The objective, according to Expresso, is to make it so they can only access the residence permit if they enter Portugal with a visa to obtain a residence permit or work visa.

The government of Luís Montenegro fears that this facility provided for in bilateral agreements with Brazil and Timor-Leste could become a kind of “light expression of interest”. No one has yet had access to this regime, because the regulation of the law has not been finalized, but the entry of several thousand lawsuits in court to force the Integration, Migration and Asylum Agency (AIMA) to analyse the requests has set off alarm bells.

However, these changes do not imply the suspension of the CPLP agreement or changes in visas or CPLP residence permits preceded by consular visas. The Government intends to act only on requests made in national territory, which are not based on any visas or tourist visas. Brazilian and Timorese citizens will still be able to travel to Portugal without a visa, but they will not be able to initiate a regularisation request.