The back door is still wide open, and it’s not the golden visa.
In 2017, Portugal tweaked article 88(2) which made it possible to enter Portugal on a tourist visa, get a minimum-wage work contract, register expression of interest with SEF and continue working till approval. And so the permits issued for professional activity which were about 4,600 in 2017, jumped to 18,000 in 2018, and 29,000 in 2021. Meanwhile, issuance of ARI permits for primary holders have been flat, between 1,000-1,200 per year. (data from SEFSTAT – Portal de Estatística reports passed through google translate)
While most entering by this route stay and work in Portugal - there’s a visible shift in Uber driver demographics at least in Lisbon/Algarve - a certain number use Portugal as a launchpad to (illegally) work elsewhere in Europe during their temp residency, given the much higher wages outside.
Liberal immigration policy is great, but wildly inconsistent. It’s weird that Portugal has opened up the minimum-wage sector to practically unrestricted immigration (don’t think there are any quotas) while they are clamping down on the investment route. More people have come in on Art 88(2) in 6 months of 2021 than primary ARI investors through its whole lifetime of 10 years. And the latter have invested €6.8 billion to boot 
