Early Applications for Citizenship

Last time I checked, Hindi is not spoken in Southeast Asia :slight_smile:

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Yeah, I think the agent’s methodology calls for throwing in some ‘scary’ foreign places/languages into the post, with the intention to incite some ‘indignation’ on the part of us ‘pure blood’ GV holders :man_facepalming:

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I was seriously considering submitting early, but I decided against it because I felt that the risk of rejection was high and I did not want my application tied up in limbo. I figured I would wait and see what happened with the expected flood of legitimate expectation lawsuits and decide how to proceed. However, the government’s unexpectedly long delay in publishing the law has worked out for me. Today, marks exactly five years + 1 day since I paid my GV application fee (12 May, 2021). Even though I fully expected the law to change before I became eligible, I made sure that if I got very lucky, that my lawyers would be prepared to file at the earliest possible time, and my application was submitted this morning. Furthermore, I was informed by my lawyer that even if the law is published today, it will not take effect until the day after publication, meaning that IRN cannot argue that my application was submitted on the day the law took effect. Needless to say I am thrilled to slide in under the wire. I am not thrilled that my “dependent” parents and spouse will almost certainly not be able to apply under the old law as their eligibility does not ripen for at least a month. However, my parents are in their mid-eighties and temporary residency works fine for them, and if their health holds out permanent residency will be great. Once I obtain citizenship, my wife can apply for citizenship on the basis of our marriage, which will hopefully be much sooner than when she would be eligible to apply under the new law (November 2034).

I sincerely hope that the continued delay in the publication of the law helps out others who are so close to eligibility, and that those who chose to apply early are successful. Good luck to all!

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Is this normal or am I portugese citizen within 2 days of applying to be one?

O estado do seu pedido de nacionalidade com o número de submissão IRN-XXXXX/2026 foi alterado para “Finalizado”

ChatGPT says this email means decision has been made :joy:

It’s either very good or very bad, lol

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Similar to my experience.

This has been described as “the end of the beginning,” with years to go yet. See stages here.

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Please provide the IP address of @JoanqS. :grin:

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At least they’re doing something between their Minesweeper sessions on Windows XP

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Didn’t want to weigh in, but wow, you are so invested in this. Now that you have your Portuguese passport maybe you could just move on with your life? The rest of us are just doing what each one of us individually thinks is best given our personal circumstances and the situation we find ourselves in with the GV process in 2026. No one has conclusive answers at this stage. Even Portuguese immigration lawyers are not unanimously agreed on what our best moves should be going forward. I don’t know why you are so certain about your own point of view. You got your passport some years ago, if I correctly remember one of your previous posts. Well the path to citizenship has changed radically since then. Things have moved on since your day. I’m sure there are lots of great things you could be off enjoying in Portugal, especially now you have your passport and have nothing to worry about in that regard. If people want to pursue litigation on a point of principle and a feeling of injustice, or if we want to risk time and money on early applications that might fail but could equally well succeed, hey so be it.

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Oh, the troll has become aggressive, how unexpected.. :smirking_face: :zzz:

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Could someone summarize the drama here?

PT govt agent is telling GV applicants to not apply for citizenship 3-4years too early?

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TL;DR: Someone slightly suspicious is confidently spouting legal analysis and rhetoric that is suspiciously aligned with PSD/Chega, which is having the effect of sowing fear and doubt and discouragement - or would, if some others hadn’t begun making sport of them. All I can tell is that they are confidently wrong about some things.

Now it’s just boring troll/countertroll.

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fear and doubt and discouragement related to what?

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Regarding the topic of the thread - early applications for citizenship

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I recommend against responding to trolls but do what you think is right. “I can’t be bothered to read the conversation, would you please summarize it for me?” is another form of trolling. And “I’m not sure what we’re discussing, could you please remind me?” The goal is to exhaust all of the contributors and drive the signal-to-noise ratio of the group down to zero.

