Visa to look for work in Portugal not yet in force

As widely reported by the international press, the Council of Ministers of Portugal has just approved the project to change the law on foreigners, in order to create new modalities of visa, including a visa that enables the legal entry of foreigners who wish to come to look for work in the country. The initial proposal is that this visa will be valid for 120 days, and may be renewed for another 60 days, for a total of 180 days.

The news had great repercussion and increased the interest of those who wanted to seek new opportunities in Portugal. However, it is worth pointing out that this new visa is not yet in force and that the proposal will still be sent to the Portuguese Parliament, where it may be approved/rejected or be subject to changes. However, since it was a bill presented by the Socialist Party, which holds the absolute majority of the deputies, it is quite likely that it will be approved. Also There is no forecast of when it can be effectively put into practiceThere is also no forecast of when it can actually be put into practice, nor any further details on the procedures that will be necessary to apply for it.

The visa for work search is one of the proposals contained in the diploma approved by the Council of Ministers, which also includes other measures, such as the creation of a residence visa aimed at digital nomads. In addition, the government wants to speed up the issuance of study visas for higher education students, dispensing the obligation of a previous opinion from SEF for those who have already been admitted in an educational institution in national territory, reducing the waiting time of students.

Another change is related to the “priority principle” rule, which establishes a deadline for companies to prioritise the hiring of Portuguese, European Community workers or foreigners with regular residence in the country. The rule imposes a 30-day limit for filling job vacancies before they are opened to professionals from outside Europe. The new deadline will be only 15 days.

The government’s aim is to speed up the issuing of visas, as well as simplify and debureaucratise the mobility of foreign workers in the country, in response to the severe labour shortage in Portugal, which affects several sectors of the economy, especially tourism and agriculture.

While the new visa for work search is not in force, and interpreting that this change may take some time to be implemented, we guide our clients to seek alternatives in force. If you want to prepare yourself for a new journey in Portugal, talk to one of our consultants and find out which is the safest way.