The Portuguese government will implement new rules for nationals from Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP) to ensure equal opportunities for all visa applicants. According to Jose Cesario, nationals from CPLP countries, including Cape Verde, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, and Sao Tome and Principe, did not receive the 'same treatment' as nationals from other countries.
Cesario explained that the new rules would tighten entry into Portugal for immigrants from CPLP countries, requiring them to prove they can financially support themselves until they find work. Following changes to the Aliens Act, effective October 30, 2022, CPLP citizens were granted simplified visas without the requirement to demonstrate financial self-sufficiency during their stay in Portugal.
Cesario points out that CPLP nationals are not required to maintain a CPLP visa solely based on their origin; they have the option to choose between a CPLP visa and another type. The CPLP Residence Permit does not permit its holders to move within the European Union, and according to Cesario, this has been a 'consistently recurring complaint' among many visa holders.
According to a report from Portugal’s Institute of Statistics, 1.4 million people in the Algarve and the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, which have large immigrant populations, have an immigrant background. Additionally, Brazilians, who are also CPLP nationals, constitute the largest foreign community in Portugal. In the Algarve, 20.7 percent of the immigrant population were born in Portuguese-speaking African countries, while 16.4 percent were born in Brazil.