Portugal’s immigration system has been thrown into disarray following the cancellation of all scheduled work-seeking visa appointments as of October 23, 2025. This move follows the introduction of a new law that abolishes the previous job-seeker visa and replaces it with a more restrictive "highly skilled work-seeking visa," according to Schengen Visa Info.
However, with new regulations yet to be established, thousands of applicants are left in limbo, unsure when they will be able to apply under the updated framework.
The changes were first announced on October 22, 2025, and came into effect the very next day, abolishing the existing job-seeker visa. The government has confirmed that all scheduled work-seeking visa appointments set after October 23 have been automatically cancelled. This leaves thousands of applicants uncertain about when they will be able to apply for the new visa, as the required regulatory framework is still under development.
Immediate cancellation creates a regulatory gap
The law approved by Portugal’s parliament on September 30, 2025, and signed into law by the president on October 16, introduces several critical changes. The job-seeker visa, previously available for anyone with funds to enter Portugal and search for work, is now replaced by a skilled work-seeking visa. This new visa limits eligibility to high-skilled professionals with specialized technical competencies, though the exact definition of these competencies has yet to be clarified.
Without the necessary regulations in place, visa applications for the new category cannot be processed. As of October 26, 2025, there is no timeline for when these regulations will be finalised. The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that applicants must wait for the regulatory framework to be established before they can apply for the new skilled visa.
Key changes to immigration law
The changes also tighten the eligibility criteria for the new visa.
Unlike the previous job-seeker visa, which was open to individuals with financial means to support themselves while looking for work, the new visa is exclusive to professionals with specialised technical skills. The visa’s validity remains at 120 days, but it is no longer valid for Schengen Area travel and is strictly limited to Portuguese territory.
One of the most significant changes is the restriction on reapplication. If applicants fail to secure employment within the 120-day period, they must leave Portugal and wait a full year before reapplying.
The end of the Manifestation of Interest program
Alongside the changes to work-seeking visas, the law also ends the “Manifestation of Interest” regularisation pathway, which allowed non-EU nationals to enter Portugal as tourists, find employment, and then apply for residency after contributing to Social Security for 12 months.
This pathway, which had led to a backlog of approximately 400,000 pending cases, will officially be discontinued by December 31, 2025.
The law specifies that all residence permit applications related to this program must be submitted by this deadline, or the cases will be forfeited. As of late 2025, around 130,000 cases remain pending, which adds further pressure to an already congested immigration system.
Concerns over labour shortages
The shift toward a skilled-only visa and the elimination of the Manifestation of Interest program have raised alarms among employers, particularly in sectors such as tourism, agriculture, and hospitality, which rely heavily on lower-skilled workers.
Portugal faces a critical shortage of labour across several industries, with an estimated 58,000 job vacancies. The tourism and hospitality sectors alone are expected to need 49,000 new workers. Critics argue that the new visa restrictions could exacerbate these shortages, limiting the workforce available for vital industries.
What should applicants do next?
For applicants whose appointments were cancelled, there is no need to take any further action. All appointments booked with VFS Global, BLS International, and TLScontact have been automatically cancelled. Those affected are advised to keep checking official sources for updates regarding when the new skilled work-seeking visa applications will reopen.
For those who already submitted their applications before October 23, 2025, it is advisable to contact the relevant Portuguese consulate to determine whether their applications are still being processed.
