Looks like the line started moving again.
Applied on 24th November. Don’t know if spouse and kid had a different application date.
Got an email from the lawyer yesterday that all three are now in approved status. I am taking it as approved on 30th July - though I guess it was a couple of days earlier. I saw a change in my status on 29th and mailed the lawyers and they confirmed all three are approved 
Listen to your lawyer who’s a subject matter expert, when in doubt take a second opinion from a lawyer who specialises in Citizenship law in Portugal. There are many different possible ways and laws to get the kids to be reunited with their parents. It all boils down to what you are trying to achieve, if you want to spend some extra €’s for the kids, SEF and the lawyers shall gladly accept the same and process the GVs for both of them. If you want to save some money, speak with your lawyer and plan accordingly. Since, both the kids are well below 18 years of age, you do have a greater flexibility and options to explore.
Thank you!
More news that things are moving. My pre-approval was received.
Submitted/paid: 27/Nov/2021
Pre-approval received: 1/Aug/2022
I had previously submitted my info to the Google form set up here to collect data on the dates of our application. If someone provides me the instructions for how to update, I’m happy to do it.
Congratulations!
Info on my track:
Applied and paid: Sept 22, 2021
Pre-approval: Jan 12, 2022
Biometrics invitation: Jun 2022
Biometrics: Jul 13, 2022
Do you have any insight on timing of residency card?
Courageous action by the investor, and rapid decision by the Courts. The results of litigation are not always so fast!! An additional benefit…
Wow!! Looks like suing got them a biometric appointment within 6 months of submission. They applied in December it sounds like. For those with the resources this may be the way to accelerate the process.
To all of you lucky ones who have been pre-approved. How did you know? Status change (from em analyse) on ARI? Or?
Thank you!
For me, yes, the first indication of preapproval was the change in status on the SEF portal.
Wow! This is amazing! I finally got my pre-approval over 8 months after submitting and paying, but the rest of my family (with a submission and payment that finished 3 days later) are still not pre-approved, nearly 2 weeks later. It sounds like this fellow submitted a few weeks after that, and is now all set.
Laura,
Do you have your original application date? Mine was Nov 29 so would like to think I’m getting closer…
Thx
Looking back through the emails, it looks like they were 5 days later, not 3 (sorry!):
11/24 Mine submitted
11/26 Mine paid
11/29 Theirs submitted
12/1 Theirs paid
Fingers crossed for you and my family both!
My lawyer told me about my wife’s pre-approval (ahead of mine by almost a month), and for me it was the status change from Em Analise to Candidatura Aceite on ARI site.
My application date is also 29 November and I am still waiting…
Thank you!
Just got my pre-approval:
Application Date - 29th November 2021
Pre-Approval Date - 11th August 2022
Now the wait starts for Biometrics