AIMA Gets a New President: What the ‘Second Phase’ Means for Your Case

AIMA, the agency that handles residence permits in Portugal, is getting a new president. On Wednesday, 7 October 2026, Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro told Parliament that board member César Teixeira will replace Pedro Portugal Gaspar, and that migration policy is entering a “second phase”. Here is what was said and what it means for your case.

What happened

The minister spoke at a regular hearing of Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs committee, the news agency Lusa reported (via RTP). He praised the outgoing president and said the results of the “first phase”, which included clearing old cases and changing the law, were “very positive”, but that “a new phase is needed in which the priorities are different”. He said AIMA will have the new president “this year” and gave no start date. Earlier reports that Mr Portugal Gaspar was leaving are in our AIMA strike article.

According to Lusa, César Teixeira, who previously worked as a lawyer, is the only member of AIMA’s board, apart from the outgoing president, who was appointed in 2024 and was still in office.

What the minister said comes next

These are the minister’s own figures, as reported by Lusa (via CNN Portugal and Observador). We have not seen an official document with them.

• New priorities: a national integration plan (not yet published) and more inspections and action against illegal immigration.
• Old cases: 98% of the 940,000 notifications handled by AIMA’s mission team are resolved. Of 445,000 pending manifestação de interesse cases, about 5,000 are left.
• Family reunification: 55,000 appointments in 2026 and 26,000 permits granted.
• Staff: AIMA grew from 723 to 850 workers, and cultural mediators from 123 to 325.
• Work visas under the employers’ protocol: 12,000 visas from 21,600 applications, about 20 days on average, with 10% refused.
• Statelessness law: he asked Parliament to correct it, saying networks are spreading messages that Portugal accepts residence requests immediately and pays support before checking them.

The AIMA workers’ union (STM), which held a strike on 6 October, welcomed the choice but said in a statement that the change “does not erase the problems”, listing “chaotic processes”, “exhausted workers” and unanswered meeting requests (Lusa via SAPO).

What this means for immigrants

• The rules do not change with a new president. Your application follows the law in force. By the morning of 8 October, AIMA’s website showed no notice changing appointments, the Portal de Renovações or contact channels.
• Still waiting on an old case? If you are among the remaining cases, keep every receipt and email, and check your spam folder.
• Renewing soon? AIMA’s last renewal notice, in August, covered permits expiring in November and December 2026. No date has been announced yet for permits expiring in January or February 2027.
• Be careful with “fast residence” offers, including claims built on the statelessness law. AIMA services are free; read our scam warning.

What you should do

1. Keep your appointment and use only official channels: aima.gov.pt and the contact centre on (+351) 217 115 000. AIMA’s contacts page lists Monday to Friday, 08:00–20:00, while its contact form shows weekdays 09:00–18:00, so check current hours.
2. If your case has had no answer for months, write to AIMA and keep a copy. AIMA Stuck? Email Them Free writes the email for you. It is free, not affiliated with AIMA, and not legal advice.
3. Approved but no card yet? See what happens next.

Key dates

• 6 October 2026: 24-hour strike by AIMA workers.
• 7 October 2026: the minister names César Teixeira as AIMA’s next president.
• By the end of 2026: the new president takes over, according to the minister (no exact date yet).

Sources

• RTP/Lusa – César Teixeira will be AIMA’s new president (7 October 2026)
• CNN Portugal/Lusa – First phase of migration policy completed; integration and fight against networks next (7 October 2026)
• Observador/Lusa – Government wants Parliament to review the statelessness law (7 October 2026)
• SAPO/Lusa – Union: new AIMA presidency “does not erase problems” (7 October 2026)
• AIMA – official website and contact centre · AIMA – Portal de Renovações notice (August 2026)

Featured image: Branded graphic: Link in Portugal (original work; no third-party photos)

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change often; check with AIMA or the official body before acting. Last updated: 8 October 2026.