Tech Visa

By project UnicornQuest

Published on 29 January 2025

Portugal

About this good practice

The program is meant to attract highly qualified human resources to contribute to the development of Portuguese businesses, mainly in ICT areas. These professionals must speak Portuguese, English, French or Spanish, and must have at least a higher education degree. IAPMEI is responsible for assessing and accrediting companies under the Tech Visa program, which are then able to recruit qualified workers, third country nationals and non-permanent residents in European Union territory, in a simpler way, by issuing a digital Liability Note the candidate may then present at the Consular Posts/Embassy and Border Control Services to qualify for a highly skilled worker residence visa or permit. This aims to streamline the recruiting process. The company must pay a minimum wage (this value must correspond to at least 2.5 times the IAS (updated to €522.5 for 2025) and issue a contract of a minimum duration of one year. The company must positively evaluate for the criteria "Market potential" and "External market orientation" and prove their main products or services can be sold internationally. These products or services should, preferably, be inserted in technological sectors.

Expert opinion

The Tech Visa programme form Portugal offers an approach to fight brain-drain by simplifying recruiting processes of third country nationals by local companies. The figures demonstrate a real potential to increase the talent pool of the host country. While the practice is relevant to address the issues of brain-drain, it is hardly replicable on the local/regional level. The necessary legal framework for immigration is normally a national one. However, the mechanism itself might possibly be adapted to target countries not requiring specific immigration permits.

Luc Schmerber

Works at Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform

Resources needed

Legislation which facilitates immigration through the policy, as well as approval by the national entity for immigration and border control. Staff on behalf of several entities according to the number of requests.

Evidence of success

Currently, 575 companies certified by IAPMEI have signed 8185 contracts; 7216 are in IT, and 283 are in electronics and automation. The countries which have had the largest number of signed contracts are Brazil (5240), India (708) and Russia (522). In the Alentejo region, 21 certified companies currently have 117 contracts.

Potential for learning or transfer

Tech Visa is ideal for countries suffering from brain drain. In regions that suffer most from brain drain, companies, especially those in the ICT area, gave great difficulty in hiring and retaining talent. Through Tech Visa, companies can hire international talent with less bureaucratic concerns, enabling a faster scaling process that can happen without the company leaving national territory. This policy is more easily implemented in countries with non-Schengen speakers of their native language, such as Portuguese, French, Spanish, and English.