Via Verde Work Visas: 12,000 Issued, 72% to Asian Workers – How the Employer Route Works

Portugal’s “Via Verde” (green lane) for hiring foreign workers has issued about 12,000 visas in the year and a half since it started, and about 72% went to workers from Asia, the newspaper Público reported on 8 October 2026. If you are in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh or Nepal and hope to work in Portugal, here is how this route works and what to watch out for.

What the new figures say

• About 12,000 visas issued, an average of 153 a week, from more than 21,600 requests, according to Público.
• Where workers come from: about 72% from Asia and 25% from Africa.
• Which jobs: agriculture and construction account for 92% of the visas.
• Earlier figure: on 1 July 2026 the Labour Minister told Parliament that 5,833 visas had been granted under the protocol, ECO reported.

We could read only the summary of Público’s report and found no official release with the October figures, so treat them as press figures.

What the Via Verde is

Its official name is the Protocolo de Cooperação para a Migração Laboral Regulada (Protocol for Regulated Labour Migration). It was signed on 1 April 2025 by five business confederations (CIP, CAP, CCP, CTP and CPCI) and, for the State, by the consular affairs department (DGACCP), AIMA, the border coordination unit (UCFE) and the employment institute IEFP, the Government said.

Status: it is a protocol in use since April 2025, not a new law and not a new type of visa. It gives faster, priority handling to two existing visas: the residence visa for employed work (D1) and the temporary-stay visa for seasonal work, as explained by the business association AEP, one of the bodies that submits requests.

How it works

This is the procedure as summarised by the construction association AICCOPN, which handles requests for the CPCI confederation:

1. The employer picks the workers, gathers their documents and sends the list to its business association.
2. The association checks the file and asks DGACCP for appointments. If the file is complete, DGACCP sends it to the consulate within 2 working days.
3. The consulate gives a priority appointment within 10 days, to collect biometric data, check identity and see the original documents.
4. AIMA gives its opinion within 3 working days and the security unit within 5.
5. The consulate decides within 20 days of your appointment, if all legal requirements are met.

In return, the employer must guarantee a valid work contract, health and travel insurance, access to training and Portuguese lessons, and adequate housing (Government). Under the signed commitment, it must also refuse and prevent labour exploitation and trafficking, including by recruitment agencies. A company that breaks these rules can be suspended or excluded from the protocol (AEP).

What it means for you

• You cannot apply on your own. The request comes from a Portuguese employer through its business association. Most visas so far are for farm and building jobs.
• Don’t pay anyone for a “Via Verde visa”. Under the protocol, the request comes from the employer’s side. If someone asks you to pay for a job, a “green-lane slot” or a visa appointment, treat it as a red flag. Read our scam warning.
• Check the offer. Ask for the written contract, the company’s tax number (NIPC) and the housing details in writing. Compare the pay with the minimum wage (€920 a month in 2026) using our Net Salary Tool.
• Faster visa, same rules. A D1 visa still lets you enter so you can apply to AIMA for a residence permit. See our work visa guide. There is no open job-seeker route: read Is the job seeker visa open?
• Already in Portugal and your AIMA case is stuck? AIMA Stuck? Email Them Free writes the formal email for you. It is free, not affiliated with AIMA, and not legal advice.

Key dates

• 1 April 2025: protocol signed in Lisbon.
• 1 July 2026: 5,833 visas granted, according to the Labour Minister.
• 8 October 2026: Público reports about 12,000 visas, 72% to workers from Asia.

Sources

• Público – “Via verde” da imigração: 72% dos vistos são para trabalhadores da Ásia, 25% de África (8 October 2026)
• Government of Portugal – Signing of the protocol for regulated labour migration (1 April 2025)
• ECO – Almost 6,000 visas granted through the “via verde” (1 July 2026)
• AEP – Via Verde para a Imigração: visas covered and employer commitments
• AICCOPN – Protocol for regulated labour migration: the 5 steps (PDF)

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 the Portuguese embassy or consulate in your country, or AIMA, before acting. Link in Portugal is not affiliated with the Government, AIMA or any business association. Last updated: 9 October 2026.