Parliament approves controversial Immigration Law
The bill will now be submitted to the President, who may request a constitutional review or or exercise a political veto before it can take effect.
On Wednesday, Parliament passed the controversial overhaul of immigration rules with the support of the two parties in the ruling AD coalition (the centre-right PSD and the conservative CDS-PP) and Chega.
The Liberal Initiative (IL) broke ranks with the right by abstaining.
All the left-wing parties voted against the proposal, urging President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to veto the bill or send it to the Constitutional Court.
The vote followed weeks of tension over what opponents called “procedural violations” and a rushed legislative process.
Key changes
The legislation includes several changes proposed by Chega and accepted by the governing coalition.
These are the main changes:
Work search visa
The work search visa will now be called the “Skilled Work Search Visa.”
The list of skilled professions has not yet been released by the government , and it may only be known after the legislation is enacted.
Regarding applications already in process, there is nothing in the law that indicates any impact.
Illegal entry will have sanctions for visa applications
At Chega’s request, the ruling parties agreed to introduce into law that anyone who has “entered or remained illegally” in Portugal will have their visa refused.
This automatic ban on visa applications also applies to the new “Skilled Work Search Visa.”
CPLP port closed
The government had announced the possibility of entry without a prior visa for the future, but the Executive reversed the decision to prevent it from becoming a new version of the now-defunct expression of interest.
Family reunification
This right contains the biggest changes to the law, and is also the most controversial in parliamentary debates.
At the request of Chega, accepted by the government, an additional restriction was added in addition to those already known: it will be necessary to prove that the couple has lived together in another country.
In practice, this new rule makes family reunification impossible for couples who have not previously lived together, for example, in recent relationships .
The other changes had already been announced: minor children may be reunited within the national territory, provided that they “have legally entered the national territory, are here, live with the applicant and are dependent on him.”
Being outside the country after two years of living with a residence permit may force couples to remain separated for at least two years.
The exception is for Golden Visa applicants and highly qualified individuals.
This minimum two-year period is compounded by an increase in the application review time: nine months, triple the current 90 days.
It is also stipulated that this nine-month period may be extended in “exceptional circumstances associated with the complexity of the application review.”
AIMA
It also states that the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) will schedule appointments “in accordance with its administrative capacity.”
Regarding legal actions “related to AIMA's decisions or omissions,” the new legislation provides that “they will be filed in administrative courts through administrative actions in the form of a regular procedure.”
In practice, this means that it will not be an urgent process, as is currently the case .
New measures include restricting when family reunification can be requested, only after two years of residence, and ending the possibility for certain visa‑exempt nationals, such as Brazilians or Timorese, to apply for residence permits while already in Portugal.
From now on, only highly qualified immigrants may apply for residence, short‑stay, temporary, or job‑seeker visas.
New border police
The package also creates the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders (UNEF) within the PSP, a “mini‑SEF” designed to handle border control and immigration enforcement.
This was also approved by the right, with Socialist Party (PS) and Madeira-based JPP abstaining and PAN, Livre, PCP and the Left Bloc voting against.
Heated debate
The debate was marked by fierce exchanges.
Socialist deputy Pedro Delgado Alves denounced “blatant violations” of democratic norms, accusing the majority of ignoring obligatory hearings with migrant associations and constitutional experts.
Another Socialist deputy, Eurico Brilhante Dias, appealed for the PSD to withdraw the proposal before final approval, prompting PSD leader Hugo Soares to accuse him of staging “a miserable performance.”
Mariana Mortágua (BE) called the measures “repugnant opportunism” that “incites hatred,” and announced she would request a meeting with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to urge a veto.
IL’s Rui Rocha, though critical of the current immigration system, described the legislative process as “inadmissible,” citing last‑minute amendments by PSD and a lack of guarantees.
Even JPP deputy Filipe Sousa warned that “haste is the enemy of perfection,” expressing hope that the law might soon return to Parliament—an indirect nod to a potential presidential veto.
CDS deputy João Almeida defended the changes, insisting they were about protecting “the integrity of the country,” a remark PS called “offensive and discriminatory.”
PSD’s António Rodrigues rejected claims of haste, arguing immigration has been thoroughly debated for 15 months, while accusing the opposition of stalling through demands for further studies and opinions.
The newly approved law now heads to President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has already signaled that he will scrutinize it closely and could request a constitutional review, or exercise a political veto.
“I imagined having an easier life at the end of my second term,” Marcelo remarked earlier, hinting at the weighty decision ahead.
From committee to plenary
The package first cleared the Constitutional Affairs Committee last Friday (11 July).
There, all right-wing parties, including IL, approved the Government’s draft and Chega’s tougher amendments on family-reunification waiting periods and legal-stay requirements.
Left-wing deputies voted against, citing the absence of mandatory opinions from the Higher Council of the Judiciary (CSM) and the Higher Council of Administrative and Fiscal Courts (CSTAF).
Proceedings were delayed three hours by a PSD-Chega spat over whether officers in the new immigration unit would receive a pay supplement.
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No mention of increasing the number of residence years to qualify for citizenship by naturalization.