It’s confirmed last week that SEF is still processing ARIs. I personally am still waiting.
For those wondering about mid December 2021 GV applications, hopefully this will reassure that things are still moving .
I applied for my GV (as the main applicant )on 14th December 2021.
Paid for application on 15th December 2021.
Heard from my lawyer two days ago that my application has finally been accepted!
So that took 13 months and one week!
Now starting what I expect to be a long wait (based on threads on this forum) for a biometrics appointment.
Also, still waiting for spouse’s approval (under family reunification). Don’t know what to expect with that. There was a considerable delay in submission of application (long story:roll_eyes:). So don’t know if that means there will be a similar delay in approval, or if, because it is a reunification application, it will somehow get attached to my application and happen sooner 
. If anyone has experienced this and has any comments, it would be great to hear opinions!
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Congrats!
I am really curious to see if things move any faster once SEF finishes December '21 and its huge rush of people trying to beat the rule changes. Plus the lack of accepting applications at all from Jan-Jun '22 or whenever it was.
That likely means there is just another huge pile of applications from June onward, but I am trying to be optimistic about our chances of a sub-12 months pre-approval.
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I applied on Dec 15, 2021 payment was made 12/16.
my application is accepted last night Dec 19, 2023.
For my my wife and children on the ARI portal shows awaiting shippement.
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Me application from December 14th 2021, pre validation happened last night 20th January 2023
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what is ‘pre-validation’? the step before ‘accepted’?
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Congrats! Have you received e-mail from SEF re pre approval? Or how did you know about it?
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Wondering if any Russians that filed before the war have been pre-approved since February 24’22.
Thanks!
I agree. December applications are taking too long to get pre-approved.I hope it doesn’t take 2 years
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Congratulations! I’m curious what the ARI portal actually says when you say it shows “awaiting appointment for your wife and children”. I was approved recently too but can’t tell how I confirm:
- whether or not my partner was approved at the same time
- if there is a difference between “approved” status that I see vs “awaiting appointment”
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Well, some non-GV folks are getting processed… https://www.travelinglifestyle.net/portugals-new-digital-nomad-visa-proves-popular-with-200-issued-in-2-5-months/
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Can you state what the ARI portal says (in portuguese) for your family members (or one of them) when you click on the icon for family? It would help, as “awaiting shippement” is not something that I have seen. Does it say “Aguarda envio”? This was posted here in one or two cases. It means that they are waiting for some documentation that they do not yet have (“waiting for delivery”) to complete and accept the application. Your lawyer should help (& provide whatever it is they are waiting for).
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you are absolutely right, I just received an email from my lawyer asking me to update the documents for my partner and my children. For the main applicant she did not ask anything. I can not understand how they accepted my application with expired documents and not that of my family members.
Thank you and I apologize for responding late. because me too did not understand the mention awaiting shipment for my partner and my children. I have just had a response from my lawyer explaining to me(main applicant) that my application is accepted .
for my children and my wife, their documents have expired, I must provide new documents.
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mouhoub hattou - what documents expired that prevented your family’s application from being accepted?
thanks,
– arun
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Applied on Dec14th 2021 for myself and husband Dec 17th 2021 both received Pre approval on January 19th 2023 per our lawyer!
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for my partner the marriage certificate and the criminal record.
for my childrens the birth certificate.
for the main applicant (me) they didn’t ask for anything despite all The documents are expired.
Thank you.
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what do you mean by ‘expired’? as in the documents were apostilled several months ago? won’t this be a problem for all of us who submitted the application 13 months ago? why did they single out your family members?
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even my lawyer explained to me that they should not ask for new documents.
thanks for the clarification. i wonder if anybody else has run into this issue?
mouhoub - what is the estimated wait for your biometrics appointment?
– arun
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