Thank you! I hope so too, as I expect they canāt be far off. We have a family holiday booked to PT in July and Iām hoping we have the cards by then so those days count. Iām guessing weāre going to be approved just after that tripā¦
Some of us applied for the GV because the entire D7 process was shut down due to Covid. The estimate for processing once prelim
Approval was granted was 6 months. 2 1/2 years later and living in Portugal, Im still waiting.
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Update! This timeline is a bit more complicated than some others.
Application (main): 24 November 2021
Application (+3 family): 29 November 2021
Pre-Approval (main): 29 July 2022
Pre-Approval (+1 family): 12 August 2022
Pre-Approval (+2 family): 23 August 2022
Biometrics (+3 family: Porto): 30 January 2023
Biometrics (main: Lisbon): 9 February 2023
Summons Filed: 16 November 2023
Judge Ruled (Denied): 12 January 2024
Summons Filed Again: 5 February 2024
Judge Ruled (Approved): 3 April 2024
Additional Document Requested: 16 April 2024
DUC issued (main): 6 May 2024
Iāll keep updating here until all of the family ones are issued as well, then it is over to the Stage 5 thread, I guess (though, honestly, Iām still reading every thread in the PGV section of the board, like a crazy person).
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You were on pretty much date for date the same timeline as us except your first summons was denied and we filed a month after you. You clearly did the right thing by filing again. Congratulations on your outcome.
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Huge congratz. You timeline is a perfect example to show that āif you fail (with first lawsuit), keep trying (another lawsuit)ā 
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Such a relief! We can actually start to plan our trips to Portugal now that will count for our days, and not just for fun, which is nice!
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Thanks! I must say, I was pretty discouraged after the first lawsuit failed, so this is a very happy outcome!
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This question may have been asked earlier but I canāt find a clear answer.
Does anyone know the timing of how long after the first family member receives their residency card for the spouse to get their biometrics and then card? As a married couple, we both want to live together in the same country. We feel it is pretty strange both applications arenāt processed at the same time.
Obrigado for any insight.
You shouldnāt need to wait for the first card to do biometrics for your spouse, something is fā ā ā y
biometrics can be at the same time. Card issuance usually follows by a few weeks after the primary personās is issued. Mine issued Feb/Spouse March 2024
We (spouse and I) had biometrics appts a couple weeks apart but that was because I was already in PT and spouse had to travel there. I think we could have had same date (this is Sept '22) if we were both available.
Yah thatās what I think. But our Legal Representative said I first have to get my card (currently 18 months (Oct 22) and waiting since Biometrics in Lisbon) before they can take my wifeās biometrics.
You are doing something weird. I canāt say whether it will be faster or not going a different route, but itās absolutely not true that you canāt do biometrics together.
My wife and I did biometrics the same day, shortly after we were both pre approved
Perhaps your lawyer is taking you on a different route, but most people here are doing something like what I did and not what youāre doing
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Congrats! Amazing to see that someone actually gets their docsš¤£
Here is my timeline:
Application Dec30 2021
Pre-approval Jan 04 2024
No updates since then
Hope to complete the process in the next 3 years, but it starting to look less likely every day
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Your legal representative gave you inaccurate information. I did my biometrics in Lisbon the same day as my 3 dependents (Nov. 2022). Sadly, inaccurate legal advice seems to be depressingly frequent with respect to GV applicants.
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I really didnāt want to have to file a lawsuit, but thatās what got things moving - otherwise we would definitely still be twiddling our thumbs. 
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Yes, I was afraid that was the case even though I specifically asked them if we could both give our biometrics at the same time.
Iām one month ahead of you, did you get your residency card?
Hiā¦Just curious. What worked the second time and not the first time? Meaning, if you changed something, what did you change from first to the second? Thanks
We added a bit more text about the context for the urgency of the request (age of dependents), but my understanding is that doesnāt matter as much as which judge you get. Itās a bit of a random chance.
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Nope, we have not received post-biometric approval. We have not filed a lawsuit. At this point I am content to wait with the the 5-year clock now ticking. I have a trip planned to Portugal in January. I am still holding out hope that final approval will come without a lawsuit in the seven months between now and then. There has been at least one recent report on this board of an applicant with a September 2022 Lisbon biometric appointment being asked for updated documents suggesting that AIMA is doing something.
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Update to thisā¦after waiting for 2 months my atty finally received the card which is good till April 24, 2026
So started 5/16/21 and got the card almost exactly 3 years later ! 
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