Reaching out to AIMA on status

Request suggestions/ guidance
I applied for GV via Property investment for self and family on 27th Dec’21 and completed biometrics for all in June 2023. The application was processed by our law firm and they have been telling us nothing has changed as they have the log in credentials (I guess) and would be the first one to get an update should anything change (I guess). Ever since, it’s been wait and watch.

We are running out of patience and hope. Would it be a good idea to write directly to AIMA on the email they mentioned on the webinar and request an update ?

Welcome. Your situation is not at all unusual. For example, some of those who did biometrics in Lisbon in January 2023 have only recently been approved. My own biometrics were Lisbon in Feb 2023 and I’m still waiting. I personally think it’s likely you’ll get approved during this year, but emailing AIMA won’t help. The only people who’ve accelerated the process are those who’ve sued AIMA, but that door has probably also closed as the courts are swamped. The good news (if you’re interested in this) is that you’ll be able to apply for citizenship at the end of 2026, so this waiting time is not being wasted. So unless you are in Portugal or plan to move soon, I would relax and wait. Keep an eye on these forums (particularly “Awaiting Final Approval (Stage 4)”) for developments.

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My situation is a bit odd, I applied in Nov '21 and my dependents in July '22 ( goof up by my law firm!)
Mine was pre-approved in Dec’22 and Biometrics done at Lisbon in Jan’23. While I’m waiting for my approval, my dependents dont have a pre-approval yet.
My law firm has received an email asking me to resubmit the documents, but on the system, my status has still not changed ( still says pending approval) - which means, they cant upload the documents!! They have written to AIMA, but there is no response, nor is AIMA answering phone calls.
So I’m really stuck!!

What exactly is your status in the portal? In portuguese? I can see through what they said if something applies to your case-type.

We received the email in December but ARI portal status has remained at Candidatura Aceite (Application Accepted). Not sure how to have it reset to pending submission
we have not had a biometric appointment yet (well we received an invite in 2023 but did not respond to it. not sure if this has any bearing on our status being stuck)

They mentioned some anomalies that they have in the following way: Porque são duas situaçÔes, nós temos as que jå estavam aceites e que estamos a agendar e só depois é que alteramos as situaçÔes das candidaturas e até o dia anterior podem atualizar a documentação e as que só terão o agendamento depois de atualizar. Portanto são situaçÔes distintas, as que nós estamos a convidar os mandatårios a nos referir às situaçÔes em que queremos garantir o cumprimento do critério cronológico candidaturas mais antigas de 2019 a 2021. Que jå estamos a agendar ou que jå tiveram um agendamento e que ainda não foram recolhidos os biométricos que atualizem até o dia anterior. Portanto se identificarem alguma candidatura que não tenha alterado a situação para guarda envio, que nos peçam essa alteração com algum tempo, pelo menos uma semana, para conseguimos alterar e conseguirem digitalizar, até pode ser 15 minutos antes da hora do atendimento. Isso evitarå que o atendimento tenha de perder tempo a digitalizar no nosso sistema.
A translation suggests the following: There are two situations, we have those that have already been “aceites” and that we are scheduling and only then do we change the status of the applications and until the day before they can update the documentation and those that will only be scheduled [for biometrics] after the documentation is updated. So these are different situations, and we are inviting the representatives to refer to situations in which we want to ensure compliance with the chronological criterion for older applications from 2019 to 2021. Those that we are already scheduling or that have already been scheduled and the biometrics have not yet been collected, please update them by the previous day. So if you identify any applications that haven’t changed their status to guarda envio, please ask us for this change with some time, at least a week, so that we can change it and get digitised data, up to 15 minutes before the time of the appointment. "

My sense is that you/family fall into one of these 2 brackets, where your representative has to explain that you need to upload documentation. The lawyers should write to the email address they give, with ARI in the subject line and explain the problem.
Since you are an early applicant (pre-approved 2021? they may respond as they ask the lawyers to help identify these type of cases, especially the early ones.

Do I understand it to mean that I might receive an appointment and be permitted to update the documentation afterwards with the support of my lawyer as long as we update before the appointment date? thanks! I missed this communication

Difficult for me to judge from what they said - as they were responding to a written question- not always seen by participants.
But they seem to recognize that there are anomalies, and they are actively reaching out to lawyers to identify these anomalies, and communicate back so that the system allows updated documentation to be uploaded before biometrics. So the first thing seems to point out the anomaly, to enable them to change their system to enable uploading.
My sense is that they will NOT schedule biometrics unless there is complete, updated documentation uploaded for the primary (and each member of the family). And they will schedule biometrics for those who are 2020/2021 and whose lawyers upload completed documentation as soon as they can.

This may also apply to you @raivikas, although as you have already gone through biometrics, there may be something else at stake.

Thank you. Much appreciate your response. :pray:

@Onward’s already mentioned this above, but to reiterate
 if you read the English translation of Tuesday’s webinar, ‘ARI’ in the subject line seems to help when emailing AIMA about ARI:

Just to add that it’s important that when you send an e-mail to AIMA to the general AIMA e-mail [geral@aima.gov.pt] on the subject of ARI, you put ARI in the subject line


It’s much easier for us to identify


emails regarding ARIs should contain the word ARI, because in terms of management, at national level, the management of the General Mailbox will be easier to distribute to the ARI unit.

Also I don’t know if these contacts work any better than AIMA’s ‘General Mailbox,’ but they were posted Oct. 2024:

In general, if you want to reach out to AIMA, your best bet is a registered letter with a return receipt. I sent one to them in the end of 2023 and got a response, albeit meaningless, couple of weeks later. Since I already lived in Portugal, I sent it from a local CTT office at a cost of about 5 € or so. You will get a confirmation of delivery, and so they will try to respond, or at least they did in the past.

If you don’t live in Portugal, consider asking your lawyer to write a letter on your behalf and post it registered, return receipt.

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Hello.
Could you please clarify more about “return receipt”. Means you paid two ways, to return to your address. Does the “return date has limits by time period?”
How it works at CTT?

This may help in relation to CTT.
Obter um comprovativo de entrega.

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Indeed, as @Onward has already specified, you ask for um comprovativo de entrega, which in the U.S. is equivalent to “registered, return receipt”. There are no “date” limits as far as I am aware. The fact that you are asking for comprovativo de entrega will automatically register your letter for tracking through CTT system. That also means that someone in AIMA will be required to sign for your letter, which gives you a legal proof of delivery. That makes AIMA technically liable to respond to you.

As for sending a letter, it is a very simple form that you fill out at a CTT office, hand it to a clerk, your post will be processed accordingly, and you will be given a printed receipt with a tracking number of your post that you can trace on CTT web site. That’s it!

Now, what AIMA will send you back in response is anyone’s guess, but I just got a standard meaningless answer back in December 2023. Maybe you will get better results this time around.

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Can you share what address and who you addressed it to when you sent your letter?

Avenida AntĂłnio Augusto de Aguiar, 20
1069-119 Lisboa

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is Any one sent letter, best to share some sample draft if any body did already,

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This email just bounced for me.

For Cascais, you might try:

del.cascais@sef.pt