So, this one is really funny but i guess it is what it is.
Here are rough timelines:
investement - last week of December 2021
Biometrics - October end 2023 in Faro
Approval for main applicant - Aug 2024
Card issued for main Applicant - Oct 2024
On Oct 23 2024 we got an email that the spouse and kid approval came in and we must make payment of 12,090 for these two cards
Nov 14 we sent a wire and sent email to Attorney and they confirmed they got the payment
Nov 30 we got email
Just to inform you that we are waiting for the Immigration services to put available to reference for the payment. Hope that happens next week.
Dec 20th we were inform the fees has been paid for spouse and kid
Jan 22 we were told they will request update from immgiration, we were told to sign POA by spouse and kid so attorney can request update from immigration using the POA
Feb 5 2025 - we signed and sent both POA
No update since then - No reply to emails, no whatsapp, no text messages
I am really shocked, because we have had great experience with this law firm since Dec 2021 when we originally met. They sent their rep to meet us in Faro and help us with biometrics and it was really great.
is there a way to contact immigration directly ourserlves and find status of those two cards?
There is a way of course to contact AIMA directly, but in this situation they would probably refer you back to your lawyer anyway (if AIMA ever replies to you that is…)
So I’d say you need to pursue the response from your lawyer by whatever methods still remaining, i.e. call them on the phone and/or visit their office in person.
I am not there yet, i want to try everything before naming and shaming them. They might just be dealing with something i don’t know. Life happens, hope everyone is safe
I think methods matter here. How did you reach out and not get a response?
Did you email, did you call, did you visit their office. If the office is bigger than one person, did you try someone else at the firm? My attorneys do not always respond to emails, but if I call, I either get them or get call back. Reminder the culture of Portugal might be different than you are used to.
Maybe they are active in this forum, perhaps just a co-incidence but we got a reply to text saying both spouse and kids card was received by them in March and they are mailing it to us.
Main applicant card printed in Oct 24
Spouse and kid card printed in Mar 25
All cards valid for 2 years
I guess now we need to spend more than 14 days before Oct 2026 in Portugal. I think we are going to end up doing a month or so.
My family and I endured an even slower process than you did. I think that’s because we were with SEF/AIMA in Lisbon (though my law firm was more responsive thankfully).
By the way, should we still do only 14 days stay in Portugal anytime in the next 2 years? I mean is that it; despite the fact that we are now counting the post-biometric years of waiting towards nationality? Any longer stay requirement for those couple of years of waiting as the time now counts?