Years into the future, long after my residence card expires and my citizenship application is rejected, I’ll always have The Legend of EUtopia.
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That was a most enjoyable read. 
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shame about russia
Its a disaster. Even for those not rounded up to die in Ukraine. Everyone is suffering.
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I thought you can apply for a UK citizenship after 3 years of marriage.
That’s why I think residency status alone is never enough and never safe. You are basically at a mercy of a government as a guest/visitor.
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Not to be outdone by the IRN…
AIMA staff too - June 4 national holiday, June 3 general strike, plus…
“the strike will take place on June 1, 2, 3 and 5”. With two weekends on either side, the ‘break’ from the not inconsiderable grind will give AIMA staff nine days away from their work stations.”
Oh look, the man who admitted to intentionally delaying our residence applications is now deploying DARVO!
Wouldn’t be surprised if gaslighting comes next:
“Your expectations were illegitimate because you’re an idiot who deceived yourself based on what our foreign diplomatic missions posted online.”
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I am 100% fed up hearing that residency law and nationality law are two different legal systems. I am totally speechless and without words to describe how ill-educated lawyers/promoters are. (I think they are wise enough and are trying to twist the brutal truth).
Residency law and nationality law are 100% connected in term of naturalisation via a specific time of residing in a country.
It can be understood that we have two ladders connecting to each other. In order to start climing on ladder 2 (citizenship process), one must start climbing the ladder 1 (residency process). As ladder 2 is connected and built on top of ladder 1, one must not only start climbing but must finish climbing all steps of ladder 1 in order to start the ladder 2.
How long does one need to climb up on ladder 1? It is 100% controlled by Govt and can be changed at any time as we have been experiencing so far.
Therefore, saying that residency law and nationality law are different is 100% nonsense.
If they were two completely different systems and independent from each other, why wouldn’t people just start jumping immediately into the nationality process?
Residency and nationality are always connected. Without its connection, who would be interested in only climbing up the ladder 1 (residency)? Surely not the investors who put down 350-500k!
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Standard Portuguese plot twist?
This whole “residency is not citizenship” gaslighting is using one bad story to cover for another. It’s not as though the government has exactly delivered on the residency side either. Applying in early 2023 should have gotten me a card by end 2023, and whatever we say about ladder 2, I should at least be halfway up ladder 1 by now. Instead I’m 0 rungs up either ladder.
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Exactly. Do they really think all these people would invest 500k and pay loads of fees when they can simply… take a vacation? Move to PT when ready? Sure, there are some instances where it makes sense - but trying to sell anyone on the idea that all these investors would have locked up half a million euros, and paid dearly for the privilege, to simply get what their passport already allowed is laughable.
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Sell something. Pocket the earnings. Deliver nothing. Claim everything. Blame the buying.
Portugal: desenrasca-se sempre.
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One thing I wonder is that if new GV investors are still coming in? They would be mad to do so with what has happened.
Comments are open; feel free to chip in!
I don’t feel that the article offers a balanced account, but that’s just me.
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Someone should ask them why were investors systematically discriminated again when it came to processing their paperwork and how many have been in the system for 3+ years without their first cards at no fault of their own
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Howdy fellow sufferers, I started the journey in sep 2021. I had to go through a lot of hassle. Prepare funds, create accounts, get authorization, transfer funds, prepare documentation, translations, air travel out of state for schengen visa interviews, pay for every step of the process, get wills done, get records outside my country of residence, air travel for biometrics and 7 day presence, pay hefty price for a residence card which has a mere 2 year validity with fee increasing every year, have constant anxiety waiting for appointments that have no flexibility. All the way, constantly hit with changing laws. I took this path to get peace of mind and it turned out to be an ordeal, that will continue for ages.
I brought all my money back to US accounts today and I am going to forget this like a bad dream. Good luck to all of you.
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I’m sorry it’s ended this way for you. I may not be far behind.
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We all have :(, totally disappointing all around.
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The Home Office ‘don’t recognise’ our marriage. They say there is no right of appeal against this. I’m cool with this, I don’t plan to live in a country where im not wanted. Don’t want to spend my energy fighting the Feds. Portugal welcomes us. We both got Redidence Permits easily. I agree with you exactly on citizenship, that is our goal.
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