On 4th June 2024, Decree-Law 37-A/2024 of 3rd June came into force, introducing changes to the Foreigners Act (Law 23/2007 of 4th July), namely:
1.Revocation of the residence authorisation procedures based on the Expression of Interest:
The Expression of Interest consisted of a mechanism for submitting an application for a residence permit based on subordinate or independent work, via an electronic platform, upon presentation of certain documents.
This mechanism made it possible to regularise the residence of third country nationals who were working in Portugal, without having obtained residence visa.
2. Revocation of the legal rules that provided for presumptions of legal entry into Portugal based on dependent or self-employed work in national territory, on the condition that the applicant had been registered and paid social security for at least twelve months.
3. Lastly, the legal provisions that allowed the issuance of a residence permit to an immigrant citizen developing an entrepreneurial project, including the creation of an innovative company, integrated into a certified incubator, without the need to present a valid residence visa, were also revoked.
The Decree-Law was published on the same day that the government presented the Migration Action Plan and was the first measure approved in a list of 41.