Can someone tell me how the process for scheduling biometrics works? Our GV applications are in (since Apr 2023), and we are awaiting word about the next steps. Whenever we come up in the queue, what can I expect, especially regarding the biometrics appointments (me, wife, daughter)? Do they just assign an appointment date? Or, do we get to pick a date?
If they assign a date, how far out is it typically from the time they give us notice? If we pick a date, how does that work? How wide is the window, and how far out? Will all three of us likely be able to attend together? (My application was Mar 2023, wife and daughter in Apr 2023.)
I’m hoping 2025 is the year we get to the top of the list and we are trying to anticipate and plan our year around when we might need to be in Portugal for the appointments.
I have asked our attorney these questions, but she is non-committal and often invokes generalizations about how the process is not always the same for everyone, and that the system has changed dramatically in recent months, and there is no telling how it’s going to be for us. I just want to hear from people who have had their biometrics scheduled recently and how the scheduling process worked. Thanks.
Have you (or lawyer) uploaded updated documents per AIMA’s email request?
If you have, just roll with the punches and don’t plan things around AIMA’s promises. They’ll just notify you the date(s), then you do everything in your power to make it, or you can’t. If the latter happens, there will be extra work to show it’s not your fault, and rescheduled appointment won’t happen until months later. [Disclaimer: this is what AIMA said how appointments would work, which your lawyer should have communicated to you. No one on this forum has reported any first hand experience to confirm or disprove.]
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, search for “AIMA new GV process” on this forum.
If your lawyer did not receive the email asking for updated documents, then that requires action, as others mentioned in that thread. If your lawyer did not inform you of the new process or missed the email, then probably a good idea to not award this lawyer with additional business.
Thanks, I appreciate it. I did see those posts, but neither of those threads answer my main question about HOW (not when) the biometrics appointment is scheduled. I’m curious to know the mechanics around how you get to an actual date. I.e. is an actual date/time just assigned by AIMA, or do we get to pick a date/time.
Thanks. We are aware of the new process. I’m interested in the HOW of getting a biometrics date/time scheduled. Is it just assigned by AIMA, or is some sort of choice offered?
Assigned. And each individual in your family will get their own appointment, not necessarily at the same time or place as yours.
Many examples of families with appointments in cities 200 kilometers apart, at the same time and day. Or appointments separated by months and locations.
My spouse and I were notified in late November of appointments in the first week of January. My parent was notified in June of appointment in second week of July. That was an expensive scramble to make high season, last-minute travel plans.
At least my spouse and I were assigned the same date and location. But otherwise totally arbitrary, a thousand kilometres from where we applied and expensive to accommodate. But Bios appointments are precious and you do not want to miss them (see my earlier post above).
For what it’s worth, following the old process, we did our biometrics in Dec 2024. We were given a fixed date and location - take it or leave it situation - we could not pick the date, time or location. But luckily it was the same for both me and my husband - probably because our application was submitted at the same time - and we went through Henley, so their lawyer and associates organized everything beautifully for us and kept us well informed.
We were given the date 3 months beforehand - so it was a bit of a scramble getting all the documents. However, Henley repeatedly told us that the important thing was to make the appointment, any missing documents could be submitted later. Of course, that is a moot point since you are likely resubmitting your documents in advance of the biometrics appointment.
We also luckily already had a Schengen visa - unless you don’t need one, that’s another thing to worry about, and might be worth getting in advance.
Hi Robert. I thought I would chime in here. We applied for the GV in March 2023. In October 2024 they informed us that we all had biometrics appointments (same time and same location) for the end of November 2024. I asked my attorney if there was any flexibility in the date since we have two girls in college and we did not want them to miss school. She strongly recommened we keep the appointments which we did. We flew our girls into Lisbon (my husband and I were already there traveling) for three days. We arrived with our attorney at our scheduled time and waited about 20 minutes. We did not have any of our updated apostilled documents with us since we had been traveling. We simply brought ourselves and our passports. When our number was called our attorney accompanied us back. There we each had our photo taken, fingerprints done and signed a document. As soon as we returned to the US I gathered up all of the required documents and got the apostille for the second time and sent them to our attorney. That was 4 months ago today. We still have not received preapproval but will remain hopeful.
Thank you for this information. What were the newly apostilled documents that you had to send in after your biometrics appointment? Based on what I’m reading it’s going to be a very long time if ever that we receive notification of biometrics (we are currently “stuck” in the AIMA computer system) but I would love to be prepared just in case.
Regarding Biometric appointment
I need to ask one question , please if any one have any information, I have applied for D2 visa and got approval, my partner in company didn’t apply visa due to personal reason. Can i apply my biometric and apply to TRC alone or i need to wait for his visa to approved and process the TRC. Any one have any information , please share , with thanks.
It was all of the documents that we included in our initial application such as marriage certificate, birth certificates for our girls, FBI background checks for all of us, proof of full time schooling for both girls, proof of single status for both girls. All of those timed out so we needed to resubmit them. Hope that info helps.
Thanks. This is good information. I’m a bit frustrated by hearing your timeline. We also submitted our GV applications in March 2023 and still (Mar 2025) have not gotten a biometrics appointment. Now we are pushed into the new process where I have to get our second set of apostilles now , before they’ll give us an appointment. Been working on that for the past two months.
I noticed you are using Henley. What are your thoughts with them. We are currently looking for a company to use and right now I’m looking at Henley and also La Vida.
Just wondering if you think they are worth the price. We are very new to this process so trying to figure it all out.
Robert, I can’t remember if I mentioned that we chose to file a lawsuit in August 2024 which I imagine is why we were able to get a biometrics appointment in November 2024. At the rate at which AIMA is moving, we will most likely have to order all of our documents and pay for apostilles a third time. Time will tell.
We submitted all our documents in November 2022, and now our lawyer has advised us to gather all the necessary documents again (with apostilles) for resubmission, except for the marriage certificate, provided there are no changes in our relationship status.
When I inquired further, she explained that based on this latest online resubmission, we will receive an appointment, and I will need to bring the original documents with me at that time.
I believe this second round of document submission is the final .
I am currently in the process of collecting all the required documents from both my home country and my resident country. It’s a time-consuming task, but it has to be done.
No choice apparently.