Portugal granted 4,948 work visas to Cape Verdeans in 2023 – some 60 work visas more than the total number of applications approved for work purposes in all last four years (4,888), the Portuguese Embassy in Praia has revealed.
The same data reveals that since the beginning of 2023, the Portuguese consulate in Cape Verde has received some 8,686 applications for long-term visas, and 8,125 or 95.8 per cent of those applications were approved.
Eight months into the year, the Portuguese Embassy issued 1,049 visas for 2022, while the average of visas issued per month until the end of August was 1,085 – considerably higher compared to a maximum of 700 in the last four years.
On the other hand, the rejection rate this year is 4.2 per cent, accounting for 353 visa applications denying entry to Cape Verdean applicants. Compared to previous years, the number of visa applications refused this year is evidently lower, as last year, around 15.9 per cent of applications were denied, while in 2021 and 2020, 42.2 and 23.9 per cent of applicants were rejected, respectively. In pre-pandemic times (2019), the rejection rate for Cape Verdean visa applicants was 29.5 per cent.
Portuguese generosity comes after VFS Global, the company providing visa services, overtook scheduling and sorting requests from the consular section in Praia, where citizens place their work, study, medical, and family reunification visa requests.
The Embassy reveals that work visas are the most requested, and, as a result, 4,948 of those have already been granted, while in the previous years, like 2022, only a total of 1,667 work visa applications were approved. According to the same data, 1,930 study visas and 1,247 in other categories have already been granted this year.
The recognition rate of visa applications filed by Cape Verdeans has also experienced a boost after the Portuguese government adopted a new law that facilitated the issuance of visas for citizens of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), with Cape Verde being a founding member of this community.
Appointments for document delivery regarding national visas are made on the VFS Global website, which recently opened new facilities located in Praia Shopping, in Quebra Canela, with more branches, more employees, and better waiting conditions.
In addition, applications for short-term visas are filed at the Common Visa Centre (CCV), managed by Portugal, which since 2012 has been issuing such visas on behalf of the Schengen area.
To meet demands for Schengen visa applications, the dates and times for opening new vacancies have been announced – every 15 days. Two months ago, pre-payment of the service fee of non-refundable €40 was also implemented when scheduling national visa applications to avoid hoarding by third parties.
