“We request that the previously sent email be disregarded.” This was the communication received by a Brazilian woman who, a few days earlier, had her application for a work search visa rejected by the VSF. The justification was the entry into force of the new law, even if it had not yet been published in the Diário da República.
The resending of the emails occurred after DN Brasil reported the inconsistency of the refusal and questioned the matter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE). The VSF also backed down after citizens sent letters justifying, on legal grounds, the need to accept the request. “I don’t know if it was related, but we questioned the consulate regarding the return of the document by VSF before the law came into force“, explains consultant Danielle Lago to the newspaper.
Still according to the Brazilian, other confirmations of orders sent before the law came into force have been confirmed. On Thursday, October 23, the date the legislation came into force, the MNE announced the suspension of work search visa applications from that day onwards.
According to the Portuguese Government, “Portuguese consular posts in Brazil and/or VFS Global visa application centers will no longer be able to process visa applications for job search, since this type of visa no longer exists in the manner previously defined in the Law“.
The MNE confirmed the date of the change. “Therefore, all work search visa applications that are sent by post or presented in person from October 23, 2025 cannot be accepted, and they will be returned to visa applicants by VFS Global.”
As already announced by DN Brazilit will still be necessary to publish a decree between several ministries, which will define the new rules for this type of visa. “In its place, there will be a visa for searching for qualified work, requests for which can only be submitted as soon as the new typology is subject to the necessary regulationin line with the provisions of the new Foreigners Law”.
So far, no concrete information about the new visa modality has been released. At the meeting annual report of the Subcommittee on Consular Affairs and Movement of Personsheld in Lisbon recently, Brazil questioned Portugal about the definition of “highly qualified”.
A Brazilian delegation requested that these professions be accepted “do not limit yourself to academically elevated functions”. The work search visa was, until last week, the most requested by Brazilians at Portuguese consulates.
The Brazilian Government’s request at the meeting also takes into account the difficulty in recognizing Brazilian diplomas in Portugal. THE Mapping the Brazilian Scientific Diaspora in Portugalwhich had the support of the Brazilian Embassy in Lisbon, showed that 42% of professionals with “advanced higher education” are working outside the field.
amanda.lima@dn.pt