DIÁRIO DE PERNAMBUCO: With the new law, Brazilians will find it easier to work in Portugal

The Assembly of the Republic of Portugal approved this Thursday (21) a bill that facilitates the entry and stay of foreigners in the country. With this, citizens who are part of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), including Brazil, will be able to obtain special visas to work in Portuguese lands. The authorization will be valid for 120 days, and can be renewed for another 60. The so-called digital nomads will be able to apply for residence for up to three years in Portugal, a benefit that will be extended to family members. The new rules only depend on regulation by the Portuguese government to come into force.

With the changes in the law, those interested in working in Portugal will be able to apply for special visas directly at Portuguese embassies or consulates. Today, this process is extremely bureaucratic and time-consuming, as it is done through the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), a body that has lost more than 300 employees in recent years and has more than 160,000 processes under analysis. The Portuguese government's bet is to attract labor to boost the economy, which grows slowly and suffers from the rapid aging process of the population.

But let it be clear: it will not be a visa spree, as it is sold through social networks and by those who offer facilities. People who apply for jobs in Portugal will have to present return tickets and prove that they are able to stay in the country if they cannot find a job within the period of validity of the special authorization. Foreigners who benefit from the new rules will be registered with the local Federal Revenue, Social Security and Health System. Under current rules, foreigners who intend to work in Portugal must present a contract with a local company. With the new rules, those interested will be able to enter the country and then look for a job.

It is also worth mentioning that Portugal suffers from very high inflation, close to 9% a year, with skyrocketing rents and property values. Interest rates also point upwards. Today, it is possible to find thousands of foreign workers, especially Brazilians, living in sub-human conditions. As they don't earn enough to have decent housing, they rent space in beds to sleep. That is, those who work during the day pay to sleep at night. And vice versa. It is also constant to see foreigners begging in the streets, unable to return to their countries of origin.

According to Ana Catarina Mendonça Mendes, Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, the new law will give more dignity to foreigners working in Portugal, as everyone will be in good standing. Today, many people enter the country as tourists and take the opportunity to look for a job, remaining in limbo after 90 days. From the regulation of the new law, those interested in living and working in the European country will be able to count on legal protection. But all will undergo intense inspection, she guaranteed.

Those who manage to spend the 180 days employed may request an extension of the temporary visa for two years and even permanent residence in the country, provided that all requirements are met. The facilities will be extended to higher education students who wish to enroll in Portuguese universities. They will also be able to apply for visas at consulates and embassies in their countries, without going through the SEF bureaucracy. However, it will be necessary to prove enrollment in institutions in Portugal. “The new law is based on three fundamentals: welcoming and taking good care of those arriving in Portugal, ensuring more agility in granting visas and encouraging the dynamization of the Portuguese economy”, said the minister.

Portugal, despite the advances of recent years, remains a middle-income country. The minimum wage, at 705 euros (about R$ 4 thousand), is one of the lowest in Europe, does not pay rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Lisbon. The government's promise is to raise this salary floor to 900 euros in the coming years. The health system, which was once exemplary, is overloaded, to the point that surgeries and deliveries are suspended. In Social Security, queues and confusion are constant. Older Portuguese are, in part, against foreigners.

In the opinion of lawyer Thiago Huver, partner at Martins Castro, the law that creates the temporary work visa came in the context of several public policies of the Portuguese State aimed at reducing the “demographic winter” (aging of the population) and attracting more people to the country. country. “Today, Portugal has the lowest birth rate in Europe, 24% of the inhabitants are over 65 years old and pensioners are almost 4 million”, he said. For him, this new type of visa will guarantee greater control to the authorities over migration and may reduce the illegality of people who enter the country as a tourist and are looking for work and better living conditions.

• Who can apply for a work visa today: foreign candidates who have a contract, promise or declaration of employment from a Portuguese company while still in their country of origin;
• Visa approval depends on the existence of vacancies not filled by nationals or residents in Portugal and the European Union.
• There is also a control of the global contingent of vacancies offered to foreigners (a limited number per region of the country), controlled by the government.
• Validity time – general: 120 days, with the permission of two entries in Portugal. Then, the residence permit for 1 year;

• Promise of contract, employment contract or declaration of work of a Portuguese company
• Travel insurance
• valid passport
• Proof of livelihood
• Proof of accommodation

• The new authorization allows people who are still looking for job opportunities in Portugal to do so while being present in Portuguese national territory (art. 57-A)
• It is important to highlight that the visa for those who manage to be hired before arriving in Portugal still exists. What will no longer exist is the control of the number of vacancies for these visas (art. 59 – visa for subordinate work)
• Portugal creates a differentiated and more beneficial treatment for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries, both in the case of the visa for looking for work and for the subordinate work visa.
• Visa applications can be made directly at Portuguese consulates and embassies, no longer needing to go through the SEF in Portugal.
• Consulates can only reject the visa if the applicant does not gather the basic general documents (subsistence, accommodation, passport, travel insurance) and if there is any restriction prohibiting entry in the SIS (Schengen Information System).
• In theory, these benefits will make visas process faster.

• Those looking for a job
• Those who do not have entry restrictions in Portugal
• Those with basic documents, such as a valid passport

• Contract validity period: 120 days, extendable for a further 60 days, with permission to enter Portugal.
• Afterwards, the beneficiary can use the residence permit for two years if there is an employment contract.
• If the applicant cannot find a job within a maximum period of 180 days, he will have to return to his country of origin. In that case, you will only be able to apply for a new visa after 1 year of validity of the previously granted authorization.

• valid passport
• Proof of livelihood
• Proof of accommodation
• Travel insurance