With the changes made to immigration law, it will become more difficult for people to enter Portugal, and consequently, the Azores. At least, that is the opinion of Leoter Viegas, president of AIPA, who revealed to Correio dos Açores the implications of the changes, including how they may influence labor entry into the Azores, and emphasized that the number of requests for support from AIPA has increased.

Correio dos Açores – How could the changes made to the immigration law hinder more people from coming to the Azores?

Leoter Viegas (President of AIPA) – What concerns us most about this change in the law on foreigners is the government’s concern with regulating and restricting migration flows in Portugal. However, there is a lack of attention to policies for the reception, inclusion, and integration of immigrants. We are not against regulating migration flows in Portugal; regulation is necessary, and immigration must be controlled, safe, and orderly. However, the focus cannot be solely on regulating flows, but also on policies related to the inclusion of immigrants and support services for immigrants. There must be a policy that addresses integration and immigrants’ access to healthcare and education. There must be support and greater investment in Portuguese language classes and courses for immigrants, as well as less bureaucracy and greater ease of access to public services for immigrants, particularly AIMA, which has not been easy, especially in mainland Portugal. All of this policy should be properly integrated. And that is why we also advocate a fairer, more balanced, and more moderate policy for immigrants, specifically through targeted legislative reforms. There were basically three amendments: one relates to the end of job-seeking visas for some immigrants, because immigrants who have a gold visa will continue to have one; the end of the possibility for CPLP immigrants to enter Portugal legally with any type of visa, and then obtain CPLP residency in Portuguese territory has ended. Any CPLP immigrant who wishes to obtain a CPLP residence permit must enter with a residence visa. A third change relates to family reunification, which we consider the most significant, as it requires immigrants applying for family reunification to reside in Portugal for at least two years. The exception to this requirement is immigrants who have dependent children, who can apply for family reunification within two years. On the other hand, immigrants who have husbands or wives must reside in Portugal for at least 15 months to apply for family reunification and will have to prove that the relationship has existed for at least 12 months. These three changes are significant.

The question that arises, for example, regarding the job search visa, is that the government says it is only for highly qualified people and people who have a Gold visa. The question is: what does it mean to be highly qualified? Are we talking about scientists, engineers, doctors, lawyers, economists, or people who are experts in artificial intelligence? Is an immigrant who is a good bricklayer, a good carpenter, or a good joiner not a qualified person? So, there is still this issue that needs to be regulated and clarified. But the main focus, in our view, should be elsewhere. Even immigrants residing in Portugal face immense difficulties in renewing their residence permits, and similar challenges exist in the Azores. This happens because there is too much bureaucracy. AIMA, particularly on the mainland, does not work effectively to enable immigrants to renew their residence permits on time.

We have people residing in the Azores who have been waiting for their card for a year. They have already made the payment, completed the entire process, and have been waiting for the card to arrive at their home for a year. This creates indecision and uncertainty among immigrants. An immigrant in this situation cannot leave the country because they do not have their residence card. On the other hand, some immigrants wait a long time for an appointment. This is worrying for us because, despite a decree-law stating that all expired documents are valid until October 15, and today is the 7th, we are waiting for a new decree-law to extend the immigrants’ documents.

Without quick access to AIMA for document renewal, people will inevitably face enormous social vulnerability.

In your opinion, won’t these changes to the law make it even more difficult for people to enter Portugal?

Obviously, yes. In our view, this change to the law will lead to greater restrictions on immigrants and may result in a greater number of immigrants being notified to leave the country. What we have seen in recent times is a succession of changes to rules and procedures. What we call changing the rules in the middle of the game.

Previously, for instance, an immigrant had to provide several documents to obtain or renew a residence permit: proof of means of subsistence (through an IRS declaration, IRS settlement note, or employment contract). Then, they also had to prove that they had means of subsistence (through a rental agreement, receipt, or certificate of residence from the parish council was sufficient proof). However, last week, we received guidance that a certificate of residence issued by the parish council is no longer enough as proof of accommodation. Immigrants are now required to provide their landlord’s property registration document, a statement from the landlord authenticated by the registry office, and other relevant documents. This is not very clear and, in our opinion, hinders the successful integration of immigrants. We risk providing information today that will be outdated in two or three days. In our view, the lack of stability and consistency in the procedures is detrimental.

Given the changes to the law, will the labor shortage be even more acute?

In Portugal, in Europe, and obviously in the Azores, we face a dual challenge: desertification and an aging population, leading to labor shortages in key sectors such as restaurants, tourism, commerce, agriculture, and construction.

Last week, we saw statistics showing that by 2100, Portugal could lose more than 2 million people, including Azoreans. And one of the ways, in our view, to mitigate this problem is through a good immigration policy.

An immigration policy that focuses on welcoming, integrating, and including immigrants who come to live in Portugal. Obviously, the Azores have a growing economy and have been creating jobs. According to the latest data I am aware of, the unemployment rate in the Azores was around five percent. Therefore, it is an economy that needs people to work. Many companies struggle to find local labor and often resort to immigrant labor. We must create conditions for these immigrants to be well integrated into our region, thereby creating wealth for both the area and the country.

It should be emphasized that immigration policy and the regulation of immigration flows do not depend on the Regional Government, but on the Government of the Republic. It should also be noted that, at the regional level, unlike at the national level, we have good coordination between political authorities, local authorities, and civil society organizations. Here in the Azores, we have a support network that enables us to have an adequate policy for welcoming immigrants and raising awareness in society about immigration issues. But it is always possible to do more, it is always possible to go further. Going further means, first and foremost, enabling immigrants to contribute to strengthening the economy in the Azores. That’s exactly why these people come here. They come to work and contribute to enhancing the economy of the Azores.

It is therefore crucial and urgent that we implement an adequate policy promoting the reception, integration, and inclusion of people moving to the Azores. AIPA is, and always has been, available to contribute to both the Regional Government of the Azores and the Municipal Councils, streamlining this process in line with our mission.

Has AIPA received many requests for support?

It has increased over the years. We in the Azores have witnessed the evolution of the foreign population, and according to the latest available data from 2023, approximately 6,200 immigrants from over 98 countries were residing in the Azores.

Based on the 2024 data and our 2025 experience, we believe this number has been completely surpassed. We estimate that the immigrant population residing in the Azores is between 8,000 and 9,000 people. This is not a problem. Out of a total of 2,400,000 people living in the Azores archipelago, having 9,000 foreigners is not problematic, especially since the overwhelming majority of immigrants who come to live in the Azores are working or studying. So what we need here is precisely this integration policy.

Demand at our offices has increased, as is obvious. We have an immigrant support office here in São Miguel. We also have another office in Angra do Heroísmo, which we call CLAIM (Local Center for Migrant Integration Support). Additionally, we are partners with the Madalena do Pico City Council in a third office. This office plays a key role in receiving immigrants, providing them with information, and directing them to the right places. Let’s imagine that an immigrant arrives here and wants to regularize their situation. We instruct and inform them of all necessary documents to regularize their situation, and refer them to AIMA. An immigrant who arrives here and needs to obtain a taxpayer number is informed of the essential papers and referred to the tax office. An immigrant with an employment contract who needs to register with Social Security is provided with information on all necessary documents and then referred to Social Security.

This is the work we do here at AIPA, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We have had an average of 25 to 30 visits per day in each of the offices I mentioned above. In 2024, we handled over 6,000 cases. This year, 2025, we have already handled more than 8,000 cases across our three support offices on the islands of São Miguel, Terceira, and Pico.

Frederico Figueiredo is a journalist for Correio dos Açores-Natalino Viveiros-director

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.