Some legal systems offer protection to investors from retroactive changes. In fact, protection from retroactivity is a bedrock principle of bilateral investment treaties, hundreds of which have been enacted around the globe.
Assuming all governments and legal systems are equally deficient and arbitrary is misguided.
All governments can be awful, but some are definitely worse than others.
Thatās funny- to assume there is a government out there NOT acting deceitfully! All governments are corrupt, all are only in their position for greed and taking advantage of the peasants. All are lying and stealing and not here to help you or me. Show me a better option if I want a residency card without spending over 6 months a year in that country and allows dual citizenship. Please let me know what that option is.
If every government is equally bad, then there is no point in migrating. Just stay where you are and avoid wasting your money.
While I can appreciate new applicantsā sense of excitement and optimism over the prospect of applying, getting their first cards, spending time in country, etc., it seems inevitable that the harsh realities of this program will manifest for everyone involved, at some point.
I genuinely wish everyone the best on their individual journeys. It will likely be a 17-year odyssey fraught with anger, frustration, broken promises, heartbreak and mendacity, which in the end will probably feel somewhat pyrrhic if āsuccessfulā. Weāve been on this path for 5 years and it has definitely been more tragedy than triumph.
Best of luck to those starting out and continuing on.
Weāve just spent a month at the PT house we bought 3 years ago, but canāt actually live in (I need to travel for work in various EU countries, so canāt blow past my 90d overstaying in Portugal).
I do vividly remember the excitement of buying this place, applying for the ARI, starting to learn the language, meeting the neighbours, etc.
But 3 years on and still no approval/cardsā¦ and maybe no Citizenship for another 10-15 yearsā¦ that GV excitement has mostly been replaced with āMy God, what a pack of lies this has been, at every turn.ā
3 years and no approval. 
Every time I see this it never fails to surprise/disgust me. We were the same as you, excited, a bit terrified, hopeful, lots of emotions, most were positive. Now? Thatās a different story. Excitement is now dread. Hope has become apathy. Frustration and regret abound.
We feel desperately sorry for everyone who feel misled, mis-sold and miserable as a result of the myriad failings of this program.
3 years is childās play compared to some of usā¦
I was just going to add that thereās plenty of people whoāve been waiting longer than us 
Ugh. Itās all bad. So much time, so many wasted years.
I know some people waiting more than 6 years and not even done biometrics yetā¦
The point is a different culture and better cost of living.
That is shocking. 
My hat off to you! I admire your ability to absorb and endure portuguese dishonesty and portuguese bureaucracy. Not sure where you come from & what your background is but your ability is pretty unique 
.
USA- perhaps the most despicable government on the planet! Perhaps itās given me an overly warped opinion of governments in general (but probably not).
This is getting very off-topic for this forum, but no. And itās not even close.
Be carefulā¦ different doesnāt mean better. What superficially may seem attractive might not be the best place to raise children, if you want to instill in them values that will help them succeed in life.
Yes off topic. Iād like to remove myself from this thread but canāt seem to figure out how. Too many on this thread are unbelievably negative and/or a know it all that canāt be reasoned with so Iām removing myself from the conversation. I simply needed to comment on someone calling me part of a problem who doesnāt take into consideration otherās needs and situations. I wish you all the best in your struggles.
@Derek_J click the ātrackingā button at the bottom of the thread and you can mute it for yourself
It is probably for the best that he mutes the thread. Thanks for showing the way @anonymous69. This is the ārageā thread after all and it is the perfect place for people to vent their frustrations.
There does seem to be a schism developing between new intakes and long-term ARI sufferers. Maybe this has always been the case, I donāt know, but it certainly feels much more tangible now. I canāt help but feel that when the harsh reality of the changes to the program are laid bare, like the realisation that young children may very well age out of the program, among other issues, there will be more investors on these pages looking for answers, soliciting advice and venting their frustrations. Like I said in an earlier post, I appreciate the excitement that newer applicants have right now, but to think that some investors are being buzzkills because they are exasperated after years of Portuguese bureaucratic mendacity and obfuscation is misguided. @Hippopotamousse did provide the disclaimer it was controversial after all and it did stimulate some interesting dialogue, which is a valuable commodity on this forum.
