Category: Immigration

Portugal has taken an important step in strengthening its labor immigration policy with the creation of the Cooperation Protocol for Regulated Labor Migration (PCMLR), also known as the “Fast Track” for immigration.
This new mechanism aims to simplify and accelerate the processes of hiring and legalizing foreign workers, while ensuring greater rigor and compliance in labor relations.

What is the PCMLR?

The PCMLR is a cooperation protocol signed between the Portuguese Government, namely the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA), the Directorate-General for Consular Affairs and Portuguese Communities (DGACCP), the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP), and the Coordination Unit for Employment and Social Solidarity Policies (UCFE/SSI), and several business confederations.

The goal is to create a preferential and regulated channel for labor migration, allowing pre-qualified companies to hire third-country nationals more quickly and predictably, while maintaining high standards of legal and social compliance.

Who can join the program?

The protocol is aimed at companies with a proven structure and solidity, that meet strict criteria, including:

• Having at least 150 employees and a significant turnover (above 25 million euros);
• Being in good standing with the Tax Authority and Social Security;
• Holding a valid and updated permanent certificate;
• Ensuring formal employment contracts compliant with Portuguese law;
• Providing decent housing conditions for foreign workers;
• Promoting social and linguistic integration, namely through Portuguese language training.

Adhering to the PCMLR represents a commitment to social and legal responsibility, not merely an administrative fast track.

How does the process work?

The mechanism operates through closer coordination between participating companies and the public authorities involved.
The process consists of several simplified steps with defined deadlines:

• Submission of the work visa application by the company, including all required documentation.
• Consular appointment within a maximum of 10 working days after submission.
• Visa decision within a maximum of 20 working days after the consular appointment.

Despite its benefits, the PCMLR also introduces new challenges for companies:

• Intensive inspection: participating companies will be subject to compliance audits by the relevant authorities.
• Housing and integration requirements: ensuring adequate housing and implementing social integration measures may be demanding, particularly in urban areas with limited availability.
• Increased responsibility: the protocol requires companies to take an active role in ensuring the legality and well-being of the workers they hire.

In short, this is a preferential pathway, but one only accessible to companies capable of fully complying with legal and ethical standards.

The Cooperation Protocol for Regulated Labor Migration (PCMLR) is an ambitious and necessary measure to modernize Portugal’s labor immigration system. It represents a balance between agility and rigor, promoting a more orderly, transparent, and humane approach to migration.
For companies and professionals operating in the field of international mobility, understanding this new mechanism is essential. And for those seeking specialized support, partnering with an experienced team like Global International Relocation can make all the difference, ensuring a safe, efficient transition in full compliance with the new regulations.

Contact us today to learn how this protocol can help accelerate the integration of new employees into your company, ensuring safety, efficiency, and full support at every stage.

By Global International Relocation and Isabella Belmonte (GIR Relocation Consultant)

Following the announcement made on June 3, 2024, by the Portuguese Government, the new immigration rules in Portugal are now officially in effect.

These changes represent a significant revision of the legislation regulating immigration in the country, with the aim of promoting a more efficient migration policy aligned with the commitments made by Portugal and its European partners in the Schengen Area.

One of the most striking changes is the revocation of residence permit procedures based on manifestations of interest, which were introduced by a 2017 amendment to the law. The Government considered this possibility of regularizing immigrants without a consular visa as a “thoughtless” measure that compromised the principles of the Schengen Area.

This revocation may be followed by a possible parliamentary review of the law, with a transitional regime for pending applications, where those who applied before the new decree will be considered, or for cases where there are already work contracts and contributions to Social Security.

In addition, the decree-law now published includes a series of comprehensive measures to resolve pending issues and irregular situations, such as the creation of a “task force” to resolve the more than 400 thousand pending processes that migrated from the former SEF to the AIMA. The implementation of a national territory surveillance system to combat abuses and ensure compliance with immigration laws is also planned. As part of this announcement, issues related to the attraction of foreign talent were also addressed, with measures to improve the process of recognition of qualifications and competencies, promote the professional training of foreign citizens, among others.

Regarding human integration, measures will be implemented to increase vacancies in reception centers for asylum seekers and refugees, promote the professional integration of immigrants in the national labor market, and strengthen the teaching of Portuguese as a Non-Mother Tongue.

Institutional reorganization is also highlighted, with the creation of a Foreigners and Borders Unit in the PSP and the restructuring of the AIMA to reinforce operational capacity and immigrant assistance.

These changes reflect the Portuguese Government’s commitment to creating a more welcoming and efficient environment for immigrants while ensuring compliance with immigration laws and Portugal’s international commitments, obviously being a sensitive moment for those who have ongoing immigration bureaucratic processes.

If this is your case, this is a unique opportunity to turn to our Mobility Department to simplify the entire process.

Need support? Get in touch with Global!