After the deadline of April 15th and without the renewed residence card having arrived, TVDE drivers had their accounts blocked by Uber. This was exactly the fear of immigrants, many of them Brazilians, who have been waiting for the document for months..
The company refused to offer a solution to immigrants due to the delays of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). “A valid residence permit is one of the mandatory documents for carrying out TVDE activitiesbeing rigorously verified, both at the time of registration and over time, through continuous document validation processes”, says the company statement sent to DN Brazil.
The company refused a solution to immigrants due to the delays of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). “Uber will continue to guide its activity to ensure that all drivers comply with the legal requirements to operate on the platform, contributing to a safe, regulated and reliable service for everyone“, he adds. In the case of these immigrants, it is a renewal process and failure to comply with the legal deadline of 60 days for analysis and issuance of the document.
A different position was taken by Bolt, which granted AIMA a period of 30 days to resolve the situation. “Bolt has automatically extended the deadline for partner drivers to present this proof by 30 days, ensuring that no one is penalized for a delay that is not their responsibility. To date, no driver has been blocked at Bolt due to this procedural delay,” it said in a statement.
The company claims to be aware of the public situation regarding delays at the agency. “Bolt is aware of the situation affecting thousands of TVDE drivers in Portugal, resulting from accumulated delays in the processes of renewing residence permits at AIMA”says the note.
At the same time, he emphasizes that this extension of time “does not exempt compliance with legal requirements and only aims to guarantee the time necessary for drivers to present supporting documentationgiven the absence of a new extension of the exceptional regime by the authorities”.
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The company’s understanding is that the person waiting for the document, delayed by AIMA, is in a legal position to work. “Bolt strictly complies with current Brazilian legislation and continuously monitors the documentation status of its drivers. We understand that anyone who has requested the renewal of their residence permit and has the respective proof is legally authorized to live and work in Portugal, and Bolt has a duty to collaborate so that these professionals can exercise this right.”, he states.
Deadlines
The deadline of April 15 was considered after the end of extensions of the validity of documents by decree. A renewal voucher has been created, valid for 180 days. It was hoped that during this period it would be possible to deliver the cards in a timely manner, which did not happen.
Given the delays, AIMA created a “proof of approval”, which, however, is not valid for these and other situations, such as banking issues. One of the problems is that it does not show an expiration date or the number of the old residence permit.
The receipt also includes the phrase: “This declaration does not replace the residence title in cases where its presentation is legally required, but it certifies, for all other purposes considered relevant, the existence of the legal situation entitled”. The understanding is that this document does not have the necessary validity.
O DN Brazil found that more than 90% of the approved cards were delivered, but there are still thousands under analysis. The process of renewing these residence permits, some of which have expired since 2024, began in July last yearwithin the scope of the Mission Structure.
amanda.lima@dn.pt
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