Not just that, I will have lost the protections I had for my time in the Schengen area, from the Despacho n.º 12870-C/2021 as my application wouldn’t be from before 2022 anymore.
Apparently I was entered into the Schengen area as a tourist and have overstayed, even though I explained to the immigration agents as I normally do, the new EES system logged me as a Tourist.
So now when I go to leave the eu for work next week, I may get flagged and banned and lose my livelihood as well as access to my home
Pretty scared. I have one week to try and somehow get the immigration record corrected, but if my original application isn’t valid anymore I don’t see how I can….although I also don’t see how they could just close my application without decision.
It is absolutely a final nail in the coffin. It is just too scary to witness this. I feel your pain…and wish you a lot of luck…I am just speechless right now…I am not sure if IRN will ever learn this kind of thing from AIMA…If a citizenship’s application is pending for 3 years, it might possibly be closed and reopened again…
Wow. AIMA never fails to shock me with its incompetence
This isn’t a quick solution, but your horror story might be of interest to Amanda Lima, who often writes about AIMA & IRN in Diário de Notícias (e.g. her email is at the bottom of her story today). DN Brazil also has an “Ask a lawyer” series on Thursdays. A news article might get you the senior-level AIMA attention you probably need for this SNAFU.
I appreciate the support, usually I get a ‘cry me a river’ type response, as I am fortunate to have been able to secure housing from my lifetime of work and saving, while not everyone else gets that same result, and I am here by choice.
But, as you can see, I still don’t have a home to live in, after 5 years of struggling and payments and everything. Or any answers. And now I may lose my job too and it will all finally fall apart for nothing.
I didn’t come up with this idea, I accepted the offer Portugal made, thinking it was what they wanted, that they wanted me to support the economy and to bring my skills here and to integrate and start a life. I’m so sad and tired.
They repeatedly advised me that in my situation it was better to wait, that all was in process and I just had to be patient.
Yesterday, I spoke with a new lawyer, who was very disappointed in the other firm, and was able to resolve what they were unable/unwilling to!
So, to my great surprise, yesterday afternoon I received email that my application was approved and today I attended AIMA to pay for my residency card!
Old firm is fired, new firm is hired…
Now…just to resolve the EES/schengen issue
Amazing that I finally have the card on the way, and I’m so grateful and fortunate my luck turned around yesterday, but it is also a warning of how these things can be stuck/unstuck by fortune and not fairness.
Yes, the lawyers can be slack here. Even if you have a reasonably good one you need to push them and also best to send recorded letters from yourself to AIMA (in Portuguese).
@EverReady thanks for sharing your experience with a new lawyer. Do you mind sharing what lawyer that was? Feel free to DM also, if that would be your preference.
December 2021: Invitation for biometrics issued (discovered in May 2023; previous lawyer did not inform due to claiming COVID-related appointment unavailability).
May 2023: Learned about the December 2021 biometrics invitation.
September 2023: Switched to a new lawyer to handle the case.
October 2023: Appointed another lawyer to sue SEF.
December 2023: Case ruled “not urgent” for a new appointment.
1 August 2024: Scheduled biometric appointment in Lisbon.
5 August 2026: Received the notification to pay the fee, with 31 Aug as the deadline.
26 August 2026: Fees paid ahead of the 31 August deadline by the lawyer.
Finally arrived this part. Hope the cards will arrive soon.
Congratulations on getting this far! I just hope you applied for the citizenship before May 19th of 2026. Otherwise you are facing only about 13 to 15 years prior to getting a passport (that is assuming you will get your card within the next 3 to 6 months).
Sorry, I don’t quite understand: “if applied 3-6 months prior” to what? In the case of @WesL, if he submitted his ARI application in November of 2020, then he could have applied for the citizenship under the old regime prior to May 19th, 2026. The old requirement was to wait 5 years from the date of the application (Nov 2020 in his case). If he did not, then he now has to wait 10 years from the date of his first card that still has not been received (could be another several months to even years), and then about another 3 to 5 years for the citizenship (as per current processing times). Hence the estimate.
If you applied 3-6 months prior to his application date of Nov 2020, you too were eligible to apply for the citizenship prior to May 19th of 2026 under the old regime. Most likely you wait time would be about 3 to 5 years.
I applied in Dec 2020, my second card is expiring mid 2027 for renewal. My family is expecting their second card any time soon, expired mid 2025, biometrics in Jan 2026. We all applied for citizenship before 19 May, mine is Dec 2025 and family in April 2026 when they were due. So @WesL laywers mess him up, big time because once you miss your biometrics appointment, it’s a big problem.
I think @WesL was still eligible to apply for citizenship prior to 19 May 2026 even without the biometric as I understand that the 5 years stay requirement under the old rule started the clock from the submission date of GV application.
