Portugal Aims to Reserve Work-Seeking Visas for Highly Qualified Professionals
Key Highlights
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Portugal is considering restricting job-seeker visas exclusively to highly qualified migrants.
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The aim is to better manage migration flows by prioritising skilled talent and limiting access for low-skilled workers.
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Additional measures under discussion include stricter language requirements for residence permit renewals and tighter regulations on family reunification.
The Portuguese government has unveiled plans to revise its immigration policies by restricting the issuance of job-seeking visas to only highly qualified foreign professionals.
Outlined in the new government programme presented over the weekend, the proposed changes are intended to bring migration under tighter control while ensuring that Portugal remains attractive to the talent most essential to its economic growth.
“Mechanisms and procedures must be adopted to encourage and prioritise the attraction and retention of highly qualified talent from abroad — including Portuguese emigrants and individuals of Portuguese descent,”
— Excerpt from the government programme
Over recent years, Portugal has become a top destination for job seekers, particularly from Brazil. Between 2017 and 2024, the number of foreign residents in the country surged from 421,000 to 1.6 million. While acknowledging the contributions of foreign workers, the government emphasises the need for balanced, proportional policies to manage this growth sustainably.
It remains to be seen if the proposed restrictions will be approved and what economic impact they might have in the long term.
Tougher Language and Integration Requirements Proposed
In addition to tightening job-seeker visa rules, the government is also proposing stricter language requirements for renewing certain types of residence permits.
As reported by Público, these changes aim to strengthen integration by requiring proof of Portuguese language proficiency. The move is intended to prevent the development of isolated communities and ensure that migrants share the country's constitutional values.
The government is also planning to implement a more efficient legal process for removing individuals residing in Portugal without legal status.
“It is unacceptable for Portugal to revert to a state of uncontrolled immigration, where authorities are unaware of who is in the country, where they are, their criminal history, or their activities,”
— Government statement
If enacted, the changes are likely to affect a broad range of migrants, with Brazilian nationals among those most impacted, given their significant presence in Portugal.