It has begun. Portugal’s immigration agency, AIMA, has started sending interview invitations to immigrants who applied for residence permits through vocational training courses using the special application form launched in April. Around 20,000 applications are in the queue, and new invitations are being sent out every day.

Here’s the background. In April, AIMA opened a dedicated contact form allowing vocational students to apply for a residence permit — a pathway that had previously been available in practice only through the courts. The main advantage of this route is that applicants do not need to hold a prior entry visa. The course, however, must be provided by a school certified by DGERT, Portugal’s national authority for vocational education.

What to Expect
– Interview invitations are sent to the email address provided in the April application form.
– AIMA says all invitations should be sent by the end of July.
– In-person interviews will begin in October, as appointment slots before then are reserved for family reunification cases.
– If all documents are in order, some applicants may receive a decision within as little as two weeks after the interview.
– Interviews are generally scheduled at the office closest to the applicant’s place of residence. However, due to high demand, applicants living in Lisbon or Porto may be assigned to another city.
Applicants should also expect strict verification of two key requirements: legal entry into Portugal and continuous residence in the country without leaving during the qualifying period.

What You Should Do Now

1. Check your email every day.
Look not only in your inbox but also in your Spam and Promotions folders. If your application was submitted through an intermediary, make sure they are monitoring the email account as well.

2. Prepare your documents in advance.
You should have ready:
a copy of your passport;
proof of enrolment and payment for your course;
evidence of legal entry into Portugal (passport stamp, boarding passes or tickets);
proof that you have been living in Portugal, such as a rental agreement, atestado de morada, or your NIF/NISS documentation.
3. Do not leave Portugal before your interview.
Continuous residence is one of the main eligibility requirements. Leaving the country could jeopardize your application.
4. Continue attending and paying for your course.
Your student status must still be valid when you attend the interview. You can verify whether your school is DGERT-certified in the official registry. Applications linked to non-certified institutions are automatically rejected.
5. If you have not received an email by the end of July, request an update through AIMA’s contact form.
Do not submit a second application, as duplicate requests may only slow down the process.
6. Ignore anyone offering to “sell” you an appointment.
AIMA does not sell interview slots, and social media offers claiming they can speed up the process in exchange for money are almost certainly scams.

More information is available on AIMA’s official website and in reporting by DN Brasil.