Has Anyone Gotten a Response to Any Email Sent to AIMA?

Yes. My wife got a response to her email several months after she sent it.  Totally unhelpful response! It said you can go online and renew your residencia. The website said (once again)  " Your residence permit does not allow automatic renewal"  Then the email went on to say "Caso não consiga efetuar a renovação no Portal AIMA, deverá efetuar um agendamento para atendimento presencial junto do Instituto dos Registos e Notariado (IRN)." So we went in person to the nearest IRN office and the nice lady there helped us go online and check for in-person appointments at other IRN offices since they did not do those at her office. She found out there were no openings for online appointments anywhere she checked including Lisboa. Another wild goose chase.  Each time they try to kick the can down the road instead of dealing with the problem, it just creates a lot more work for the applicants AND other people in government who are trying to be helpful - not to mention the ill will it creates by having us chase around uselessly.

I've been trying to contact AIMA since before my residence card expired, but I couldn’t reach them or do anything. So, I went to the SIGA website to book a renewal appointment at IRN. Can you believe how ridiculous it was that when I got to IRN, the officer said that ever since SEF was transitioned to AIMA, even though the information on SIGA is still there, the services no longer exist. They keep that option on the website just so it doesn't look empty! I was so stressed because my card was about to expire, but the service was unavailable even though I had an appointment. I decided to go to IRN, where AIMA is, but even the staff couldn’t find a solution or provide an answer. They didn’t seem to know that booking an appointment wasn’t possible and just told me to keep trying to call. The staff at the counter seemed to be just there for show, not really busy. Initially, I wanted to contact them about changing my nationality, but I don't think anything will happen soon—just renewing my residence card is already exhausting. In the end, my husband helped by calling, and finally, someone answered. They told me to send an email to AIMA’s center with a specific subject line they provided. Hopefully, I’ll get a reply within 2-3 months. I’m so tired of waiting.

This will not resolve any issues with a lack of response from AIMA however it may help relieve stress caused by concern over having a visa that has expired. I got this from our immigration lawyer yesterday. Note it refers to any type of visa that expires after Feb 2020!

"all visas were extended until the 30th of June 2025 as per this information set by AIMA:

[link under review]

My guess is that the Gov. hope to clear the backlog by mid 2025 but who really knows if they will. I understand there are 10's of thousands of expired visas. There is a "rumour" that some types of visa will start to be renewed automatically via online submission but again who really knows if that is true or just wishful thinking. 

FYI, also I've read of people who want to start the process before their visa's expires hoping it will help to get the renew before it expires, our lawyer says that will do nothing and the process can only be started once the visa has expired, in our case Feb next year. 

Good luck

Hi All

Is it not time to take to the streets maybe to the AIMA offices to protest about this? Is there someone out there to organise a day of protest? I know we are guests in the Country, however like a lot of people on the site we are paying taxes to the Government, this sitting around filling in emails, calling the phone number and visiting the AIMA offices! Without a response from anyone to tell us what is happening, no one has managed to advise me that I’m in the queue and your number 200, or I’m 300,691 and your appointment is next year, the not knowing is unbearable? What do other people  think?

dave

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 75#5934656

(Post #11)

Hi All Is it not time to take to the streets maybe to the AIMA offices to protest about this? Is there someone out there to organise a day of protest?-@daviejamieson03

If such day of protest makes you feel better, go for it. However, it will change nothing with regards to the problem. The latter is known for years and I wouldn't hold my breath that a solution is near.

Hi Tg

We will never know politicians don’t tend to stand with you until they see a benefit from it, this is not about feeling better. It’s about doing something other than sitting on our hands, I like most have spent days visiting offices in Tavira, spent 7 hours in Faro office only to get to the desk for the lady behind the counter to say “ nothing we can do you will have to be patient and wait until they contact you”  I’m fast approaching a year now to try and achieve a appointment. I ask for contact from them a email from them to say we are aware you are on our radar and will be in contact with you soon. Not much to ask? I like most would then leave them alone no phone calls to make, emails to send or visit to AIMA offices to do, I could just leave all of it behind and then wait no problem. Basic

DJ

@daviejamieson03,

What specifically do you want from AIMA?

The current government is trying to resolve by June 2025 an immigration situation left by the previous government that was a disaster for 8 years. From the open door immigration policy, to the dismantling of SEF, to 400,000 pending applications, to thousands of family reunifications pending for years, etc... a complete disaster. Let's give the benefit of the doubt to the current government, which is sorting out this heavy inheritance until june 2025...

And forget emails, no one will answer that. Keep calling, with insistence you'll get through.

Hi johnnyPT

What I want I’ve previously said, I like many more have carried out all the necessary paperwork in my own country, went to a interview in our own country was given a temporary visa and told that we need to contact the AIMA in Portugal when I arrived to achieve the full status. Basically should be a rubber stamp not difficult I would have thought? How many more claimants are like me and can’t even get in contact with them why? I’m retired and I’m being told if I leave even just to go on holiday out of the country I may not get back in and would have to re start the application. I feel we should be just getting on with our retirement not worrying about the poor admin? I hear what you say about giving them time to see if they do what they say they’re going to do, but do we have another 8 months of stagnation??

DJ

@wordsmith555

We have a lawyer working on this. I don't know if you saw in the paper last week, but AIMA has a backlog of 400k cases. Even our lawyer can't get through. I doubt email will work, but apparently calling daily could get through eventually.

Good Morning all

i have called to the AIMA 300 calls in one afternoon did get through a few times but the answer is we are experiencing high volume and it’s not possible to provide this service please call back later. not word for word but same sentiment.Johnny Pt says give them the benefit of doubt meantime that’s what I’m going to do, we are supposed too get satellite stations set up to deal with this but don’t see them yet! I tried the lawyer but was told it’s better to hold on as they can’t do anything with AIMA

dj

Bom dia, I have been encouraged by several recent FB postings that emails to AIMA have resulted in residence permit appointments. The most recent successful applicant got an appointment after 9 months of trying. Applicants have been contacted via email and phone. So someone is reading emails to AIMA. I have been emailing AIMA since late June 2024. I just sent email #120 this morning. I started including the number of the email in my header.

What exactly is happening in the new additional AIMA offices that are set up, or are being set up, throughout PT? Is this additional space for newly hired additional AIMA personnel to conduct in-person residence interviews and advise about other AIMA matters?

@wordsmith555

Here's the answer. The new centres will only solve the 400,000 cases pending until June 2025. They call people with pending cases. They don't attend those who go there without an appointment.

https://www.publico.pt/2024/11/13/publi … es-2111769