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India/Pakistan is in South Asia :slight_smile: ASEAN countries like Thailand, Philippines etc are in SE ASIA.

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I applied in March 2024 a few days after the 5th anniversary of my first residence card and had been advised to do so because while the time of application law had been mooted, it had not been passed. In those days lawyers were more careful as it looked like the law was set and a few weeks here and there were outweighed by certainty. Now the incentives are reversed for many GV holders.

Even today non-GV applicants are for the most part not applying early as the stakes for them of a refusal are much higher than for the ‘flyover’ crowd on Nomadgate.

And I guarantee you I am a) not a government agent or sympathizer and b) I am working on a plan B though 26 months have passed since my application because with governments you never know and THEY HAVE ALL THE POWER.

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Oh most definitely. Many of us see it quite clearly. Again, it’s just a set of choices.

For some people, the few grand involved just isn’t that much in the grander scheme of things. Many people are into this for 7 figures for one reason or another, another percent or two on lawyer fees to maybe make it right is perfectly justifiable. People also go to casinos and bet on drawing to the straight-flush, either because it’s fun, or because it’s worth it to them for whatever reason.

AFAIK, many of the lawyers have been quite clear that while there is a legal argument to be made, it’s not a clear-cut thing and potentially a very drawn out process. It is a lawyer’s job to lay out all avenues as part of due-diligence on behalf of their clients - “there is a legal avenue here, it’s based on this and that, I think your odds are long but if you want to I will do this”. Some of course are shading more friendly in their own best interest, others less so, and some simply do believe it’s a valid and potentially quite successful argument with great passion, like Ms. Monteiro (who I have met personally, I can vouch for her diligence and willingness to go the mile for a client, and think she is quite sincere) - like in any human endeavour, you’ll see a spectrum of viewpoints.

Of course there are huckster lawyers too, but that’s not particularly new to the scene as a whole; there are leading-light firms who have done the work and genuinely believe and this has been hashed out in WhatsApp groups etc.

I think many of us are simply buying time. We all see that the application probably has to be in before the deadline one way or the other - but since there aren’t actual regulations yet, and so many players involved and all that, that it makes sense to keep a hand in and see where this settles over the next few months as we wait for the regulations; we’re choosing to draw not fold, effectively. We can always fold later.

I think it is fair for you to point it out. My response would be however “yes, we do know that, and we’re kinda bitter about it but that’s how it is, thank you.”

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The news that 500 and maybe even north of 1,000 Golden Visa holders are gearing up for a class-action lawsuit has obviously gotten the government’s attention. That could be part of the reason we’re seeing delays in the final law being published.

Maybe they’re working through some exceptions. A lot of us have put in more than €500,000, and when you factor in opportunity cost, the real number is easily 2x or 3x that.

Since I applied, I’ve grown 11 years older. My kids weren’t even born yet. I’ve been through several complicated health issues including a heart attack. Obama was still the U.S. president, Insta and online Netflix wasn’t a thing. Several iPhone upgrades, graying beard, and global crises later, here I am.

Honestly, the government should either shut the Golden Visa program down completely—or create specific protections for Golden Visa holders instead of lumping us in with every other immigration category. After all, the state has collected €20,000 to €50,000 in fees alone from many applicants and dependents across renewals.

At this point, calling it “Golden” is a stretch. It feels more like a gold-plated visa: shiny on the outside, but not exactly what was advertised.

Maybe the final version of the law will still include something sensible. Who knows.

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now i am worried they are going to pass new law saying if you have started the golden visa application before the new law, you can qualify for citizenship after 5 years from your original application date.

F■■■kkk, i should have never done early application… Going to rent a camper van and drive around for 3 weeks to cool my head, Um Cafe por favor

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Even if they walk back the law by adding some protections for us in the regulations, the underlying merits of early application doesn’t really change. I would probably submit a new citizenship application at the fifth anniversary of my ARI application if that happens just to be safe, but it would be sweet irony this whole mess ended with approved citizenship right at the five year mark.

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