I am not the primary candidate but preapproved March 21, 2023 and just got an appointment this morning scheduled in Porto for June 1. My husband was preapproved in February 2023 and has his appointment on May 31 also Porto. We both applied December 22 2021.
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Congrats everyone, make sure you make your appointment and make sure you bring boarding passes or proof of how you got to your appointment! They ask every time it seems, and lawyers don’t always tell you to bring it
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Does SEF send the invitation for biometrics simulteniously to all applicants? I mean, if I have not received the invitation till now, than no chances for current slots?
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They send it to a selected pool of pre-approved applicants.
They claim the selection is made on a chronological basis of the initial applications, so e.g. now they probably invited anyone who submitted in Dec 2021 (and already pre-approved).
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It seems this batch is pretty chaotic… There are still plenty of late Dec 2021 applicants who aren’t yet pre-approved. Others have had the email but find the latest appointment is 1st or 2nd June, and they have no time to get a visa. The previous two batches seemed more orderly in comparison.
So, I applied in Dec 21, approved in April 23, No invitation for biometrics((
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You were 2nd December 2021 I think? There are people who applied later and were pre-approved later, but have been invited now. It’s a mystery how SEF has decided who to pick on this occasion.
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Yep, I applied on Dec 2, 2021
Have you double-checked with your lawyer?
They must receive the notification.
In my case both myself and my lawyer received an email notification from SEF but I have my own portal access.
I checked with my lawyer&I also have the access to SEF portal , no invitation(
I would strongly suspect you got in in an earlier batch and your lawyer missed it
But who knows, the sef could just continue to be incompetent
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Hi, it’s me again (the guy got the pre-approval in Feb 2021). I finally managed to get the information from my lawyer that I DID indeed get the invitation on 28/12/2021 to give the biometrics in January 2022!!! Surprise!!!
The sad fact is that my lawyer did not tell me about that in Dec 2021 and also did not tell me about this until now!!! My lawyer explained that it was the time of COVID in Dec 2021 and thus he believed that we cannot travel to Portugal.
So, that’s why my case got stuck. Any recommendation?
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I find it shameful that applicants are deceived (and decisions made without their knowledge) by their lawyers, because they do not have direct access to the ARI portal. It was your decision to make to come to Portugal for the SEF biometrics, or not. Unfortunately, I have not seen any person who failed to appear for an existing appointment get a “new” appointment except through litigation.
The only exception I have seen was when SEF had a strike (over the Easter break this year) and did not appear at their offices for the biometrics, and then later offered a rescheduled appointment.
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It looks like this round of invitation won’t benefit us, investors who have been waiting for years for an appointment. If you have decided to sue SEF (and would like to join me and other folks in the same boat), please drop me a message with your email. thank you!
Anyone that wasn’t informed of the appointment invite or whose lawyers let them sit in limbo for years should be suing their lawyers too. Disgraceful
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Hi everyone!
My preapproval was March 8, 2023. My lawyer booked my SEF appointment yesterday for June 16 in Lisbon.
Of course I am going, - flying from Canada in the hight of the tourist season! So I see from the forum information that GV applicants with SEF appointments Lisbon are waiting from 6 to 12 months to get their residency cards. Correct?
Thanks,
Wendy
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People getting their cards now have waited 9-11 months since biometrics, but there’s no telling how the wait period may develop going forward.
Out of curiosity, what was the date your initial application was filed?
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Hi Chris:
Thanks for your response!
My GV application was made December 16, 2021.
Wendy
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My lawyer informed me today that I will need a new criminal record check done in Canada, and that it must be notarized by a Portuguese consulate in Canada for my SEF appointment in three week in Lisbon. There is no way I will have this document before I leave Canada, as it is about a 6 week process. How disappointing after waiting 17 months for my SEF appointment!
How will this affect the processing of my residency card? I assume the processing will be delayed until the notarized criminal record check is received by the SEF office? Can the document be submitted on line?
Thanks,
Wendy
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Hi Wendy, my understanding is that that missing docs at the biometric appointment can be submitted afterwards. I would start the process of getting the criminal record check in Canada, go to your appointment, then submit the doc asap after your appointment.
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