The government of Portugal wants to limit the issuance of work-seeking visas to highly qualified foreign nationals only.
According to the programme presented by the new Portuguese government on Saturday, such a measure is necessary in order to keep migration to the country under control, Schengen.News reports.
As Publico explains, the adoption of such a mechanism to limit work-seeking visas to skilled foreign workers only would help the country to attract and retain those who are needed the most for the economy.
It is necessary to adopt mechanisms and procedures that promote and privilege the attraction and retention of highly qualified talent from abroad, including Portuguese emigrants and people of Portuguese descent.
Portugal has been a popular destination for job seekers over the years, especially for nationals of Brazil. The country has been seeing large numbers of arrivals, with data showing that between 2017 and 2024, the number of foreign residents rose from 421,000 to 1.6 million.
While the government acknowledges that foreign workers play an important role, it stressed that proportional measures need to be taken.
It is yet to be seen whether the plan to restrict job-seeking visas will be given the green light and the impact it will have on Portugal’s economy.
Portugal Also Planning to Tighten Language Requirements for Renewal of Certain Residence Permits
In addition to the above-mentioned, Portugal also wants to introduce stricter language requirements for the renewal of certain types of residence permits.
According to Publico, Portuguese language proficiency may become a mandatory condition for migrants to renew their residency in order to prevent “the formation of communities that are closed off to integration” and to ensure that everyone respects “constitutional values”.
The government has proposed several other measures, with one of them also being the creation of a new fast and efficient regime for the removal of foreign nationals in an irregular situation in Portugal.
It is unacceptable for Portugal to return to a state of uncontrolled immigration, where the State does not know who is in the country, where they are, what their criminal background is, and what they are doing.
While many foreigners will be affected by the new rules, it has been explained that the most affected will be Brazilian nationals, with a large number of them currently living in Portugal.
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