This just posted by Sara Sousa Rebolo at Prime Legal on a WhatsApp group:
Hi All!
Following today’s session at AIMA, please find below a summary of what we understood from the information received:
- AIMA is changing the process to be more efficient and faster but asks for understanding for the constraints in which they will do so - same platform and same team;
- There are 58,000 pending cases (investors and family members);
- The new procedure is for those who have not yet taken biometrics;
- All investors without biometrics will be reopened (in principle even those that re-submitted between 26 of December until now) so that the most complete documentation possible can be submitted, including new criminal records, which, if submitted valid and legalized/apostilled, will not be requested to be updated again in the biometrics;
- AIMA will be sensitive to exceptional cases in the online submission (lack of appointments for legalization, countries in war, etc). To upload at the platform the justification or an affidavit and bring it to the biometrics whenever possible;
- The objective is to process all possible documentation electronically to avoid wasting time with the movement of physical processes and digitalization by the services;
- Complete processes re-submitted with all documentation, duly updated, will be scheduled without the possibility of choosing dates/locations, also respecting the initial seniority;
- The network of AIMA places that will receive biometrics will be expanded;
- Rescheduling of appointments only for the second half of the year and when justification for non-attendance is demonstrated;
- Processes that have not been touch from the applicant’s side for 6 months from notification of the new procedure may be considered abandoned;
- Payment of the card issuance fee will be made in the biometrics - alert banks to possible limits on transactions to avoid problems and delays;
- The process will be analyzed after the biometrics and if there is any missing or incorrect documentation, there will be a notification for correction;
- If the lawyers certify (attest that complies with the original) the documentation submitted online, there is no need to bring any originals to the appointment with the exception of the passport, proof of legal entry and AIMA application form;
- Marriage and birth certificates can be used as long as they were valid and apostilled on the date of the original online submission;
- The counting date of the 5 years of access to nationality is made from the date of payment of the analysis fee for the online submission;
- Renewals will once again be in person - a platform for requesting appointments will be made available in the upcoming months;
- To submit online all pages of the passport that have information;
- The rate with penalty for non online applications will not be applicable under any circumstances;
- To update investment documents that have validity and that proof the maintenance of the investment;
- Foreign Tax document or equivalent shall be submitted with apostille / legalization;
- They were only re-opening for submission the Investors (main applicants) but will now try to reopen also family members to bring all family together (it is an informatic system limitation that they are dealing with);
- Until the 15th of January the platform might be subject to updates;
- CONCLUSION: AIMA needs the electronic processing of updated and complete applications with the maximum amount of documentation so that the process, appointment diligence and analysis can be as quick as possible and decentralized by more AIMA technicians and AIMA places, which seems to be receiving training as we speak