Thought this would be a good forum, as any, to see how things are going with the Portugal GV program and the administrator behind it, the SEF.
I have heard a few things:
The SEF is now changing the rules, such that those who had previously submitted applications for the GV by Dec 31, 2021 to be eligible for the 2021 rules, to those that have not-just-submitted-but-also-interviewed by Dec 31, 2021… has anyone else hear this?
If you are hearing this, how likely is it that this new policy stays in force? It would seem like changing things ex-post
The SEF appointment booking system appears to be blocked at the moment (and for the past several months), so no one can sign up for an interview obtain their GV residency cards or renew them, etc… have you hear this?
I have heard similar but I am not sure it is factual.
There are 3 scenarios here for SEF applying the new rules:
A. 2022 rules apply for anyone submitting initial application before 31/12/2021
B. 2022 rules apply for anyone getting pre-approval before before 31/12/2021
C. 2022 rules apply only for those who had biometrics interview before 31/12/2021 (your thought)
I think C is unlikely because it would exclude hundreds of people.
A or B is equally possible but I have heard of people getting pre-approval in 2022 after applying in 2021 so A seems most likely. As you suggest it is possible they could “reinterpret” the rules so it is hard to know for sure.
see above.
The system is not exactly blocked. SEF has changed the rules in how applications are allocated which makes it impossible to book without an appointment.
Sorry to ask but trying to get a better understanding on your post…
For example, B & C below seem to suggest that after a status change, the SEF is changing the rules ex-post, which may be difficult (but not impossible) for them to do legally. Can you clarify?
For A, also seems like hoodwinking a lot of people by previously being the policy that application dates matter to now it does not matter, when the entire application booking system was unavailable for many months in 2021.
What does this mean?
Aren’t booking and appointment the same thing?
Apologies as simply trying to determine what the SEF is up to…
Posters for GV are in different stages of applications. Consequently, people post and update their submission dates, pre-approvals, SEF appointments and timelines in threads relevant to the stage at which they are.
Threads are worth reading – real data are shared that helps track and adjust expectations - before posting.
For time between SEF payment and SEF pre-approvals – recent data confirms chronological order, but longer than the 12 week timelines.:SEF processing time for initial application?
For time between pre-approval and SEF appointments for biometrics, recent postings (Dec/Jan) confirm chronological review and appointments. Appointment slots have been offered in chronological order for pre-approvals achieved up to mid-2021: Awaiting Biometrics (Stage 3) and SEF Scheduling Update .
The future. The new government has yet to outline Council and Ministerial appointments.
Appointments: New GV submissions make headway. Residency Renewal appointments – both for GV investors and for the 4 to 6 hundred thousand more who are not - still appears painful and protracted, exacerbated for those without direct access to the appointment system.
My attempts to search didn’t yield these, so thank you very much; it’s super helpful
Regarding the distinction mentioned in this topic, just wanted to see if ‘rumors’ were true about a change in policy for 2021 vs 2022 regulations and their applicability to applications made at the end of 2021… A quick review seems to assume that they did not make a change, but simply curious if they did
From the historical data, SEF always honoured the date of submission (actually the date of full payment of the initial application fees when your status changes to “Em análise”) as the determining date of the GV requirements. Hence, those who submitted in 2021 still go under the old rules, and those after January 1st, 2022 are subject to the new requirements.