the mission structure of the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA) will focus on until October 15, a government source admitted that the “deadline is short,” but emphasized that “it is possible to meet.”
“By October 15, all [immigrants with residency cards] will have received a renewal email or will have registered on the platform,” the source highlighted, noting that in cases where passports and biometric cards are updated, the procedure will be conducted online.
