Portugal tightens Immigration rules: impact on foreign workers and businesses

The Portuguese government recently announced a plan to tighten immigration controls. 

This plan includes 41 measures focused on four key areas: regulating immigration, attracting skilled talent, facilitating integration for newcomers, and streamlining government processes.

Among the main measures to attract foreign talent, the government intends to create a system that draws human capital aligned with the country's needs. Additionally, it will conduct a "Labor Needs Survey" to better match the supply of foreign workers with actual job demands. Improvements in the process of recognizing foreign qualifications and skills are also planned.

However, this plan's overall focus seems to be on stricter controls.
The first major change taking effect immediately is the elimination of the "Expression of Interest" program. Previously, foreigners could enter Portugal on a tourist visa and then apply for residence permits through this program. Now, non-EU citizens must have an employment contract secured before migrating to Portugal.

This means foreigners with tourist visas can no longer regularize their status within Portugal. They'll need an employment contract or to utilize an existing solution previously obtained through the Portuguese consular network in their own country of origin.

The government has assured that existing "Expression of Interest" applications will still be processed, with some exceptions. Additionally, they aim to address a backlog of 400,000 pending immigration cases.

The "Expression of Interest" system previously helped foreign workers find jobs regardless of their background. Its removal may make moving to Portugal for work more complex and expensive, while companies could face difficulties in hiring international talent.

Additional obstacles can be expected in the future, with the Portuguese Government admitting to limiting access to residence permits to immigrants with work visas or those looking for work and introducing quotas.

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